NU won their first OT game at home since 2009 (I believe) Friday night against UMass. Huge two points. Even bigger two points up for grabs next week at UNH.
College Hockey Thread
- Thread starter sachmoney
- Start date
Harvard - BU in the early Beanpot game.
Harvard is 7-6-9 on the season. That's right, 9 ties.
In OT this season, they are 0-1-9, with the sole loss coming to BU back on Jan 14, which also happens to be the last game they lost.
vs. ranked opponents:
BU 0-1-0
Union 0-1-1
Cornell 0-1-1
Colgate 1-0-1
N. Dak 0-1-1
Players to watch:
TRUE Freshman G Steve Michalek, been a little inconsistent with a 3.02 GAA, was pulled in their previous game vs. Quinnipiac.
Senior C Alex Killorn, leads team in both G and points.
Junior D Alex Biega, the last of the 3 Biega brothers, who is apparently getting Hoby consideration this season, 19 A.
TRUE Freshman D Pat McInally with 15 A, out of Milton Academy.
and TRUE Freshman F Colin Blackwell out of St Johns, starting W, wears #63.
Harvard is 7-6-9 on the season. That's right, 9 ties.
In OT this season, they are 0-1-9, with the sole loss coming to BU back on Jan 14, which also happens to be the last game they lost.
vs. ranked opponents:
BU 0-1-0
Union 0-1-1
Cornell 0-1-1
Colgate 1-0-1
N. Dak 0-1-1
Players to watch:
TRUE Freshman G Steve Michalek, been a little inconsistent with a 3.02 GAA, was pulled in their previous game vs. Quinnipiac.
Senior C Alex Killorn, leads team in both G and points.
Junior D Alex Biega, the last of the 3 Biega brothers, who is apparently getting Hoby consideration this season, 19 A.
TRUE Freshman D Pat McInally with 15 A, out of Milton Academy.
and TRUE Freshman F Colin Blackwell out of St Johns, starting W, wears #63.
To follow up on that last post with some substance, Michigan is surging and have won 10 of their last 13 games. They've gone from potentially missing the tournament for the first time in forever to potentially being a regional top seed. While it has helped to have arguably the best goalie in college hockey, a big reason Michigan has improved is the return of Jon Merrill:
The rest of the schedule isn't too bad. Michigan has an away/Joe against Michigan State before playing Northern at home and Bowling Green away. The latter two are two of the three worst teams in the CCHA, so it should give Michigan a chance to take the regular season CCHA title. They are currently in third behind Ferris State and Western. Ferris State has Notre Dame, Bowling Green, and Western left on their schedule. Western has Ohio State, Lake Superior, and Ferris State. It is definitely not out of the question as long as Michigan takes care of business.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the Beanpot tonight.
Having Merrill makes such a difference. Taking him out and replacing him with a weak and/or inexperienced 7th defensemen was such a drag on the team. Having him back is going to be huge for the rest of the season. He should be fresh too, since he hasn't played the whole season.
The rest of the schedule isn't too bad. Michigan has an away/Joe against Michigan State before playing Northern at home and Bowling Green away. The latter two are two of the three worst teams in the CCHA, so it should give Michigan a chance to take the regular season CCHA title. They are currently in third behind Ferris State and Western. Ferris State has Notre Dame, Bowling Green, and Western left on their schedule. Western has Ohio State, Lake Superior, and Ferris State. It is definitely not out of the question as long as Michigan takes care of business.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the Beanpot tonight.
Maine got the sweep over Ala-Huntsville, but they had to go to OT on Saturday after winning Friday's opener 5-0.
They're up three spots to #12 in the USCHO poll, and are 9th in the PairWise rankings. In fact, 5 of the top 9 in the PairWise are from Hockey East.
They're up three spots to #12 in the USCHO poll, and are 9th in the PairWise rankings. In fact, 5 of the top 9 in the PairWise are from Hockey East.
Beanpot has begun.
BU wins 3-1 over Harvard.
BC leading 4-1 halfway through the second and it doesn't look very pretty for Northeastern, though given BC's goaltending and defensive situation, the game is far from over.
