As I was driving home from the DCU Center last Saturday, I couldn’t help being more than a little upset at the way the 2005-06 men’s hockey season came to a crashing halt. Five days later, I still have that same bad taste in my mouth.
As much as it hurt to watch Boston University come up lame and look more like a high school team than the No. 1 team in the country, that’s not what bothered me most. For me, the worst aspect of the game was being a part of the final 10 or so minutes of the third period.
First, there were the antics on the ice. Clearly the Terriers were frustrated, and they let it show. After skating around emotionless for two and a half periods, BU finally started showing some passion. It’s certainly commendable that the team didn’t give up, but cheap shots and penalties aren’t the most commendable way to go out.
Sure, it takes two to tango and Boston College players were anything but angels, but BU was clearly the instigator, taking six penalties over the final 11 minutes. I’ve never really liked BC coach Jerry York much, but Saturday I gained infinite respect for him. By calling a timeout when things started to get ugly, along with the anger he was showing on the bench, sent a clear message to his team to not get caught up in BU’s frustration.
It was a smart move because at that point it was clear that BC still had something to play for and losing a player due to a game misconduct would have been inexcusable.
But as the clock wound down, I found myself much more uncomfortable with what was occurring off the ice than with the events taking place on it.
The NCAA’s threat to give the team a penalty if the student section used profanity was nothing short of absurd. Sure, as hockey fans we might get a little out of hand from time to time, but I’m still not sure why the mostly inaudible use of a profanity draws so much attention. Looking around, the non-student fans nearby seemed more amused than anything, if they even happened to notice.
On the whole, I never had much of a problem with the antics of the student section because I always felt that everyone knew where the line was. We might get awful close to it, but more often than not we know where to stop. That all went out the window on Saturday.
The conduct of the BU student section at the end of the game was absolutely disgusting and appalling. The “f— you Eagles” chants and the yelling back and forth with BC fans was unbelievably juvenile and unnecessary. After John Laliberte absolutely crushed Matt Greene, there were even people clapping when Greene couldn’t get up and the BC athletic trainer came running onto the ice. The fact that these actions came from people clad in scarlet and white makes me sick.
Unfortunately, I’m concerned that BU lost a little more than a hockey game on Saturday. That night, the fans crossed the line. Long criticized as a group that takes things a little too far and swears a little too much, BU fans proved the critics right. It was a massive blow for the collective respect given to BU fans and an embarrassing moment for the school as a whole.
As a senior who’s missed only a handful of games in four years, I know my thoughts were focused more on the disappointment of not making it to the Frozen Four than on a couple of jerks from BC or defying the NCAA’s attempt at censorship. All I can think of is that most of these fans had just jumped on the bandwagon in the past few months and didn’t know how to deal with a crushing loss. Sadly, though, I’m not sure that was the case.
It’s a little depressing when it finally sets in that you’ve seen your last BU hockey game as a student. Luckily, I plan on being in the Boston area next year, which means that I’ll still get to be a part of Terrier hockey. While I’ll be moving out of the student section that’s brought me so many fond memories, I’m not too upset, because it’s becoming a group that I no longer feel comfortable being a part of.
