The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe | Newton South boys’ hockey falls 4-3 to Cambridge in the MIAA quarterfinal game
Despite securing a two-goal lead in the first period, the Newton South boys’ hockey team’s season came to an end in the quarterfinals of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament March 1.
The Newton South Lions fell to the Cambridge Falcons in a 4-3 battle at John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown. The loss came on the heels of their Senior Day win Feb. 15 against cross-town rivals Newton North.
“We applied the pressure in the first and came out on top, and then I think we just broke down defensively at the beginning of the second,” Newton goalie Lucas Maregni said. “It obviously wasn’t part of the game plan.”
Newton South set the tone early, two minutes into the first period when senior Sebastian Pike one timed the puck past goalie Lukas Foley-Fiore of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin varsity Boys Ice Hockey team.
“I went hard to the net and got a great pass from Nathan Golan,” Pike said.
After the goal, Cambridge gained possession and made a break for the net. Graham Quigley went one versus one with Maregni, but Quigley was unable to convert.
Pike scored again with less than one minute remaining to place Newton in a comfortable, two-goal lead heading into the second period.
“I carried the puck wide and got it up in the high slot across the goalie’s pads,” Pike said.
The second period opened with a penalty against the Lion’s star blueliner, Alex Klapes. Cambridge took advantage of the power play and scored two goals within the 120 seconds when Klapes was removed from the ice.
“They came out flying on all cylinders, and we just didn't match it,” Pike said. “We got complacent.”
Newton South head coach Chris Ryberg said, “They got their momentum from that penalty, and we had trouble getting it back.”
The Falcons scored two more times in the second period to take the lead 4-2. Seven minutes into the third period, Newton’s Michael Defranco received a pass from Pike and fired it past the left shoulder of Foley-Fiore. The game ended in a 4-3 victory in favor of Cambridge.
“There is great leadership on this team,” Ryberg said. “[The seniors] set a great example for the younger guys and we have a great group coming back next year, so we’re ready for that.”
Maregni said this is “by far the best hockey team” he has ever played with.
“I will miss being in the locker room with everyone and preparing week in and week out for our next game,” he said.
Paige Mautner can be reached at newtonreport@globe.com.
The Boston Globe | Newton South clinches 4-0 Senior Day win, propelling them into conference play
Everything fell into place during one of the most memorable games this season for Newton South High School Boys Ice Hockey.
The team’s 4-0 win Feb. 15 marked the first time in 13 years Newton South has clinched a victory over their cross-town rivals, Newton North. To make the moment even more exciting for Newton South players, their win came on the high school’s senior day.
“It is pretty cool to beat North,” senior defensemen Sebastian Pike said in a post-game interview. “It’s a huge rivalry.”
The victory was just what the Newton South Lions needed to propel them into post-season play.
Newton South was just one point away from eligibility to make it into the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament. Thanks to this game, the Lions will be placed comfortably in a middle seed in the tournament rankings.
With the excitement of senior night, the Newton South Lions came out with speed starting the first period. Neither team got many shots off until forward Eric Donlan, a senior, fired the puck, which deflected off a Newton North defender and into the back of the net with 8 minutes left in the first period.
South lit the lamp again with a little over 1 minute remaining thanks to freshman forward Brandan Campbell. Then, only 10 seconds into the second period, the Lion’s Donlan scored his second goal of the game to keep his team ahead.
“It was an odd man rush,” Donlan said. “We came into the zone with a 3 on 2, and the puck came across the slot right to the perfect place for a one timer.”
Ryberg said it was the seniors who led the team to the 4-0 win over the Newton North Tigers. He said and he has built a strong relationship with each player.
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Boston Hockey Blog | Terriers return to Agganis for Battle of Comm. Ave. against No.4 BC
The Boston University men’s hockey team is prepared to take on No. 4 Boston College for the third time this season in a home battle at Agganis Arena Saturday night.
The Terriers (12-11-8, 9-7-5 Hockey East) look to bounce back after a tough weekend, both home and away against the University of Connecticut, when they lost 3-4 on Friday and 6-1 the following day.
In what looks like a rebound game, BU head coach Albie O’Connell said his team needs to put last weekend behind them.