Edit: 5-1 with Whitney adding his second shorty. Should have been their third but, alas, can't win them all. Looking like BC or BU going to take it home again for the 50th year in a row.
BU wins 3-1 over Harvard.
BC leading 4-1 halfway through the second and it doesn't look very pretty for Northeastern, though given BC's goaltending and defensive situation, the game is far from over.
Edit: 5-1 with Whitney adding his second shorty. Should have been their third but, alas, can't win them all. Looking like BC or BU going to take it home again for the 50th year in a row.
Well at least Northeastern shows up.
Harvard is killing the Beanpot. No student section, no fans.
Lots of games on the dial tonight:
7:30: BC at Vermont, NBCSN (Also on the SportsHub if you're in transit)
7:30: Michigan at Michigan State, BTN
8:00: North Dakota at Minnesota-Duluth, CBSSD
10:00: Minnesota at Denver NBCSN
Michigan is without Chris Brown (the kid who scored the awesome goal above) due to suspension. It should be an interesting two game series. This series could go a long way to get Michigan a top seed in the NCAA tournament, since they're playing mediocre teams they should beat in the next two series.
7:30: BC at Vermont, NBCSN (Also on the SportsHub if you're in transit)
7:30: Michigan at Michigan State, BTN
8:00: North Dakota at Minnesota-Duluth, CBSSD
10:00: Minnesota at Denver NBCSN
Michigan is without Chris Brown (the kid who scored the awesome goal above) due to suspension. It should be an interesting two game series. This series could go a long way to get Michigan a top seed in the NCAA tournament, since they're playing mediocre teams they should beat in the next two series.
Michigan splits this weekend's series with State with a dramatic overtime victory tonight at the Joe. Western Michigan split with Ohio State and Ferris demolished the Domers, so it'll be very difficult for Michigan to come back and win the CCHA. Like I said before, Michigan needs to take care of business in these last two weeks and hope that those two teams have a meltdown.
I went to the Merrimack/UNH game tonight, pretty entertaining 1-1 game. UNH really outplayed Merrimack for most of the game, but Cannata was strong and stole a point for Merrimack.
Anyone here watch Merrimack frequently? Good, hard working team, but I was pretty stunned to see them employ a floater throughout the entire game. I've never seen that at any level. UNH would have possession in the Merrimack end, and Merrimack would always have a floater skating back and forth along the UNH blue line. It wasn't just once or twice, they used it pretty much the entire game. It never worked either, so I don't know why they kept trying to use it. They never got a single odd man rush out of it.
Edit: Also, they did a nice job renovating Merrimack's rink into a decent facility, but they really need to invest in the extended glass for behind the net. Every other shot and clearing attempt is up and into the crowd. Whistle after whistle.
Anyone here watch Merrimack frequently? Good, hard working team, but I was pretty stunned to see them employ a floater throughout the entire game. I've never seen that at any level. UNH would have possession in the Merrimack end, and Merrimack would always have a floater skating back and forth along the UNH blue line. It wasn't just once or twice, they used it pretty much the entire game. It never worked either, so I don't know why they kept trying to use it. They never got a single odd man rush out of it.
Edit: Also, they did a nice job renovating Merrimack's rink into a decent facility, but they really need to invest in the extended glass for behind the net. Every other shot and clearing attempt is up and into the crowd. Whistle after whistle.
Maine gets revenge and bumps off UMass-Lowell 2-1 at Tsongas.
It makes last night's loss to Providence (when the Black Bears came out flat as pancakes) all the more infuriating. A win over the Friars would have had them tied for first in Hockey East. Instead they remain tied with Merrimack for 4th, two points out of first and a point back of both BC and BU. The 4 teams tied or above them all have a game in hand.
The Bears are now tied for 7th in the PWR with Minnesota, but only 3 points behind both UM-L and BC and just 4 points back of both Michigan and MN-Duluth.
They close out the regular season with 2 at home vs UMass, 2 at Northeastern, and 1 vs UNH at home.
