Photo by: Matt Woolverton
High Five: McCarthy, Stevens Wrapping Up Long Careers on Biggest Stage
April 9, 2024 | Men's Ice Hockey
by Scott Weighart, GoTerriers.com
BOSTON – Boston University graduate students Case McCarthy and Sam Stevens have done something that few Terriers have done before.
In fact, it may never happen again.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shortened season of just 16 games in 2020-21. This led the NCAA to grant student-athletes an additional year of eligibility.
As a result, McCarthy, a defenseman and the team captain, and Stevens, a fixture as the fourth-line center and top penalty-killing forward, are wrapping up a rare fifth season wearing the scarlet and white.
To put this in perspective, McCarthy and Stevens arrived on Commonwealth Avenue at the same time as first-year centerman Trevor Zegras, who is already in his fourth season with the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL. Other players from the 2019-20 season included long-gone future NHL players David Farrance, Alex Vlasic, and Cam Crotty, who made his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes just a few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, it's been an unusual and memorable journey for the pair of fifth-year Terriers. The pandemic brought their first season to an abrupt halt on the eve of the Hockey East quarterfinals. Their sophomore year was the shortened season, meaning that the team played their home games in Walter Brown Arena with no fans allowed to attend. There was no Beanpot that year. All the same, that team qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
As juniors, the pair enjoyed helping BU win their first Beanpot in five years but saw their season end in the Hockey East quarterfinals. That made last year extra special, as the team won the Hockey East championship and made it all the way to the Frozen Four.
Now they are returning to the Frozen Four after leading the team to a 28-9-2 record to date - the program's best winning percentage of their five years.
"I'm super grateful," McCarthy said, reflecting on his BU career after the team's practice on Friday. "The relationships I've built, the experience I've had with everybody from my freshman year on. I remember coming in as a freshman, (Terrier captain) Pat Curry going out to brunch with me and Vlasic in the summer. Those are things that stick with you, and I'm just super grateful to be able to have this opportunity to play here for as long as I have. To be able to play with these guys, to be able to play with my brother (Gavin, a freshman defenseman on the team). That being said, we've still got one more week of business to take care of."
Stevens agreed. "Obviously, I stayed at school a little longer. I'm glad I did. I've had the best five years of my life here, so nothing but good memories that I'm going to take to whatever is next."
Stevens never seriously considered taking a different path after this fourth year.
"You always look at all your options, but it was pretty easy for me," Stevens said. "I've got to say thank you to the staff for wanting me back. I love everything about it here. So now we're just trying to build on what we did last year; hopefully we can go the extra mile this year."
While every trip to the Frozen Four is a special experience, it's especially sweet for McCarthy. Last year, the native of Clarence Center, New York, suffered a broken collarbone in a collision behind the net during the team's Hockey East semifinal win over Providence. As a result, he was relegated to the sidelines for the national tournament.
That made it even sweeter when McCarthy potted an empty-net goal to give the team a two-goal cushion as BU knocked off Minnesota, 6-3, ousting the team that beat them in the Frozen Four last year. The Terrier captain had also scored what proved to be the game-winning goal when BU ended Northeastern's season in the Hockey East quarterfinal.
"It's been fun," McCarthy said about the pair of playoff goals. "Obviously, you don't put the puck in the back of that a lot, and it always feels good to see one go in. Saturday night, it was pretty surprising because I thought I was throwing a high flip, and I got hit in the corner. I spun out of the hit and saw that I was tracking towards the net. I was excited, surprised, happy. It was nice to get that insurance for us."
Scoring or not, it felt especially good to be on the ice and in the lineup. "It was a lot of emotion on Saturday after we won, getting to put the sticker on the ticket."
While the two NCAA regional games had their stressful moments, McCarthy found it much easier to be a player rather than a spectator.
"That was something last year: You're obviously a part of it in a different sense. You're still around the team; you're still part of the team. It's just that not being able to play and sitting and watching, it's almost more nerve-wracking and harder."
Meanwhile, Stevens believes that lessons learned from being on the big stage last year in Tampa will pay off in St. Paul.
"I think it's just playing with confidence," Stevens said. "We started that game last year on our heels a little bit. It's a big stage. It's hard to play in those big games, but now we've got a lot of guys who have been there. Hopefully we learn from that, and we can start on our toes and bring it to them."
Thursday's opponent will be Denver, which enters Thursday ranked third in the USCHO.com poll, right behind the Terriers. The Pioneers are 30-9-3, and the only time they lost more than one game in a row all season was when North Dakota swept them in late January.
Denver leads the nation with an impressive average of 4.71 goals per game, though they are only 26th in defense, yielding 2.83 goals on average. Their attack is led by junior forward Jack Devine, who has 27 goals and 29 assists, and freshman defenseman Zeev Buium, who has 49 points in 40 games and is expected to be a first-round pick in this June's NHL Draft. The Terriers have a healthy respect for their opponent.
