Photo by: Kyle Prudhomme
Terriers Spring Ahead with Six-Game Unbeaten Streak
January 11, 2022 | Men's Ice Hockey
by Scott Weighart, GoTerriers.com
BOSTON – It gets dark early at this time of year in Boston. Daylight Saving Time is still over two months away.
All the same, a good adage for Boston University hockey this year seems to be "Fall back, spring ahead."
The fall semester represented a challenging stretch for the Terriers. After a 3-3-0 start, the team was beset by injuries, inconsistent play and bad luck. It looked like they might turn the corner in mid-November with a tie and overtime win in a home-and-home series against then-No. 8 UMass, but the Terriers were snake-bitten the following weekend with a 1-0 overtime loss followed by a tie against Northeastern. A 6-4 loss against Cornell at Madison Square Garden was perhaps the low point of a 1-6-2 stretch.
Now, though, the Terriers seem poised to spring ahead. From the beginning of December through this past weekend's sweep of Arizona State, the team is riding a six-game unbeaten streak. On Friday, BU scored a season-high seven goals in a thumping of the Sun Devils. And there weren't any greasy goals; most were of the highlight-reel variety, most notably junior Robert Mastrosimone stripping the puck from a Wildcat player before beating the goaltender with a dazzling move that was featured on ESPN's SportsCenter.
While the team couldn't quite match those pyrotechnics on Saturday night, BU still came away with a solid 5-2 win for a sweep and a .500 record for the first time since Oct. 29. The momentum has the players and coaches feeling bullish about a spring semester run.
So what has changed to account for this reversal of fortune over the last month plus? Part of it has been injuries. While the team started the year with a deeper roster than usual, there also was a revolving door toward the rink on most game days.
"We had a lot of guys injured and out of the lineup, so we could never really get consistency and build chemistry," junior forward Matt Brown said. "As everyone started to get back, confidence started to build."
On some nights, BU simply didn't get the result they deserved, most notably in that overtime loss to the Huskies.
"I think there was a frustration level when we played Northeastern," head coach Albie O'Connell said. "The game we played here was one of the better games we played all year. We could've scored 10 goals. They only had 15 shots. The next night, we played there, played a good game, and they beat us in a shootout."
If there was a silver lining to that tough stretch in the fall, those disappointing outcomes put a spotlight on where the team needed to improve.
"Some of our woes opened up the coaching staff's eyes to some of the deficiencies we had as a group," O'Connell said. "We've been able to plug some holes and do a good job as a group of buying into what we're doing."
Sophomore goaltender Drew Commesso underscored that point.
"In the beginning of the season when we were struggling a little bit, our coaches just kept preaching to get better every game, and we've been doing that," Commesso said. "Everyone's really trusting the process and trusting each other and the coaching, and it's obviously paying off."
There have been some great narratives during this unbeaten stretch:
"Beautiful goal," O'Connell said. "I'm glad he's got a quick release."
After giving up six goals against Cornell, Commesso boasts a stellar .948 save percentage and 1.55 goals-against average while going 4-0-1 over this streak.
"I worked a lot on my flexibility this summer, and I have definitely realized that I'm making more saves due to my flexibility and lower body strength," Commesso said. "And I really feel like my skating's got a lot better this year. Hopefully I can keep healthy the rest of the season and keep putting up wins for the team."
All of that said, the highlight of the last month would have to be a 5-1 road win at Brown on Dec. 31. Several players were out due to injuries, illness, and the ill-fated World Junior Championship, as Commesso played one game for the United States before the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19 issues.
The upshot was that BU opted to play the game despite having just 15 skaters, including just four experienced defensemen. Senior captain Logan Cockerill and sophomore forward Dylan Peterson stepped up to help man the blue line, sophomore goaltender Vinny Duplessis rose to the occasion and the "few good men" of BU came away with a 5-1 win. Stranded traveler Commesso saw it unfold on the internet.
