Just in case you didn’t know, Boston University’s most important home game of the season is going to be at Agganis Arena Saturday.
It is a time for BU to finally take advantage of “The Song.” This is the first opportunity for us to scream, “BC sucks” and have it actually refer to our opponent.
Realistically, there’s nothing more I’d like to see than to Terriers chewing up the Eagles and spitting them to the curb. We certainly have the talent to defeat the Eagles.
Unfortunately, up to this point in the season, our team just seems destined for disappointment. Sort of like Andy Roddick in major U.S. tennis tournaments — everybody tells me how good our team is, but I’ve yet to see it dominate.
There are flashes of brilliance, of course. I’ve seen Johnny Curry snag some of his dirtiest saves since he’s been at BU. I’ve also watched him allow some of the stupidest scores during his time here.
Sometimes, our offense looks incompetent. At other times, it looks like it can’t be stopped. And then, on nights like Tuesday, it looks like we have a dominant offense until we take 35 shots on goal and only score two goals against an obviously weaker University of Massachusetts squad.
So what does it all mean? I want to say, for now, the way we have played this season so far is fairly unimportant. Like it or not, the truth of the matter is that the Terriers’ barometer of success is the way they perform against Boston College.
For me, this year’s game is big news. After last season’s stint at No.1, we’ve yet to live up to this year’s high expectations. Our team, thus far, is the Rick Ankiel of college hockey.
The problem will present itself against our most hated rivals. Is BU going to go the route Ankiel was supposed to and become a star pitcher or do what Ankiel inexplicably did for two years and become a minor league outfielder?
I’m inclined to believe we’ll rise to the occasion. Last year, when I doubted BU most, the squad came around and went on a tear during its way to the top.
To get back to the apex, however, we need to start making some vital changes. After watching Tuesday night’s game, it’s obvious the Terriers need to start becoming more physical if they want to consistently win in the future.
UMass should never have tied us two nights ago. However, the Minutemen just went to war with the Terriers – starting fights, throwing savage checks and generally stepping all over the scarlet and white.
We can’t risk a beating like that at the hands of BC. As it is, we’ve given them the metaphorical status of the bully, and we certainly don’t want them to make it a reality.
Basically, we could get into the middle of a heavyweight fight, and it would be ugly to watch in horror as the Eagles knock us around for 15 rounds.
Perhaps the aggressive nature of Tuesday’s game will create a better tune-up for the Terriers than if we had walked all over them. Oftentimes, tough love is better than puppy love.
Since UMass knocked us around a little bit, it should amp the Terriers for what never fails to be a physical confrontation with the Eagles. And after Friday’s contest in Chestnut Hill, Saturday’s game will allow the Terriers to be even more prepared.
By the way, don’t you wish there were something tangible we could own every time we beat Boston College? I know we always win the Beanpot, which is great and all, but I sort of wish we had something we could skate around with at the beginning of every game to throw in their faces.
Regardless, with preparation and talent, wins can come easy. On Saturday though, one other element will give us an even more prolific chance to take over control in the series.
For the first time this year, I’d like to see Agganis Arena be straight-up bumping. What it comes down to, as I mentioned earlier, is that our crowd should be into it. With every check and every shot on goal, we’ll react.
So far this season, I’ve been a little less-than-enthused about the Dog Pound. As it is for our hockey team, the BC game will again measure our status.
Fans, alumni and students alike — drink it all in. When the Terriers face the Eagles in hockey, it’s one of those situations that transcend sports, the types of situations in which the atmosphere makes everyone in the stadium a winner before the game even starts.
Not to mention that it’s going to be my parents’ first BU hockey game on Saturday. So on a personal level, I’d really like our guys to step it up and make our team look as good as it could be.
At this point, I could really use the bragging rights.
Anthony Flum, a senior in the College of Communication, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at ajf11@bu.edu.