“We’re just going to have to make sure we’re in the right mindset,” O’Connell said.
The BU-BC rivalry is strong, and every game this season has been close, leading back to the first time the two teams matched up on Jan. 18. The Eagles (21-8-1, 14-6-0 Hockey East) took that game with a 4-3 victory over the Terriers. However, BU responded in the Beanpot semifinals on Feb 1. when they battled through two overtimes to eventually win 5-4, before losing in the Beanpot final to Northeastern University.
BC is the frontrunner in the Hockey East, while BU has now dropped down to the sixth slot after losing to UConn this past weekend.
The Eagles’ biggest offensive threats lie within their forwards. BC’s top point-getters are junior Logan Hutsko, senior Julius Mattila and freshman Alex Newhook. Hutsko leads the team with 18 goals, two of which were scored during the 4-3 win over BU in January. Mattila is the playmaker for the Eagles, leading the team with 28 assists while also chipping in 10 goals. Newhook trails Husko in goals with 17.
O’Connell said the Eagles have a formidable offensive front.
“They can score. They have good depth upfront and their top lines have guys that are as good as anyone,” O'Connell said.
Freshman goaltender Spencer Knight is expected to appear in between the pipes for BC. O’Connell said Knight stacks up against any of his peers in the conference.
“[Knight] is arguably the best goalie in the league,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell also added that BU has to focus on shutting down BC’s transitions.
“Their transition game is pretty quick. They’re dangerous offensively,” said O’Connell.
Game coverage and an in-game live blog can be found on the Boston Hockey Blog, and game updates will be posted on Twitter, @BOShockeyblog. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
Boston Hockey Blog | Terriers to host Vermont for weekend series with Catamounts
After a hard-fought 1-1 weekend series with No. 7 University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Boston University men’s hockey team will return home to face the University of Vermont in conference play Friday and Saturday at Agganis Arena.
“Vermont is really well-coached,” said BU head coach Albie O’Connell. “They play hard.”
BU (3-4-4, 2-3-3 Hockey East) will be without Coach O’Connell for game one on Friday as the bench boss will be serving a one-game suspension dealt by Hockey East following last Saturday’s loss at UMass.
“I accept everything the league put on me,” said O’Connell. “One game is well deserved.”
In his absence, O’Connell noted that associate head coach Paul Pearl will be taking over head coaching duties for the night, and director of hockey operations Eddie Effinger will be joining Pearl and assistant coach Len Quesnelle on the bench.
“Obviously it’s tough when your head coach isn’t on the bench, but we feel like we’ve got two great assistants as well as a director of hockey operations who’s going to be alongside us on the bench,” said senior forward and captain Patrick Curry.
Last weekend against the Minutemen, BU earned their first win in three weeks, 4-3, in the series opener on home ice. When the series shifted to Amherst the next night, UMass answered with a 4-1 win to split the series.
Fatigue appeared to play a role in both games as three goals were scored against BU in the third period in both their Friday and Saturday games.
“We got a little tired,” said BU head coach Albie O’Connell on Saturday. “We ran out of gas.”
With three games coming in the next five days, the Terriers are feeling more confident in their conditioning thanks to some reinforcements returning from injury. Freshman forward Sam Stevens and sophomore forward Jack DeBoer were both back on the ice practicing this week.
“We’ve got the ability to play them,” said O’Connell. “There’s going to be a couple tough decisions, which is nice to have.”
“We got a couple players back from injury, so that’s kind of boosted our confidence,” added Curry.
On the other side, the Catamounts (1-7, 0-5 Hockey East), are entering on a six-game skid, with their most recent loss coming against Boston College in a 3-0 defeat to conclude a weekend sweep by the Eagles.
Headlining Vermont’s lineup is the man between the pipes, senior Stefanos Lekkas. Lekkas has backstopped the Catamounts since his freshman year and is averaging 28.1 saves per game this season. Supporting Lekkas is sophomore defenseman Carter Long, who has recorded a team-high 13 blocked shots for the Catamounts this season.
The Catamount offense has scored ten goals this season, 12 fewer than Merrimack College, who has the second-fewest goals in Hockey East. Sophomore forward Joey Cipollone, junior forward Alex Esposito and junior defenseman Christian Evers have led the attack with a combined seven goals, using the help of freshman defenseman Andrew Lucas, who leads the team in points.