It makes last night's loss to Providence (when the Black Bears came out flat as pancakes) all the more infuriating. A win over the Friars would have had them tied for first in Hockey East. Instead they remain tied with Merrimack for 4th, two points out of first and a point back of both BC and BU. The 4 teams tied or above them all have a game in hand.
The Bears are now tied for 7th in the PWR with Minnesota, but only 3 points behind both UM-L and BC and just 4 points back of both Michigan and MN-Duluth.
They close out the regular season with 2 at home vs UMass, 2 at Northeastern, and 1 vs UNH at home.
I was shocked to see how small the Harvard contingent was for the game at Fenway. Looked like it was only families and such, whereas Union filled three or four sections.
NU changed up their lines a bit on Friday night in Durham, a much needed response to the embarrassing showing against BC last Monday at the Garden.
And it worked. For a few minutes at least. NU scored within 30 seconds and dominated play for the first five minutes or so.
Then Chris Rawlings happened.
http://www.youtube.c...xdhsjf7yg#t=31s
That second goal was indeed from behind the net. After that the Huskies reverted back to their energy-less play for nearly all of the rest of the game. That energy came back with 2 minutes left, netting them an extra attacker goal, but it was too little too late.
With UMass beating BU this weekend, they are now tied with the Huskies for the last spot in the Hockey East playoffs with 16 points. The first tie-breaker, head-to-head record, is also tied (1-1-1). NU has the second tie-breaker (most wins) currently, a 7-6 advantage.
The rest of the season:
Northeastern
2 vs. Providence
2 vs. Maine
1 @ BU
1 vs. BU
UMass
2 @ Maine
2 vs. UNH
1 vs. Merrimack
1 @ Merrimack
I think, when UMass's road record is taken into account, that the strength of schedule is pretty even.
Really, there's no point in predicting this. Northeastern has been so inconsistent this season it's not even funny. One period they'll look like the force that went on the unbeaten streak in December, the next they're the fiasco that showed up in November and at the Beanpot. I could see anything happening to them in the race for the playoffs, but if they do get there, it'll be a very short series.
EDIT: Couldn't figure out how to embed the video
And it worked. For a few minutes at least. NU scored within 30 seconds and dominated play for the first five minutes or so.
Then Chris Rawlings happened.
http://www.youtube.c...xdhsjf7yg#t=31s
That second goal was indeed from behind the net. After that the Huskies reverted back to their energy-less play for nearly all of the rest of the game. That energy came back with 2 minutes left, netting them an extra attacker goal, but it was too little too late.
With UMass beating BU this weekend, they are now tied with the Huskies for the last spot in the Hockey East playoffs with 16 points. The first tie-breaker, head-to-head record, is also tied (1-1-1). NU has the second tie-breaker (most wins) currently, a 7-6 advantage.
The rest of the season:
Northeastern
2 vs. Providence
2 vs. Maine
1 @ BU
1 vs. BU
UMass
2 @ Maine
2 vs. UNH
1 vs. Merrimack
1 @ Merrimack
I think, when UMass's road record is taken into account, that the strength of schedule is pretty even.
Really, there's no point in predicting this. Northeastern has been so inconsistent this season it's not even funny. One period they'll look like the force that went on the unbeaten streak in December, the next they're the fiasco that showed up in November and at the Beanpot. I could see anything happening to them in the race for the playoffs, but if they do get there, it'll be a very short series.
EDIT: Couldn't figure out how to embed the video
Officiating in this game sucks. Bu has committed more legit penalties, but after tightening up and no longer playing as loose, the refs have swallowed their whistles and BC has gotten away with a lot more.
I started watching with about 15 minutes. Caught about 3 or 4 on BU, including a nice slew foot by Chiasson right before he almost got the tip to score, and 2 on BC.
Kieran Milan can't catch pucks.
Beautiful job to jump up in the play by Arnold on that goal. No time left and couldn't get burned by it by not covering.
And I only got two words for ya...
Yeah, it was ridiculous. End-to-end action, lots of tension and physical contact, both teams with great scoring chances, excellent goaltending on both sides.