"We looked at some film," McCarthy said. "Obviously, you keep tabs on them all year: They've been one of the top teams in the country. They've got a lot of high-end skill that can make you pay. They're a good hockey team, and we've got to make sure we know who we're on the ice against. That's the biggest thing for us."
"From what we've seen on video, they have a lot of really high-octane players on both forward and D," Stevens said. "It's going to be important to defend the inside really well, play hard on them, and stick to our identity."
On top of the Frozen Four excitement in St. Paul, the team also looks forward to attending Friday's Hobey Baker Award ceremony. First-year centerman Macklin Celebrini is widely expected to be the first overall pick in the NHL Draft and recently earned honors as both Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year.
Celebrini was named to the Hobey Hat Trick trio of finalists last week along with Boston College sophomore Cutter Gauthier and North Dakota sophomore Jackson Blake. It will be extra special to have his teammates on hand to see if the 17-year-old phenom can become the first BU Hobey winner since Jack Eichel took him the trophy as a freshman in 2015.
"Everyone's looking forward to it," Stevens said. "Obviously, our focus is on the game Thursday, and if you ask Mack himself, he'll say that he's focused on Thursday. But nobody's more deserving of the award. We definitely wouldn't be where we are without him on both ends of the ice."
"He does it all," Stevens added. "He plays defense; he defends really hard and obviously on offense he has the big shot, the playmaking ability, and how explosive he is all the time. He's a great dude as well; he's been a joy to have around. For his age, he's a great leader. He's got a really, really bright career ahead of him."
If all goes well on Thursday, the team will have a shot at winning the program's sixth national championship, which would bring this pair of special players full circle to why they came to Boston University way back when.
"It's exciting; it's a huge opportunity," McCarthy said. "Not many people get to play in these types of games. That's why you come to BU. Personally, I've been grateful to play in a lot of big games here at BU. Obviously not being able to play in the Frozen Four last year but playing in these environments of NHL arenas with big, loud crowds: Hockey East championships, Beanpots, Madison Square Garden."
"It's something that you learn to deal with," McCarthy said, reflecting on those big-stage games. "You find what works for you to keep your mind quiet. At the end of the day, you have a job to do. You have teammates who are looking at you to do your job, and you can't let yourself get caught up in the moment too much."
It's been five years of special moments for McCarthy and Stevens, who have played a total of 284 games for The Terriers and are hoping to come out on top in their final two.
That would mean ending their collegiate careers with a very high five.
BOSTON – Boston University graduate students Case McCarthy and Sam Stevens have done something that few Terriers have done before.
In fact, it may never happen again.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shortened season of just 16 games in 2020-21. This led the NCAA to grant student-athletes an additional year of eligibility.
As a result, McCarthy, a defenseman and the team captain, and Stevens, a fixture as the fourth-line center and top penalty-killing forward, are wrapping up a rare fifth season wearing the scarlet and white.
To put this in perspective, McCarthy and Stevens arrived on Commonwealth Avenue at the same time as first-year centerman Trevor Zegras, who is already in his fourth season with the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL. Other players from the 2019-20 season included long-gone future NHL players David Farrance, Alex Vlasic, and Cam Crotty, who made his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes just a few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, it's been an unusual and memorable journey for the pair of fifth-year Terriers. The pandemic brought their first season to an abrupt halt on the eve of the Hockey East quarterfinals. Their sophomore year was the shortened season, meaning that the team played their home games in Walter Brown Arena with no fans allowed to attend. There was no Beanpot that year. All the same, that team qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
As juniors, the pair enjoyed helping BU win their first Beanpot in five years but saw their season end in the Hockey East quarterfinals. That made last year extra special, as the team won the Hockey East championship and made it all the way to the Frozen Four.
Now they are returning to the Frozen Four after leading the team to a 28-9-2 record to date - the program's best winning percentage of their five years.
"I'm super grateful," McCarthy said, reflecting on his BU career after the team's practice on Friday. "The relationships I've built, the experience I've had with everybody from my freshman year on. I remember coming in as a freshman, (Terrier captain) Pat Curry going out to brunch with me and Vlasic in the summer. Those are things that stick with you, and I'm just super grateful to be able to have this opportunity to play here for as long as I have. To be able to play with these guys, to be able to play with my brother (Gavin, a freshman defenseman on the team). That being said, we've still got one more week of business to take care of."
Stevens agreed. "Obviously, I stayed at school a little longer. I'm glad I did. I've had the best five years of my life here, so nothing but good memories that I'm going to take to whatever is next."
Stevens never seriously considered taking a different path after this fourth year.
"You always look at all your options, but it was pretty easy for me," Stevens said. "I've got to say thank you to the staff for wanting me back. I love everything about it here. So now we're just trying to build on what we did last year; hopefully we can go the extra mile this year."