“If you look at the stats line they’ve outshot every team they’ve been [against], they just haven’t found the back of the net probably as much as they’d want.”
With another physical series on the horizon, Captain Curry pointed towards recovery as a major factor towards staying sharp as the games roll on.
“We just want to focus on making sure the guys are doing the right things outside the rink.”
BU and Vermont will drop the puck at 7:30pm on Friday before going again at 4pm on Saturday. You can follow both games on our live blog and on Twitter @BOShockeyblog.
Boston Hockey Blog | BU set to visit Maine for Hockey East doubleheader
After a 3-3 tie versus the University of Massachusetts Lowell last Friday and a 3-0 home victory against the University of New Hampshire the day after, BU is ready for their next series. The Terriers are headed up to Orono to face the University of Maine in a Hockey East series this upcoming Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m.
UMaine (4-2-0, 1-1-0 Hockey East) took a heavy hit in their first game of their regular season, losing 7-0 to Providence College and 5-0 to the University of New Brunswick. Despite the rocky start to their season, the Black Bears have managed to turn things around, winning four of their last five games.
Fresh off a 31-save performance in Maine’s 2-1 win over the University of Vermont last weekend, junior Jeremy Swayman is expected to be in net for the Black Bears. Swayman obtained a 0.919 save percentage last season and since the rough season opener against Providence has remained relatively steady with a 0.94 save percentage so far this season.
Much like BU, UMaine has plenty of youth among their defensive group. The Black Bear defense is made up of nearly all underclassmen, with only two juniors there to provide the experience factor. Of the two upperclassmen in the defensive positions, Maine has a familiar name in their lineup: JD Greenway.
Terrier fans may remember Jordan Greenway, the 6-foot-6-inch powerhouse who left BU to move on to the National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild back in 2018. Like his Terrier brother, JD is a major physical presence on the ice at 6-foot-5-inches. The transfer from Wisconsin will be tasked with slowing a quick, explosive Terrier offense.
Looking up the ice to the UMaine forward lines, senior Mitchell Fossier has emerged as a leader over his four years in the blue and white. The senior is a prolific playmaker for the Black Bears, leading the team with 36 points last season, 28 of them being assists. Fossier has tallied eight assists so far this season, so in order to prevent Maine from lighting the lamp, disrupting the play when Fossier has the puck will be crucial for BU.
Aiding Fossier offensively is junior Edwards Tralmaks who already has six goals and three assists in the young 2019-20 season. Senior Tim Doherty is another offensive threat for the Black Bears with three goals and six assists to his name this season, and sophomore Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup is red-hot with four goals, including both of UMaine’s in that 2-1 win at UVM.
Taking on a Maine team that has been in winning form as of late, BU may have gotten the jumpstart they needed with an unbeaten opening weekend of Hockey East play. The success all started in net, where graduate student Sam Tucker was rock-solid both nights, including a flawless performance against UNH for the 32-save shutout.
After the game, BU head coach Albie O’Connell said “our goaltender was arguably the best player on the ice,” a sentiment that is sure to encourage the team and fans alike.
With a trio of assistant captains banged up in Cam Crotty, Logan Cockerill and Patrick Harper, the win over UNH was all the more impressive. After surrendering a 3-0 lead against UMass Lowell, the Terriers were able to learn their lesson and close the door on the Wildcats.
“We’ve had some leads late in games so it was nice to see us eventually end up closing them out and not giving it up,” O’Connell said.
Last year, BU lost their lone visit to the Black Bears 6-0 having split a doubleheader with Maine earlier in the season at Agganis Arena. This is a new season with many new names on each bench, and with two hot teams meeting and four critical Hockey East points on the line, this series will be of utmost importance to both sides.
When BU takes the Alfond Arena ice against the Black Bears, you can follow the game on our live blog through hockey.dailyfreepress.com as well as on Twitter @BOShockeyblog.
Boston Hockey Blog | BU gears up for home-opening weekend series against Northern Michigan
After an impressive season-opening win against Union College two Saturdays ago, the Boston University men’s hockey team will suit up against Northern Michigan University in a two-game weekend series to mark their return to Agganis Arena.