The NESN audio starting fucking up in OT. I'm on the Cape with Comcast, and those with Verizon FiOS said they had no issues. For me it was alternating between garbled shit (like a cassette tape changing speeds), periods of dead silence, and stretches where it was only airing the sounds picked up by the microphones near the ice and crowd (no announcers or effects). That latter part was great, as you heard every chant, every skate blade, and every word yelled by a player or coach. All the referee whistles were crystal clear, and the BC shot that hit the post clanged loudly as the crowd reacted. Still a huge pain in the ass to deal with, as it switched randomly throughout the entire period. Luckily the ice/crowd feed was on in the final minute, but about 10 seconds after the winning goal it was silent again so I missed all the celebrations and interviews.
Jerry York gets his 900th win tonight with a 4-2 win over the 'Mack. I have some contentions with him based on various anecdotes but can't doubt the man for his success. The guy turned around BC and has made anything less than a National Championship a disappointment. Call us cocky. Call us douchebags. But we are the preeminent college hockey team in the nation. Sorry BU. Sorry North Dakota. Sorry The (real) U. It's cute that you guys try but you have nothing on York. To tweak a TO quote, "Puck don't lie." Hard to be more proud to be an Eagle tonight. Soar Eagles soar. Three titles in 10 years. Five title games in 10 years. As a Marco Sturm B's fan, yes, I am spoiled. And I love it.
And if you hate on York or the program he's built, well, DX has two words for you.
And if you hate on York or the program he's built, well, DX has two words for you.
After last night's games (Maine beats UMass, BU beats UM-L), it's tighter than Mother Mary's crotch at the top of Hockey East. Terriers & Eagles tied for first (28 pts) with Maine and UMass-Lowell both just a point back.
Can't wait for the tournament.
Can't wait for the tournament.
not quite as exciting as Hockey East, but Harvard finally broke a tie last night. They tied Brown and officially own the record for ties at 11.
Michigan beat Northern Michigan at Yost last night 4-1. Both Ferris State and Western Michigan won their games, so there's no change at the top of the CCHA rankings. Senior night is tonight. I wonder if we'll see the same magic we saw last year:
The hits keep coming at BU. Trivino goes nuts, Coyle doesn't want to do his schoolwork, and now Nicastro "llegedly" rapes a girl.
Parker runs a tight ship.
Parker runs a tight ship.
NU skated to a pair of ties this weekend against PC, both games they probably should have won. An inability to finish on offense and numerous soft goals let in by Rawlings (including one from beyond the blue line...) stopped that. Though, in Saturday night's contest, they would've won if OT was 0.5 seconds longer, as they scored as time expired. Sigh.
UMass split with Maine, so things are really getting tight now. NU and UMass are still tied with 4 games left for each team. NU has two at home against UMO and a home-and-home vs. BU. The Minutemen have two at home vs. UNH and a home-and-home against Merrimack. (Another thing to keep in mind: Thanks to an OT loss to Vermont, UNH still has to earn a spot. They're 4 points up, but only have 3 games left, the two vs. UMass and one against Maine).
UMass split with Maine, so things are really getting tight now. NU and UMass are still tied with 4 games left for each team. NU has two at home against UMO and a home-and-home vs. BU. The Minutemen have two at home vs. UNH and a home-and-home against Merrimack. (Another thing to keep in mind: Thanks to an OT loss to Vermont, UNH still has to earn a spot. They're 4 points up, but only have 3 games left, the two vs. UMass and one against Maine).
Few notes:
-The State Ferris University (as the Big Ten Network calls it, since they can't be bothered to do their broadcast from the actual arena, that's another story though) needs to win or tie one of the games this weekend against Western Michigan to clinch the regular season CCHA title. A sweep for Western opens the door for Michigan. Michigan is playing BGSU and should sweep that series. If the Wolverines sweep and Ferris drops both of their games, Michigan will claim its 22nd regular season conference championship. It's highly unlikely, so it's all about positioning for CCHA tournament and the NCAA tournament.
-Michigan only comparison losses for the PWR are to BC and UMD. BC, we just gotta finish ahead of them in RPI (head to head win = clutch). UMD is more complicated.
