Three weeks removed from a crushing 5-1 defeat at the hands of eventual national champion Michigan State University, the Terriers from 2006-07 Boston University men’s hockey team still on campus are trying to catch up on normal life.
For just a little while, the lives of the Terriers are filled with something other than pucks, hits, goals, sweet wins and bitter defeats. For now, it’s all about classes, make-up exams, relaxing with friends and, of course, some hockey here and there.
But with freshman move-in still months away, Terrier coach Jack Parker has some work of his own to do. With the departure of six seniors, there are half-dozen empty lockers in the Agganis Arena home dressing room, and there are six lonely jerseys waiting to be filled.
After a disappointing end to a less-than-satisfying season, Parker can start over and look ahead to next year, when he can rebalance, reorganize and replace.
Leaving the Pack
The biggest hit BU will take this offseason is the loss of the program’s most successful goaltender, John Curry. In the past three years, Curry has led the team on the ice, stamping his name at the top of the Terrier record books on his way.
The former walk-on phenom leaves BU with the program’s lowest career goals-against average (2.07), the highest career save percentage (.923) and tied for career shutouts (13). He also turns in the No. 36 second in saves (2606) and minutes played (6725:11).
But Curry will be missed between the pipes not just for his skill, but for his poise and composure under pressure, his will to win and his undeniable ability to bail his team out when it didn’t seem possible to hold on.
Then there’s the hardware he’s earned: The Walter Brown Award. First-Team All-American, All-Hockey East and All-New England. All-Hockey East and All-New England Most Valuable Player. Hobey Baker finalist. That’s just his senior year.
BU also loses three key defensemen to graduation this season, headlined by the departure of captain Sean Sullivan. The senior, who signed a multi-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes after the NCAA Regionals in March, earned some hardware himself (First-Team Hockey East and All-New England; Second-Team All-American; Hockey East Best Defensive Defenseman), but will be most missed for his skating ability and his earth-shaking hits.
Tom Morrow and Kevin Schaeffer also leave holes in the defensive core, both regular starters during their four years in scarlet and white.
Up front, the Terriers lose just one everyday starter in winger Kenny Roche. Aside from his team-leading 118 shots, his 12 goals, 17 assists and 29 points this season were all third-best on the Terriers. The speedy winger, along with Curry, served as assistant captain in 2006-07.
And while senior winger Eric Thomassian never found a consistent spot in the lineup to call his own, when called upon to get a job done, he was up to the task. Thomassian, who signed an amateur tryout agreement with the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers (affiliate of the New York Rangers), finished his BU career with six goals and 17 assists in 75 contests.
With Open Paws
Looking into the 2006-07 season from the eyes of last season’s Terriers, Parker knew he wouldn’t replace the kind of offensive explosion he lost at the end of the 2005-06 season, when the team parted with the prolific first line of John Laliberte, Brad Zancanaro and David Van der Gulik, as well as All-American defenseman Dan Spang (45 goals and 76 assists between them in 2005-06).
And while Parker was pleased with the performance of 2006-07 freshmen, such as Luke Popko, Brian Strait and Eric Gryba, he knew long before the rookies called Commonwealth Avenue “home” that they wouldn’t replace that void.
But looking ahead to 2007-08, the Terriers will take one huge step in replacing that offensive juggernaut.
According to Parker, the welcoming of five new forwards this fall — including three expected offensive powerhouses in Nick Bonino, Joe Pereira and Colin Wilson — combined with rebound years from upperclassmen will mend those wounds next season.
“We’ll be much more competitive for positions next year,” Parker said. “We’re only losing one forward that played regularly this year, and we’re bringing in five forwards, so there’s going to be a lot of vying for positions.
“There’s going to be a lot more competition for who’s on the power play,” he added. “I think we will automatically be better offensively next year because the forwards we bring in are very good offensive players, three of them, especially.”
For the 2006-07 season, Bonino served as captain of his Avon Old Farms team, capping off a successful high school career with two final goals en route to the school’s sixth New England Championship.
Wilson, a member of the United States Under-18 team, notched 25 goals and a team-high 37 assists in 49 games, also scoring six power-play goals. His goals and points (62) were both good for second on the club.
Pereira, South Kent School’s 5-foot-10 alternate captain, will supply BU with some additional speed and skill up front.
Unconfirmed sources have also named winger Victor Saponari (2-1–3 in 12 games with the U.S. Under-18 squad) as the fourth of five incoming forwards.
The 2007-08 edition of the Terriers will also bolster its “bread-and-butter,” adding two highly touted defensemen to the team’s core of five returning blueliners. That pair is Colby Cohen from the USHL and U.S. Under-18 player Kevin Shattenkirk.
“We’re bringing in two very very good power play defensemen,” Parker said, “guys that can really move the puck and be terrific on the point in the power play.”
Both Cohen and Shattenkirk look to be on track to slip into the spot left by Spang.
Shattenkirk, a 5-foot-11 defenseman, has 12 goals and 22 assists with four power play goals in 48 contests this season with the Under-18 team. At 6-foot-2, Lincoln Stars blueliner Cohen’s 60 points leads all USHL defensemen. He is tops in assists among defensemen, with 47 (T-3 overall) and is tied for second in goals with 13.
“We’re adding guys that are capable on the power play, that we recruited to be offensive guys that will be very, very effective fairly soon,” Parker said. “I know they are very, very capable of moving the puck.
“[Rising junior Matt] Gilroy can play the point on the power play, [classmate Dan] McGoff can play the point on the power play and we’re bringing in a kid Shattenkirk, who can absolutely play the point on the power play, a kid named Cohen who can actually play the point on the power play,” he continued. “So they’re gonna be vying for those positions along with Gryba, who can still get a shot at it, and Strait, who can still get a shot at it.”