Head Coach Albie O’Connell’s boys are ready for their first home game of the season.
“The guys are … pretty hungry to play,” O’Connell said. “If you can’t get up for [the home opener], it’s not a good thing.”
Despite preseason concerns about filling the holes left by departed Terriers (1-0-0), BU’s offense looked just fine in their season debut with five different goal scorers emerging in the Union game.
The Terrier defense also impressed in the opener, calming the defensive zone after surrendering a pair of first period goals and holding the Dutchmen to just a handful of shots through the final 40 minutes.
Metropolitan College graduate student Sam Tucker earned the start in net for his first game wearing scarlet and white. Despite allowing three goals on 13 shots on the night, the former Yale University Bulldog did come up with some timely stops when called upon.
The win certainly did plenty to sway neutrals in favor of this unproven Terrier roster. After the victory, BU jumped to 20th on the USCHO.com national Division I poll, and have held that spot through the most recent release of the rankings.
As expected, O’Connell and his Terriers are ignoring the outside noise they have created.
“The guys were excited about winning, but they know it’s just one game,” the second-year head coach said.
While BU come in with confidence, the Northern Michigan Wildcats (1-1-0) have reason to feel strong as well. Hailing from the WCHA, NMU split their season-opening series with Michigan State, falling 5-3 in game one and coming out victorious 2-0 the next night.
The Wildcats bring plenty of offensive spark to Boston. Senior forward Darien Craighead tallied 10 goals and 10 assists last season, while now-sophomore Griffin Loughran notched seven goals and 11 assists to lead all Wildcat freshmen in goals, assists and points.
NMU’s attack is dangerous, but not all of their offense comes from their forward group. Among other offensively-skilled blueliners, senior defenseman Philip Beaulieu ranked first on the team with 29 assists in 2018-19.
There has not been any confirmation as to who will take the starting spot between the pipes for BU against the talented Wildcat attack, but all signs would point towards Tucker getting the nod for his second start, at least in game one of the doubleheader.
The same situation applies for the goaltender position on the other side of the ice. Through two competitive games, the Northern Michigan crease has been split between sophomore Nolan Kent and freshman John Hawthorne.
It has been a long time since the Terriers and Wildcats have shared the ice. Their last meeting came in 2002, resulting in a 4-4 tie. In 2002, the 43-year old O’Connell was only three years removed from his senior season with the Terriers when he served as captain.
Long-time fans may also remember when BU and NMU squared off in the 1991 Frozen Four finals. The game would be an instant classic, finishing 8-7 in triple overtime, with Northern Michigan ultimately finding the winner and taking home their first national title in program history.
It is somewhat uncommon to have two weeks scheduled in between a team’s season opener and their second fixture. While the delay may be frustrating for a team on good form, O’Connell and his Terriers are focusing on the benefits.
“It’s kind of brutal [that we] don’t get to play another game, but at the same time, it’s not bad to get some rest,” O’Connell said.
Ready for action, BU will make their Comm Ave debut on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before settling the series on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Follow all the action both nights through the Boston Hockey Blog’s live blog, which can be found on Twitter @BOSHockeyBlog and our website, hockey.dailyfreepress.com.
Boston Hockey Blog | Cam Crotty, BU defense playing with confidence
As the Boston University men’s hockey team gears up for a new season, all notes from the team indicate that the least of their concerns is their defense.
Since the end of last season, the Terriers have lost some of their best players on the back end such as defensemen Dante Fabbro and Chad Krys in addition to goaltender Jake Oettinger. However, they are finding an immense amount of depth and talent among their new defensive ranks.
BU head coach Albie O’Connell said he wasn’t worried about the team’s defense.
“[We have] three defensemen returning who have played a lot of minutes,” O’Connell said, “four who played in the game last year in the semifinals.”
Leading the defense this year is junior assistant captain Cam Crotty, and the third-year Terrier said he has made setting a good example one of his top priorities.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a leader: I guess the only big difference is there is a little more recognition,” Crotty said. “I’m going to try to do my best this year and pave the way for the underclassmen.”
O’Connell describes his blueliners as “big and mobile.” Beyond the physical traits, he believe they the Terriers have the right mix of players for any given situation.