As I said before, this team has been clicking since the return of Jon Merrill. At midseason, it was looking like it would be difficult for Michigan to make its 22nd(!) consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. Now, it's a virtual lock. They've gone 13-2-2 since December 3rd. While the regular season title seems unlikely, the tournament title is very much in reach. Many of the CCHA teams (Notre Dame and Ohio State) have faded as the season has gone on. Michigan has surged. I feel good about the momentum that this team has going into the tourney.
-The State Ferris University (as the Big Ten Network calls it, since they can't be bothered to do their broadcast from the actual arena, that's another story though) needs to win or tie one of the games this weekend against Western Michigan to clinch the regular season CCHA title. A sweep for Western opens the door for Michigan. Michigan is playing BGSU and should sweep that series. If the Wolverines sweep and Ferris drops both of their games, Michigan will claim its 22nd regular season conference championship. It's highly unlikely, so it's all about positioning for CCHA tournament and the NCAA tournament.
-Michigan only comparison losses for the PWR are to BC and UMD. BC, we just gotta finish ahead of them in RPI (head to head win = clutch). UMD is more complicated.
As I said before, this team has been clicking since the return of Jon Merrill. At midseason, it was looking like it would be difficult for Michigan to make its 22nd(!) consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. Now, it's a virtual lock. They've gone 13-2-2 since December 3rd. While the regular season title seems unlikely, the tournament title is very much in reach. Many of the CCHA teams (Notre Dame and Ohio State) have faded as the season has gone on. Michigan has surged. I feel good about the momentum that this team has going into the tourney.
BU employees just got this email from the Pres:
I am writing to let you know that I am forming a task force of University trustees, overseers, faculty, and staff which will be charged with studying the culture and climate of the men’s ice hockey team and its influence on the behavior of student athletes in our campus community. I stress that the constitution of the task force does not reflect a judgment about the specific facts in the two cases of alleged assault. The determination of both cases must be left to the judicial system.
The constitution of the task force does, however, reflect a University-level judgment that the two incidents indicate something systemic or habitual may foster a team climate that does not comport with the highest standards of conduct we seek to maintain for all members of our community.
full letter:
I am writing to let you know that I am forming a task force of University trustees, overseers, faculty, and staff which will be charged with studying the culture and climate of the men’s ice hockey team and its influence on the behavior of student athletes in our campus community. I stress that the constitution of the task force does not reflect a judgment about the specific facts in the two cases of alleged assault. The determination of both cases must be left to the judicial system.
The constitution of the task force does, however, reflect a University-level judgment that the two incidents indicate something systemic or habitual may foster a team climate that does not comport with the highest standards of conduct we seek to maintain for all members of our community.
full letter:
Boston University Office of the President
Robert A. Brown
President
One Silber Way
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
T 617-353-2200 F 617-353-3278
February 23, 2012
Dear Colleagues and Students:
For decades the Boston University men’s ice hockey team has been a source of tremendous pride for the Boston University community, on and off the ice. Our student athletes have competed at the highest level of collegiate ice hockey and united generations of students, alumni, and friends who cheer for their success and admire their accomplishments.
Today we find ourselves at a crossroads for the men’s ice hockey program and the University. As has been extensively reported, two members of our team have been charged with assault this academic year. These charges, if ultimately substantiated, involve reprehensible acts. The Boston University community expects that our student athletes, as representatives of the University, adhere to the same high standards to which we hold all members of our community and which reflect the mission and aspirations of our university.
The charges in these cases understandably lead to questions about whether the hockey team's culture and climate have contributed in some way to the actions of the two individuals. The University must address these questions and, if deficiencies are identified, make appropriate and necessary changes.
I am writing to let you know that I am forming a task force of University trustees, overseers, faculty, and staff which will be charged with studying the culture and climate of the men’s ice hockey team and its influence on the behavior of student athletes in our campus community. I stress that the constitution of the task force does not reflect a judgment about the specific facts in the two cases of alleged assault. The determination of both cases must be left to the judicial system.
