December has to feel like a long time ago to the Boston University men’s hockey team. Six wins in eight games has given the team plenty to feel optimistic about.
Perhaps nobody has embraced the New Year more than junior defenseman Colby Cohen.
Cohen has picked up five goals just over a month into 2010, starting with a two-goal night against the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on Jan. 2, and most recently capped off with the first goal of BU’s 2-1 win over Northeastern University Monday night.
It’s a long way to come from a Dec. 11 benching against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute when BU coach Jack Parker sent a very clear message ‘-‘- Cohen’s play had not been satisfactory to that point, especially when playing behind his own blue line.
Since returning from the winter break, Parker has had rave reviews for Cohen, and not just because he’s leading the team with ten goals ‘-‘- including six power-play tallies and five game-winners.
Parker is raving about the way his junior defenseman is playing on the other end of the ice, as well.
‘I gave him a good whack on the head and he took it to heart and didn’t mope about it,’ Parker said. ‘He’s played very, very well defensively for a stretch here. Last game [against UMass], he himself told me, ‘I know I didn’t play well tonight.’ I said, ‘That’s OK, you’ve got a lot of stored equity the way you’ve played the last five games.’
‘He played really well defensively [Monday against Northeastern], I thought, plus he got another goal. He’s back to where he’s supposed to be for us and then some and that’s what we need from him.’
Cohen gave the Terriers an initial 1-0 lead midway through the second period, and as per usual, the tally came on the power play.
Cohen and sophomore winger Chris Connolly have been thrust into new roles on the man-advantage this semester, with Cohen spending more time down around the opponents goal line, while Connolly roams at the halfwall position above him.
Cohen has thrived in the new power-play position, and it was from his new home that he scored Monday. With junior Nick Bonino pausing with the puck at the opposite halfwall, Cohen positioned himself along the goal line, about even with the faceoff dot. Bonino slid a cross-slot pass to the near wing for Connelly, who zipped a pass down to Cohen.
Cohen wound from where he was, putting a shot at Northeastern netminder Chris Rawlings. Rawlings got a piece of the shot with his body, but the puck ricocheted off his chest, under his arm and into the net for the Terriers’ first goal.
‘Nick threw it cross-box to Connolly, and anytime there’s a cross-box pass it disorients the penalty kill,’ Cohen said. ‘Chris made a great little pass to me and I shot the puck back far side and was lucky enough to sneak it through his arm.’
‘I practice it with Kev and some of the guys ‘-‘- taking shots from those weird angles. Guys have been really looking for me down there and I’ve just been fortunate enough to find the back of the net lately.’
There are many reasons for the Terriers to feel optimistic about their 6-2 start to the new year, but few rank higher than Cohen’s new-found goal of proving to his coach that he can handle himself on both ends of the ice.
‘He knows when he’s on and he knows when he’s off,’ Parker said. ‘When he’s on he likes to make sure I know it.’