“There are differences in terms of roles,” Crotty, has labeled himself as a more defense-focused player, said. “If we are down by a goal and we need some more offense, then some other guys will be getting the nod to play a little more. In games when we need to shut some guys down, then other guys will get the nod.”
Alongside Crotty, the Terriers are expecting big things out of other returners such as junior Kasper Kotkansalo, junior David Farrance and sophomore Hugo Blixt, all of whom have played meaningful minutes for BU in the past.
The group of freshmen, however, is the part of the depth chart the Terriers are most excited about, O’connell and Crotty shared. BU has welcomed in four solid defensemen in Alex Vlasic, Case McCarthy, Domenick Fensore, Sean Driscoll and two-way man John Copeland.
According to Crotty, the way things are shaping up, BU believes there is no significant drop-off from line to line, which can be a major plus for this defensive group. If they can deliver on their preseason expectations, these blueliners could just be the backbone of the 2019-20 season.
When asked to choose a greatest strength of his team, O’Connell said he liked the way his defensive core looked and said he believed it would be very competitive.
“I think we’ll be a lot deeper there than we were last year,” he said.
Boston Hockey Blog | Terriers riding high into regular season finale vs. Maine
Entering their final regular season game, the Boston University men’s hockey team will face the University of Maine Black Bears (14-15-4, 10-9-4 Hockey East) in a Saturday battle at 7:30 p.m. in Orono, Maine.
The Terriers (14-15-4, 12-8-3 Hockey East) tallied a convincing win last week, beating the last-seeded Hockey East team, Merrimack College (7-24-3, 4-18-12 Hockey East), by a score of 5-1 at Agganis Arena.
Not only is BU looking to continue their five-game unbeaten streak, but they are also trying to climb as high up in the conference rankings as they can.
“[There is] quite a bit [of pressure] I think,” said junior defenseman Dante Fabbro regarding the Terrier’s upcoming game against Maine.
The co-captain had a strong performance in the Merrimack game, tallying five points.
BU has the opportunity to land in the No. 3, 4 or 5 seed heading into the Hockey East tournament depending on this weekend’s conference results. The top four positions play first-round playoff matchups at home, so the fifth-place Terriers are still on the outside looking in at UMass Lowell one point ahead, and Northeastern University two points ahead.
The Terriers hold the tiebreaker over these two teams, so if BU wins against Maine and Northeastern loses against UNH, the Terriers will overtake Northeastern. In addition, if BU wins or even ties against Maine and UMass Lowell loses against Vermont, the Terriers will jump above UML.
BU and Maine met twice back in November, and the teams split a home-and-home series. The first night in Boston, BU won 3-2, while the next night Maine grabbed the win on their home ice with a 3-1 victory.
“I think if we keep building off of things we have worked on in the last half-year or so we will do really well,” Fabbro said. “At the same time, we have to execute what coach is saying and bring it every day.”
A player to watch on the Black Bears’ bench is defensive standout Simon Butala. The freshman has appeared in every game for Maine this season and has logged 40 blocks for the Bears. Leading Butala and the rest of the Black Bears is senior defenseman and captain Rob Michel, who has recorded 37 blocks of his own.
Moving up the ice, the Black Bears have a deep junior class at the forward positions. Mitchell Fossier, Chase Pearson and Tim Doherty are leaders in points for the Bears. One player that BU will need to key in on is Fossier, who leads the Bears with 27 assists. If BU is able to subtract him from the play, Maine will have a much tougher time unlocking the Terrier defense.
Along with their recent success and win against Merrimack, BU has been gifted with the return of senior captain Bobo Carpenter, who missed more than a month with a lower body injury. BU head coach Albie O’Connell said the Terriers have already noticed a difference with Carpenter back on the ice.
“His competitiveness is infectious,” O’Connell said. “His presence on the bench was felt.”
If the Terriers want any shot at home ice in the playoffs, Saturday’s game is a must-win. You can follow the game through the Boston Hockey Blog’s live blog, as well as on Twitter. You can also listen to the game through goterriers.com.
The Boston Hockey Blog | Terriers to begin Beanpot against Northeastern in championship rematch
The 67th annual Beanpot tournament starts this Monday at TD Garden, and the Boston University men’s hockey team are hungry for their 31st Beanpot championship victory.