The constitution of the task force does, however, reflect a University-level judgment that the two incidents indicate something systemic or habitual may foster a team climate that does not comport with the highest standards of conduct we seek to maintain for all members of our community.
I launch this task force with the full support of Head Coach Jack Parker, Athletic Director Mike Lynch, and Bob Knox, Chairman of our Board of Trustees. Coach Parker told The Boston Globe, "I hope it’s a horrible coincidence. I don’t want this to be the culture of our team, and if it is, we’ll change it." Coach Parker's comment is exactly right.
The membership of the task force, its charge, and its work plan will be announced in the next several weeks. The goal is for the task force to offer the University a thoughtful and impartial assessment of the culture and climate of our team, with a view to answering the question whether that culture and climate could have contributed to actions that, in turn, led to criminal charges. I will ask to have a report from the task force early in the summer so that we can begin to address any issues in the coming academic year.
Working together, we will do whatever is necessary to restore the Boston University community’s confidence in the men’s ice hockey program. I look forward to reporting to you on our progress.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brown
President
Robert A. Brown
President
One Silber Way
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
T 617-353-2200 F 617-353-3278
February 23, 2012
Dear Colleagues and Students:
For decades the Boston University men’s ice hockey team has been a source of tremendous pride for the Boston University community, on and off the ice. Our student athletes have competed at the highest level of collegiate ice hockey and united generations of students, alumni, and friends who cheer for their success and admire their accomplishments.
Today we find ourselves at a crossroads for the men’s ice hockey program and the University. As has been extensively reported, two members of our team have been charged with assault this academic year. These charges, if ultimately substantiated, involve reprehensible acts. The Boston University community expects that our student athletes, as representatives of the University, adhere to the same high standards to which we hold all members of our community and which reflect the mission and aspirations of our university.
The charges in these cases understandably lead to questions about whether the hockey team's culture and climate have contributed in some way to the actions of the two individuals. The University must address these questions and, if deficiencies are identified, make appropriate and necessary changes.
I am writing to let you know that I am forming a task force of University trustees, overseers, faculty, and staff which will be charged with studying the culture and climate of the men’s ice hockey team and its influence on the behavior of student athletes in our campus community. I stress that the constitution of the task force does not reflect a judgment about the specific facts in the two cases of alleged assault. The determination of both cases must be left to the judicial system.
The constitution of the task force does, however, reflect a University-level judgment that the two incidents indicate something systemic or habitual may foster a team climate that does not comport with the highest standards of conduct we seek to maintain for all members of our community.
I launch this task force with the full support of Head Coach Jack Parker, Athletic Director Mike Lynch, and Bob Knox, Chairman of our Board of Trustees. Coach Parker told The Boston Globe, "I hope it’s a horrible coincidence. I don’t want this to be the culture of our team, and if it is, we’ll change it." Coach Parker's comment is exactly right.
The membership of the task force, its charge, and its work plan will be announced in the next several weeks. The goal is for the task force to offer the University a thoughtful and impartial assessment of the culture and climate of our team, with a view to answering the question whether that culture and climate could have contributed to actions that, in turn, led to criminal charges. I will ask to have a report from the task force early in the summer so that we can begin to address any issues in the coming academic year.
Working together, we will do whatever is necessary to restore the Boston University community’s confidence in the men’s ice hockey program. I look forward to reporting to you on our progress.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brown
President
Yeah that's not good. As much as Parker is regarded to be a legend and all, as a BU fan I dream of having York instead. Parker's gotten too big for his britches at Agganis Way. If there was anything negative of getting rid of the football team way back when, it was to make the hockey program a kingdom of sorts.
Ferris State loses in a shootout, but Michigan blows its opportunity by losing to lowly Bowling Green. The Bulldogs are CCHA season champions.
Big night at Matthews. A well-played hockey game between NU and Maine was tied at 2 with about 3 minutes or so to go in the 3rd, when Mike McLaughlin took a hit to the head and went down hard. Bleeding on the ice and clearly dazed, the refs decided there was no penalty, causing outrage from Madigan, the team, and the fans.
