By Scott Weighart, GoTerriers.com Staff Writer
---This feature appears in the Red Hot Hockey game program---

Back on April 26, 2012, Boston University goaltender Sam Tucker was one of 18,200 fans at Madison Square Garden, watching his childhood idol—New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist—stop 26 of 27 shots to lead the home team to a first-round Game 7 playoff win over the Ottawa Senators.

Seven-and-a-half years later, Tucker will be occupying the same hallowed goal creases as his idol, playing between the pipes for BU against Cornell in the biannual Red Hot Hockey event at the Garden. 

How could that possibly feel?  

Tucker laughed. "It's definitely a weird feeling, but I look forward to it, and I'm hoping to embrace it when I'm out there."

Tucker is one of four Terriers from the greater metropolitan New York City area who will be enjoying their first opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden. Tucker, now a graduate student at BU after playing for Yale for three years, grew up about 50 miles away in Wilton, Connecticut. Freshman Robert Mastrosimone hails from East Islip, New York—a similar distance away on Long Island.

Freshman Trevor Zegras is from Bedford, New York—a little closer—while fellow first-year player Domenick Fensore lives in Thornwood, New York—only 32 miles north of the legendary rink.

Before playing in front of a raucous crowd clad heavily in the red and white colors sported by both teams, the Red Hot Hockey newcomers did their best to imagine what it will be like. They all have their own personal history with the arena.

"My family, we're big on the Rangers," said Zegras, who was the ninth overall selection in the NHL Draft last June, selected by the Anaheim Ducks. "I remember going to games since I was pretty young, and it was always pretty special. Obviously, it was my favorite NHL team. I grew up going to games my whole life. I felt the same way every time I went. You didn't get to go every day, and it was always special."

"I grew up as a Rangers fan," said Fensore, a defenseman picked in the third round of this year's draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. "My dad would always take me to the games. I loved going there; it's an iconic place to go. Playing there is going to be amazing. That iconic ceiling—that's what I always thought of when I went down there."

Mastrosimone hopes to be wearing red and white for years to come, as he was a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in June's draft. Of the four local Terriers getting their first taste of the Garden, he's the only one who generally rooted against the home team as a kid.

"Growing up, I was an Islanders fan, but Madison Square Garden is known as one of the greatest arenas on Earth," Mastrosimone said. "Just getting to play there is going to be extraordinary. You walk in, and you're just 'Wow, this place is crazy.'  There's just so much going on. It's more than just a hockey rink; it's a main attraction to go to when you're in New York City."

Tucker agreed. "I'm not sure I can remember the first game I went to, but Madison Square Garden held a special place in my heart as a Rangers fan. It's always surreal going up through Penn Station and into the Garden. It's a great experience."

Although working on a graduate degree in financial management at BU, Tucker sounded more like a history major in describing his feelings about MSG. "I'd say the history more than anything—what the Rangers have accomplished there as well as other teams. It's a remarkable piece of history that continues to live on today."

None of the four players has played in front of a crowd anywhere close to what they will experience on November 30. Tucker believes the biggest crowd he's played in front was in Belfast at last year's Friendship Four, but the largest crowd there was just a bit over 6,000. Zegras and Fensore recalled a big, raucous crowd when they played for Team USA against Canada in the Under-17 gold medal game less than two years ago. But none of them have played at this large a venue.

"It's going to be really awesome playing Cornell," Mastrosimone said. "Their fans are really loud. You can just use that energy and put that toward your energy on the ice. It's going to be an amazing experience with the fans going back and forth and getting really loud."

"You'll definitely try to go about it in the same way, but it's going to be a unique experience," Tucker said. "You just have to try to enjoy the occasion as much as you can along with getting a win."

"I think you have to take it like it's another game here at Agganis [Arena, BU's home rink]," Mastrosimone said. "It still counts; it's still a game, and you can't get too caught up in the moment."

Zegras agreed. "That's what warmups are for: Take it all in during warmups and then forget about it when the game starts. It's just a hockey game on a bigger stage."

Although all four players are new to the Terriers this season as well as being new to Red Hot Hockey, they all have been quick to prove that they are integral parts of a talented team, which is the youngest in college hockey this year.

Zegras is a dazzling puck handler and playmaker who centers the top line and notched 13 points in his first 11 collegiate games. Mastrosimone has generally been the third-line right wing and is known for his quick-release shot; he had eight points in his first 13 games. Fensore, a smaller, speedy, and skilled defenseman, has wowed with some dazzling moments on the blue line. Meanwhile, Tucker has become the top goalie and made a career-high 49 saves in a 4-3 win over No. 5 Massachusetts on Nov. 15.

All of the Terriers will need to contribute to top Cornell this year. While BU has had the upper hand with a 3-1-2 record in the six Red Hot Hockey contests to date, Cornell boasted an undefeated record of 6-0-0 this season through November 17. They could be the only remaining undefeated team in college hockey by the time they face BU and will be near the top of the rankings. Meanwhile, BU's combination of youth and injuries has led to flashes of brilliance along with frustrating setbacks, resulting in a record that's been right around .500 to date.

The positive side of that is that the Terriers seem to relish going into the game as the underdog. "With where Cornell is this year, it's going to be a good test for our team," Zegras said. "It always makes you more excited for a game when people might be thinking that the other team is supposed to win. It fires you up. We're going in with a mentality that there's nothing to lose."

"I just know they're a really good team from top to bottom," Tucker said. "They're consistently good every year. They have all the pieces, and we're going to have to be at our best to beat them on the Garden on the 30th."

This quartet of Terriers with local ties will be looking to get by with a little help from their friends. 

"All of us will be playing in front of family and friends, and they haven't seen me play in a while," Fensore said. "But you just have to channel your emotions and play like it's a normal game."

While all four players will enjoy the support of many friendly faces, Mastrosimone might be setting a new record on that front. His teammates' jaws dropped when he revealed the following: "We did a group ticket sale for my family and ended up with over 115 tickets. They're all getting to be sitting together, too. Crazy."

Red Hot Hockey is always pretty crazy. But if these newcomers come into the game a little green in MSG experience, they're sure to ripen in a sea of red in the Big Apple.