The Terriers (10-11-3, 8-6-2 Hockey East) will face last year’s champion, Northeastern University, in the first round at 8 p.m. Having lost to the Huskies (15-8-1, 9-6-1 Hockey East) 5-2 in the championship game last year, the Terriers are gearing up for revenge.
Although the Terriers beat the Huskies Nov. 3 by a score of 4-1, the Huskies have recently struggled, having lost their past three games. However, they will likely still be riding the momentum from winning the Beanpot title last year, which was their first after a 30-year drought.
Nerves are high for Terrier fans as BU senior co-captain Bobo Carpenter may be unable to suit up due to injury, which has prevented him from playing in the past two games. According to BU head coach Albie O’Connell, the chances of Carpenter making an appearance in his last Beanpot semifinal match are about 50-50.
Although the Terriers were missing Carpenter’s presence on the ice, they managed to light the lamp five times against No. 2 UMass in a game last Friday night, when BU fell short 5-7.
Junior forward Patrick Curry talked about the takeaways from the UMass game going into the Beanpot.
“It seemed like we had at least three of our four lines going,” Curry said. “If we can get our fourth line going, that will be good because obviously those are huge minutes.”
Scoring five goals on the No. 2 in the country, the UMass game is proof that the Terriers have the offensive talent to get numbers up on the scoreboard against good teams. Still, Northeastern’s strong defense may likely prevent BU from scoring any easy goals. The Huskies allow the second-least amount of goals among Hockey East teams, allowing 55 all season. Only UMass beats that number with 52.
Between the pipes for Northeastern is goaltender Cayden Primeau, who has a current save percentage of .921. Supporting him in the back is defenseman Ryan Shea, who has had 42 blocks so far this season.
In addition to Shea is defenseman Jeremy Davies, a player who is not only difficult to get by, but also a threat offensively with five goals and 20 points so far this year.
The recurring theme for BU this season is falling behind early in the game. BU has only scored the first goal in seven out of 24 of their games this season.
“We do a good job at not worrying about it,” O’Connell said.
BU was down by two goals early in their Friday match against UMass. However, O’Connell said, “there was no nervousness on the bench.”
On the frontline for Northeastern is forward Zach Solow, who has tallied 11 goals and 17 points this season. Alongside him is forward Grant Jozefek, who has tallied 10 goals and 19 points. Two of his 10 goals this season were awarded when BU and Northeastern faced off Nov. 1, so Jozefek is a player the Terriers have to keep a tight leash on.
“We have to learn how to play thorough,” O’Connell said about playing against Northeastern.
All games will be played at the TD Garden and streamed on NESN. In addition, The Boston Hockey Blog will have minute-by-minute coverage of the game through a live blog, accessible through this website or this twitter account.
Here’s the schedule for the 2019 Beanpot:
Monday, Feb. 4, 2019, @ 5 p.m. — Boston College vs. Harvard University
Monday, Feb. 4, 2019, @ 8 p.m. — Boston University vs. Northeastern University
Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, @ 4:30 p.m. — Consolation game
Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, @ 7:30 p.m. — Championship game
The Boston Hockey Blog | Terriers looking to increase their winning streak
Approaching their second to last regular season game, the Boston University men’s hockey team is looking to continue their four-game unbeaten streak after tying Providence 1-1 on Thursday night.
On Saturday, the Terriers (13-15-4, 11-8-3 Hockey East) will face the Merrimack Warriors (7-23-3, 4-17-2 Hockey East) at 7pm in Agganis Arena. Currently sitting at fifth in the Hockey East conference, there is reason to believe BU should win against last-seeded Merrimack.
The Terriers were hungry for a win against Providence, who currently sit two spots above the Terriers in the Hockey East conference at second. With just two extra points under their belt, BU would have improved their case for a playoff game on home ice.
“They [knew] the importance of the points tonight,” BU head coach Albie O’Connell said referring to his players.
Once again, Boston University’s goaltender, junior Jake Oettinger, came out and had an unbelievable performance on the ice. The Terriers would have been looking at a whole lot different of a score at the end of game if it were not for Oettinger’s 45 saves.