The Huskies seemed to come out of that with a vengeance. Within seconds, they got themselves a breakaway and they were actually able to close the deal on it. An empty-netter put the finishing touches on a hard-fought, huge 4-2 win. With UMass losing to UNH 4-3, the Huskies now have a 2 point lead for the 8th playoff spot and once again control their own destiny (unless UML wins the league, they likely lose the tiebreaker).
Both teams have 3 games remaining and rematches of tonight on schedule for tomorrow night.
The Huskies seemed to come out of that with a vengeance. Within seconds, they got themselves a breakaway and they were actually able to close the deal on it. An empty-netter put the finishing touches on a hard-fought, huge 4-2 win. With UMass losing to UNH 4-3, the Huskies now have a 2 point lead for the 8th playoff spot and once again control their own destiny (unless UML wins the league, they likely lose the tiebreaker).
Both teams have 3 games remaining and rematches of tonight on schedule for tomorrow night.
Maine came out with a vengeance on Saturday night and slaughtered an injury-ridden NU squad 7-1. UMass is now back in the driver's seat after a win against UNH.
With the tiebreaker belonging to UMass and BU on the schedule, NU needs a miracle at this point.
With the tiebreaker belonging to UMass and BU on the schedule, NU needs a miracle at this point.
CShea, I watch Merrimack as much I can, since I went there and when I was there (92-96) they were beyond terrible. The only cool thing about the games is that you'd see some really great hockey from the other teams. The 1992-93 UMaine teams (Karriya, Snow, Dunham, etc.) were amazing to watch. And the mid-90s BU teams (Grier, Drury) were awesome to watch too. It was also where I fostered my hatred of Hal Gill ... ah, memories.
But, MC has really done pretty well for itself in the last few seasons. From renovating their rink to actually making the NCAA tourney last year to being ranked number one for two consecutive weeks, it's been a pretty good time to be a Warrior fan. Cannata is the real deal and I thought for sure he was leaving North Andover for Vancouver after his junior year last year. I'm hoping that they are able to parlay this run of success into better local recruits (Cannata aside, MC usually grabs guys a bit older who play in the Western part of Canada).
They are also expanding the Volpe arena. Beginning in the next few weeks, they are creating another sheet of ice right next to where the Volpe is now. It's going to be used as a practice rink and will be the home of the Merrimack Valley Jr. Islanders. During this expansion, they're also changing some stuff around the current rink (moving the entrance and lobby to face the parking lot, expanding concessions). The college is also discussing moving to Division I for all sports, which would be pretty awesome.
The Lawrence Eagle Tribune has a reporter, Mike McMahon, who covers MC and he does a really good blog called the Mack Report. You can check it out here.
Northeastern kicks BU out of the 2 seed, with, somewhat ironically, a Vinny Saponari goal in overtime. But due to the third tiebreaker (record v. BC the regular season champion), NU is edged out by Umass-Amherst for the 8 seed and fails to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Matchups for the quarters look like:
Umass @ BC (1)
Providence @ UML (2)
UNH @ BU (3)
Merrimack @ Maine (4)
Matchups for the quarters look like:
Umass @ BC (1)
Providence @ UML (2)
UNH @ BU (3)
Merrimack @ Maine (4)
BU Terrierettes and the Providence Nuns tied at 1 after 80 minutes of Hockey East Finals play. (Game is in Hyannis, speaking TYLR)
The Domers will be heading to the (un)friendly confines of Yost where they will be greeted by the Michigan Wolverines. It's gotta be the most exciting conference tourney match up, you've got to think. This is all because BGSU took down NMU. The Falcons are rewarded with a tilt against Ferris State. Lake Superior State will head to Western Michigan and Michigan State will head to Miami of Ohio. The winners of those match ups will play at the Joe for the CCHA tourney crown.
Friday night at Agganis the Huskies put forth the typical 2012 effort and fell easily 5-2. A questionable call by Madigan, when, trailing 4-2 with five minutes left, he pulled goalie Chris Rawlings in favor of the extra attacker. Way, way too early, especially for one of the worst units with a man advantage in the league. BU took less than a minute to find the empty net. With UMass's win, they were quickly eliminated from HE playoff contention.