"I got stuck in the Montreal airport for about a day," Commesso said. "We missed our flight, and then we had to fly all over the country just to get back to Boston. But luckily I did get to watch the game, and it was obviously a great team effort. I think it speaks so much about our team that we don't really make excuses here; whether we have 15 guys from the whole roster, we're going to play as hard as we can. To see us win a game like that wasn't a surprise to me."
Now the Terriers find themselves in a logjam in the middle of the Hockey East standings, as just four points separate the teams from fourth to seventh place. Given that BU has nine league games left to play, the realm of possibility is enormous the rest of the way.
Brown talked about how he has loved the "easy transition" to the BU program, playing in the heart of the city with a great group of guys. Asked to comment on the string of slick goals last weekend, he said, "We're a very skilled team, and as that chemistry starts to build, we start playing simpler, and that's when the skill really begins to show. When you make simple plays, it leaves room for you to make a fancier, prettier pass that wouldn't be there if a guy's not driving the net and opening up a seam for you."
Commesso has been unfazed by the strong stretch, saying, "I'm not really surprised we're on a run like this because I know how hard the guys work, and I know how much time everyone puts in. Hopefully we can have a really good second half."
O'Connell sees a difference in mindset.
"I think we've got a bigger commitment to playing as a team, playing in all three zones, playing defense - our shot blocking is much improved," O'Connell said.
The BU coach wasn't about to speculate where the team might end up in the standings by the end of the regular season, but the optimism he has shown all season is looking to be justified.
"If we continue playing like we can, I like our chances," O'Connell stated. "On any given night, I think we can beat anyone."
Between finding new sources of offense and getting creative with the lineup to pull out that win at Brown, the Terriers have been resourceful with fallback plans. Now they start the new semester with a spring in their step.
BOSTON – It gets dark early at this time of year in Boston. Daylight Saving Time is still over two months away.
All the same, a good adage for Boston University hockey this year seems to be "Fall back, spring ahead."
The fall semester represented a challenging stretch for the Terriers. After a 3-3-0 start, the team was beset by injuries, inconsistent play and bad luck. It looked like they might turn the corner in mid-November with a tie and overtime win in a home-and-home series against then-No. 8 UMass, but the Terriers were snake-bitten the following weekend with a 1-0 overtime loss followed by a tie against Northeastern. A 6-4 loss against Cornell at Madison Square Garden was perhaps the low point of a 1-6-2 stretch.
Now, though, the Terriers seem poised to spring ahead. From the beginning of December through this past weekend's sweep of Arizona State, the team is riding a six-game unbeaten streak. On Friday, BU scored a season-high seven goals in a thumping of the Sun Devils. And there weren't any greasy goals; most were of the highlight-reel variety, most notably junior Robert Mastrosimone stripping the puck from a Wildcat player before beating the goaltender with a dazzling move that was featured on ESPN's SportsCenter.
While the team couldn't quite match those pyrotechnics on Saturday night, BU still came away with a solid 5-2 win for a sweep and a .500 record for the first time since Oct. 29. The momentum has the players and coaches feeling bullish about a spring semester run.
So what has changed to account for this reversal of fortune over the last month plus? Part of it has been injuries. While the team started the year with a deeper roster than usual, there also was a revolving door toward the rink on most game days.
"We had a lot of guys injured and out of the lineup, so we could never really get consistency and build chemistry," junior forward Matt Brown said. "As everyone started to get back, confidence started to build."
On some nights, BU simply didn't get the result they deserved, most notably in that overtime loss to the Huskies.
"I think there was a frustration level when we played Northeastern," head coach Albie O'Connell said. "The game we played here was one of the better games we played all year. We could've scored 10 goals. They only had 15 shots. The next night, we played there, played a good game, and they beat us in a shootout."
If there was a silver lining to that tough stretch in the fall, those disappointing outcomes put a spotlight on where the team needed to improve.