“Our goaltender was the story,” said O’Connell.
As the game played on, BU started to lose the tenacity that they were playing with for the early stages of the game. This led to Providence finally getting the puck behind Oettinger in the 8th minute of the 3rd period. The Terrier’s response to this goal was not as strong as they would have liked to see.
“At the end of the game we gave up a 3 on 1 with 30 seconds to go in overtime,” said O’Connell as he reflects on how close the tie was to becoming a loss.
Now approaching Merrimack, BU has to play with the same force that they did when they came out against Providence. BU has already faced Merrimack twice this season; once back in October when the Terriers lost 4-0 on the road, and then again in January when BU bounced back at Agganis Arena and won 7-2. Although the Warriors have struggled in the Hockey East conference, they are not low on talent, and are definitely not a team that BU can overlook.
One of Merrimack’s strengths is their depth when it comes to goalkeepers. Although it appears that senior Craig Pantano will start in between the pipes for Merrimack, but if necessary, the Warriors will have no problem throwing in their other two goalies: senior Drew Vogler and sophomore Logan Halladay. Both Vogler and Halladay have logged a sufficient amount of minutes for Merrimack.
Supporting Pantano in the back is junior standout Ryan Cook. Cook has an impressive number of 37 blocks for Merrimack this season. Although he is a very strong player, BU mostly has to worry about him on the defensive end. Cook has tallied no goals for the Warriors this season so far. Freshman Chase Gresock makes up for it though with 11 goals and 13 assists to his name in the 2018/19 season. Gresock got on the board during BU and Merrimack’s last battle back in January, which resulted in a 7-2 Terrier victory.
In addition, Merrimack just put up a very impressive fight on Thursday against league leading UMass. The score ended 4-2 UMass, but the Minutemen were only comfortable once standout defenseman Cale Makar tucked away an empty-netter.
There are many more games to be played in the regular season before the Hockey East tournament. Currently, BU still sits 5th in the conference. However, the Terriers could come level with Northeastern if the Huskies lose to Boston College tonight or tomorrow. Likewise, BU could come level with UMass Lowell if the Riverhawks fall to New Hampshire tonight or tomorrow. If the seedings stand, BU will be traveling to Northeastern for the first round of the tournament.
Before we start focusing on the Hockey East, BU has to focus on tomorrow and shutting down Merrimack. You can follow the game through our live blog as well as on Twitter. You can also listen to the game through GoTerriers.com.
COM 201 Class | Op-Ed
ESPN
Chris Nowinski | April 6, 2018
Decrease the Rate of Concussions in Women’s Lacrosse by Requiring the Mandatory Usage of Helmets
Football is the sport with the highest number of consussions experienced by its players, not a huge surprise. What is not known by most, however, is that Women’s Lacrosse, a non-contact sport, has the second highest rate of concussions.
Taking this into consideration, one would assume that helmets are required; however, this is not the case. As of today, helmets are only optional in Women’s Lacrosse.
This needs to change.
There should be absolutely no debate surrounding this issue because the facts are clear: players are suffering from almost as many concussions as one of the most physical sports in America.
An epidemiological study, confirmed by Future Medicine, claims that after analyzing over one million high school and college Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse players, it was found that although Women’s Lacrosse has no where near the same amount of contact as Men’s Lacrosse, the women have a substantially higher rate of head, face, and eye injuries than their male counterparts. Of these injuries, 40% were concussions.
Women’s Lacrosse players may get hit in the head and brush off the pain as nothing more than a bad headache. Following a minor concussion such as this, the symptoms generally resolve themselves after a few days. However, the danger lies in the prolonged and severe symptoms that occur after repeated mild concussions. This accumulation of mild concussions is what the Concussion Legacy Foundation*, strives so hard to raise awareness about.
The alarming statistics stated above undeniably show the severity of the incidence rate of concussions, as well as the likelihood of long-term traumatic brain injury from repeated head trauma.
So, why is the issue as to whether or not US Lacrosse should demand the players to wear headgear still up for debate?
The gladiator effect.
The leading argument against mandatory helmets for Women’s Lacrosse surrounds the idea that with added protection comes added aggression. Some believe that after introducing such a safety shield, the players will feel more inclined to take their game of finesse and skill and turn it into a more physical and aggressive game.