Saturday was Senior Night at Matthews and the last home game of the year for NU (again vs. BU). Mike McLaughlin, the lone senior, was honored, but was unable to play due to his concussion last week vs. Orono. Steve Qualier and Alex Tuckerman were also honored, being red-shirted juniors on the verge of graduation. It's not known whether they will be back - Quailer especially would be a huge loss.
Clay Witt drew the start in goal over Rawlings after the dismal performance the previous game. This match was a vicious, passionate affair with tons of penalty minutes and hard hits. NU refused to give in this time though, fighting to a 4-4 draw after three periods.
What very well may have been the highlight of the year for the Huskies came in OT, as defenseman Luke Eibler skated up the ice towards backup BU goalie Grant Rollheiser. His shot was easily deflected by Rollheiser. And what would be more appropriate than that rebound being directed right towards a waiting Vinny Saponari who promptly buried it and skated over to the BU fan section to show off his NU logo. The team mobbed him right there in the corner.
Best of all, Saponari ignored Jack Parker's attempted handshake in the line post-game :rolling:
As tough as this season was, Saturday night was the perfect way to end it. Only wish they had shown this kind of heart and effort more often this year - if they had, they'd be headed to the playoffs next weekend. Injuries killed them down the stretch, but they still had the talent to do better than 5-10-2 in 2012. They certainly had the opportunities (the 2-0 lead versus BU in early January and the ties versus Providence come to mind). I haven't been impressed with Madigan, but I suppose it's too early to make any kind of call. I'm trying to withhold judgement until he gets the chance to get some of his recruits in there. We'll see where this program goes over the next year or two.
(On a side note, I visited Agganis on Friday for the first time. I was stunned; that place is BEAUTIFUL. I love Matthews, but that place blows it out of the water).
Saturday was Senior Night at Matthews and the last home game of the year for NU (again vs. BU). Mike McLaughlin, the lone senior, was honored, but was unable to play due to his concussion last week vs. Orono. Steve Qualier and Alex Tuckerman were also honored, being red-shirted juniors on the verge of graduation. It's not known whether they will be back - Quailer especially would be a huge loss.
Clay Witt drew the start in goal over Rawlings after the dismal performance the previous game. This match was a vicious, passionate affair with tons of penalty minutes and hard hits. NU refused to give in this time though, fighting to a 4-4 draw after three periods.
What very well may have been the highlight of the year for the Huskies came in OT, as defenseman Luke Eibler skated up the ice towards backup BU goalie Grant Rollheiser. His shot was easily deflected by Rollheiser. And what would be more appropriate than that rebound being directed right towards a waiting Vinny Saponari who promptly buried it and skated over to the BU fan section to show off his NU logo. The team mobbed him right there in the corner.
Best of all, Saponari ignored Jack Parker's attempted handshake in the line post-game :rolling:
As tough as this season was, Saturday night was the perfect way to end it. Only wish they had shown this kind of heart and effort more often this year - if they had, they'd be headed to the playoffs next weekend. Injuries killed them down the stretch, but they still had the talent to do better than 5-10-2 in 2012. They certainly had the opportunities (the 2-0 lead versus BU in early January and the ties versus Providence come to mind). I haven't been impressed with Madigan, but I suppose it's too early to make any kind of call. I'm trying to withhold judgement until he gets the chance to get some of his recruits in there. We'll see where this program goes over the next year or two.
(On a side note, I visited Agganis on Friday for the first time. I was stunned; that place is BEAUTIFUL. I love Matthews, but that place blows it out of the water).
[quote name='Hendu's Gait' timestamp='1330919432' post='4001296']
Well, 95 years will do that!
[/quote]
Haha very true. I'll have to check out Conte at some point next year so I can compare it and Agganis.
I'll keep the DogHouse and the history for now though
Well, 95 years will do that!
[/quote]
Haha very true. I'll have to check out Conte at some point next year so I can compare it and Agganis.
I'll keep the DogHouse and the history for now though