While every trip to the Frozen Four is a special experience, it's especially sweet for McCarthy. Last year, the native of Clarence Center, New York, suffered a broken collarbone in a collision behind the net during the team's Hockey East semifinal win over Providence. As a result, he was relegated to the sidelines for the national tournament.
That made it even sweeter when McCarthy potted an empty-net goal to give the team a two-goal cushion as BU knocked off Minnesota, 6-3, ousting the team that beat them in the Frozen Four last year. The Terrier captain had also scored what proved to be the game-winning goal when BU ended Northeastern's season in the Hockey East quarterfinal.
"It's been fun," McCarthy said about the pair of playoff goals. "Obviously, you don't put the puck in the back of that a lot, and it always feels good to see one go in. Saturday night, it was pretty surprising because I thought I was throwing a high flip, and I got hit in the corner. I spun out of the hit and saw that I was tracking towards the net. I was excited, surprised, happy. It was nice to get that insurance for us."
Scoring or not, it felt especially good to be on the ice and in the lineup. "It was a lot of emotion on Saturday after we won, getting to put the sticker on the ticket."
While the two NCAA regional games had their stressful moments, McCarthy found it much easier to be a player rather than a spectator.
"That was something last year: You're obviously a part of it in a different sense. You're still around the team; you're still part of the team. It's just that not being able to play and sitting and watching, it's almost more nerve-wracking and harder."
Meanwhile, Stevens believes that lessons learned from being on the big stage last year in Tampa will pay off in St. Paul.
"I think it's just playing with confidence," Stevens said. "We started that game last year on our heels a little bit. It's a big stage. It's hard to play in those big games, but now we've got a lot of guys who have been there. Hopefully we learn from that, and we can start on our toes and bring it to them."
Thursday's opponent will be Denver, which enters Thursday ranked third in the USCHO.com poll, right behind the Terriers. The Pioneers are 30-9-3, and the only time they lost more than one game in a row all season was when North Dakota swept them in late January.
Denver leads the nation with an impressive average of 4.71 goals per game, though they are only 26th in defense, yielding 2.83 goals on average. Their attack is led by junior forward Jack Devine, who has 27 goals and 29 assists, and freshman defenseman Zeev Buium, who has 49 points in 40 games and is expected to be a first-round pick in this June's NHL Draft. The Terriers have a healthy respect for their opponent.
"We looked at some film," McCarthy said. "Obviously, you keep tabs on them all year: They've been one of the top teams in the country. They've got a lot of high-end skill that can make you pay. They're a good hockey team, and we've got to make sure we know who we're on the ice against. That's the biggest thing for us."
"From what we've seen on video, they have a lot of really high-octane players on both forward and D," Stevens said. "It's going to be important to defend the inside really well, play hard on them, and stick to our identity."
On top of the Frozen Four excitement in St. Paul, the team also looks forward to attending Friday's Hobey Baker Award ceremony. First-year centerman Macklin Celebrini is widely expected to be the first overall pick in the NHL Draft and recently earned honors as both Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year.
Celebrini was named to the Hobey Hat Trick trio of finalists last week along with Boston College sophomore Cutter Gauthier and North Dakota sophomore Jackson Blake. It will be extra special to have his teammates on hand to see if the 17-year-old phenom can become the first BU Hobey winner since Jack Eichel took him the trophy as a freshman in 2015.
"Everyone's looking forward to it," Stevens said. "Obviously, our focus is on the game Thursday, and if you ask Mack himself, he'll say that he's focused on Thursday. But nobody's more deserving of the award. We definitely wouldn't be where we are without him on both ends of the ice."
"He does it all," Stevens added. "He plays defense; he defends really hard and obviously on offense he has the big shot, the playmaking ability, and how explosive he is all the time. He's a great dude as well; he's been a joy to have around. For his age, he's a great leader. He's got a really, really bright career ahead of him."
If all goes well on Thursday, the team will have a shot at winning the program's sixth national championship, which would bring this pair of special players full circle to why they came to Boston University way back when.
"It's exciting; it's a huge opportunity," McCarthy said. "Not many people get to play in these types of games. That's why you come to BU. Personally, I've been grateful to play in a lot of big games here at BU. Obviously not being able to play in the Frozen Four last year but playing in these environments of NHL arenas with big, loud crowds: Hockey East championships, Beanpots, Madison Square Garden."
"It's something that you learn to deal with," McCarthy said, reflecting on those big-stage games. "You find what works for you to keep your mind quiet. At the end of the day, you have a job to do. You have teammates who are looking at you to do your job, and you can't let yourself get caught up in the moment too much."
It's been five years of special moments for McCarthy and Stevens, who have played a total of 284 games for The Terriers and are hoping to come out on top in their final two.
That would mean ending their collegiate careers with a very high five.
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