However, arguments such as this do not take into account the foundations of the sport.
Introducing a new piece of protective gear to the game will have no impact on the rules. The rules still stand that Women’s Lacrosse is a non-contact sport.
At the end of the day, it comes down to maintaining the integrity of the sport and whether or not the players want to play the game they have devoted their time and effort to. The importance of strict rule enforcement is a component that needs to be enforced by all coaches, players, and referees in order to secure the safety of the players.
There is no rationale for Women’s Lacrosse, a non-contact sport, to have the second highest rate of concussions. Something needs to be done about this severe and extremely dangerous issue, and the answer lies within the demand for mandatory helmets.
*Chris Nowinski is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, which is an organization that dedicates itself to advancing the study, treatment, and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes and other at-risk groups.
Academic
COM 201 Class | News article
Terries Come Out On Top After a Thrilling Double Overtime
Boston University Men’s Hockey secured a 3-2 double-overtime victory over Harvard in the thrilling semifinals of the Beanpot Monday at TD Garden.
In the Beanpot’s 66-year-history, the tournament has only seen four double overtimes, making this game an especially memorable one. Although the game went into a second overtime, it was a very short lived period, thanks to freshman forward Ty Amonte (CGS’19), who scored the stunning game winner 1:55 minutes into the period with a wrist shot taken from out wide.
Coming off of a 5-game winning streak, BU’s win over Harvard was particularly special because of their previous 4-3 loss to Harvard in the Beanpot’s final last year. Harvard had not claimed a Beanpot championship since 1993 prior to that win.
The game in its entirety was extremely hard fought by both teams. Freshman forward Hank Crone (CGS’19) said, “We weren’t great in the first and second, but because of our conditioning we were really good in the third and wore them down as the game went on. Our fitness is essentially why we won in double over time.”
In an interview after the game, Terriers strength and conditioning coach Kyle Czech said, “From sleep to nutrition, we emphasize the importance of taking care of your body to be able to withstand long duration games. When we were pressuring them in OT they had no chance because we were fast and had energy left in the tank and they were exhausted.”
The first period featured an outstanding performance by sophomore goaltender Jake Oettinger (CGS’18), who managed to keep Harvard off the scoreboard throughout the 20 minutes.
“It was really important for Oettinger to come out strong. A lot of the boys were obviously nervous from the start, so for him being back there and composed was crucial. Without him in the net the scoreboard would have looked a whole lot different,” says Crone.
Entering into its second period was when there was a drop off on the ice for BU. According to freshman forward and first scorer of the game Logan Cockrill (CGS’19), Harvard intensified their level of play and managed to control the momentum throughout the period. The Terriers were unable to execute in the offense and were not as disciplined in their defensive zone.
The Terriers were able to keep the Crimson from finding the back of the net and the score remained 1-0 by the end of the second period thanks to Cockrill’s goal.
“It was really cool. I never played in the TD Garden before, so to get the first goal of the game was pretty awesome. It started when I passed the puck out to the point and Hickey put it to the net and Melanson got a really nice tip on it, and I was just fortunate enough for the puck to come right to me and put it into the net,” said Cockrill.
Although the second period seemed to take a bad turn for the Terriers, they made up for it in the third by having a very strong offensive mindset. It only took 32 seconds into the period until Brandon Hickey tallied a goal for BU, making the score 2-1. However, Harvard fired back quickly with a goal only about 1:30 minutes after Hickey’s goal.
The third period ended. Overtime.
After a hard-fought first overtime by both teams, they went back to their respective locker rooms to prepare for the second overtime.
Only 1:55 minutes in, Ty Amonte found the back of the net.
Although this win was an incredible victory for the Terriers, they must prepare for the championship game against Northeastern on Monday.
“We have to stick to our game plan and whatever coach Quinn drills out for us. We have to make sure that we are moving our feet and not taking any time off during the game. We have to play the full 60 minutes,” says Cockrill.
When asked about what the team has planned for approaching the Northeastern powerhouse, Cockrill simply explained, “We try not to specifically worry about anyone, but we know their first line has been really good all year with Gaudette and Stevens, so we are going to have to match up against them and shut them down.”