"Some of our woes opened up the coaching staff's eyes to some of the deficiencies we had as a group," O'Connell said. "We've been able to plug some holes and do a good job as a group of buying into what we're doing."
Sophomore goaltender Drew Commesso underscored that point.
"In the beginning of the season when we were struggling a little bit, our coaches just kept preaching to get better every game, and we've been doing that," Commesso said. "Everyone's really trusting the process and trusting each other and the coaching, and it's obviously paying off."
There have been some great narratives during this unbeaten stretch:
- Graduate student Max Kaufman had a grand total of zero points in October and November, then scored at least once in all four games in December, including an overtime game-winner at New Hampshire, en route to leading the league with five December goals.
- Sophomore forward Luke Tuch missed over a month due to injury and failed to notch a point in his first nine games; he has four goals and an assist over his last three appearances.
- Brown, a transfer from UMass Lowell this season, was also out for a solid month and only scored one goal in his first seven games as a Terrier. He now has three goals in his last four games. Perhaps Brown's biggest goal was a buzzer beater to give BU a 2-0 lead at end of the first period Saturday night, teed up by Mastrosimone.
"Beautiful goal," O'Connell said. "I'm glad he's got a quick release."
After giving up six goals against Cornell, Commesso boasts a stellar .948 save percentage and 1.55 goals-against average while going 4-0-1 over this streak.
"I worked a lot on my flexibility this summer, and I have definitely realized that I'm making more saves due to my flexibility and lower body strength," Commesso said. "And I really feel like my skating's got a lot better this year. Hopefully I can keep healthy the rest of the season and keep putting up wins for the team."
All of that said, the highlight of the last month would have to be a 5-1 road win at Brown on Dec. 31. Several players were out due to injuries, illness, and the ill-fated World Junior Championship, as Commesso played one game for the United States before the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19 issues.
The upshot was that BU opted to play the game despite having just 15 skaters, including just four experienced defensemen. Senior captain Logan Cockerill and sophomore forward Dylan Peterson stepped up to help man the blue line, sophomore goaltender Vinny Duplessis rose to the occasion and the "few good men" of BU came away with a 5-1 win. Stranded traveler Commesso saw it unfold on the internet.
"I got stuck in the Montreal airport for about a day," Commesso said. "We missed our flight, and then we had to fly all over the country just to get back to Boston. But luckily I did get to watch the game, and it was obviously a great team effort. I think it speaks so much about our team that we don't really make excuses here; whether we have 15 guys from the whole roster, we're going to play as hard as we can. To see us win a game like that wasn't a surprise to me."
Now the Terriers find themselves in a logjam in the middle of the Hockey East standings, as just four points separate the teams from fourth to seventh place. Given that BU has nine league games left to play, the realm of possibility is enormous the rest of the way.
Brown talked about how he has loved the "easy transition" to the BU program, playing in the heart of the city with a great group of guys. Asked to comment on the string of slick goals last weekend, he said, "We're a very skilled team, and as that chemistry starts to build, we start playing simpler, and that's when the skill really begins to show. When you make simple plays, it leaves room for you to make a fancier, prettier pass that wouldn't be there if a guy's not driving the net and opening up a seam for you."
Commesso has been unfazed by the strong stretch, saying, "I'm not really surprised we're on a run like this because I know how hard the guys work, and I know how much time everyone puts in. Hopefully we can have a really good second half."
O'Connell sees a difference in mindset.
"I think we've got a bigger commitment to playing as a team, playing in all three zones, playing defense - our shot blocking is much improved," O'Connell said.
The BU coach wasn't about to speculate where the team might end up in the standings by the end of the regular season, but the optimism he has shown all season is looking to be justified.
"If we continue playing like we can, I like our chances," O'Connell stated. "On any given night, I think we can beat anyone."
Between finding new sources of offense and getting creative with the lineup to pull out that win at Brown, the Terriers have been resourceful with fallback plans. Now they start the new semester with a spring in their step.
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