Boston University welcomed its newest national champions back to campus with a confetti cannon bang ‘-‘- covering Marsh Plaza, the men’s hockey team and thousands of fans with red, white and blue in a university-wide celebration Tuesday afternoon.
Students, faculty and fans feted the Terriers’ Saturday night victory over Miami University in the NCAA men’s hockey championship game. The BU Pep Band and a line of cheerleaders led a processional of hockey players riding in Duck Tours boats down Commonwealth Avenue between Kenmore Square and Marsh Plaza.
At the parade route’s end, Mayor Thomas Menino proclaimed Tuesday ‘Terrier Day’ in Boston. University administrators took the stage to congratulate the team.
‘My heart is still pounding, and I’m not sure if it’s from the game or from the trip down Comm. Ave.,’ said Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, who rolled along the parade route on Segway.
BU President Robert Brown called the win ‘the greatest team effort he’d ever seen,’ and Athletics Director Mike Lynch boasted the season’s roster is ‘the best team in college hockey history.’
Elmore cut the championship cake and called for the party to begin after senior co-captains Matt Gilroy and John McCarthy thanked fans for their support during the season.
‘It’s a great feeling to participate in a sport involving fans,’ McCarthy said. ‘It feels great to look up in the stands and see your fellow students cheering for our team.’
College of Engineering senior Adam Detwiler said he skipped class to attend the celebration, and called it ‘the best graduation gift’ he could ask for.
‘I’ve never seen this much school pride, ever,’ ENG senior Kevin Davis said.
Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences sophomore Stephen Iacono said the rally was a great display of school spirit.
‘This is a great opportunity for the BU community to really come together,’ Iacono said. ‘If we had more community events like this one BU would be a better place.’
BU alumnus Michael Pangilinan said he has been to all but three of the Terriers’ games this year.
‘I watched all season,’ Pangilinan said. ‘Graduated last year, but still only missed three games.’
Alumnus Jason MacMore said he printed a life-size cardboard cutout of hockey coach Jack Parker, and took it with him down to the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., for the Frozen Four. At the rally the entire team signed the cutout.
‘I’ve been a season ticket holder for seven years now, and we currently have five seats in our row,’ MacMore said. ‘We’re trying to buy more if they become available.’
Elmore said he thought the rally was ‘fantastic.’
‘Seeing people lined up like this was incredible,’ Elmore said. ‘The entire championship was great for this community, and now we have to keep it up.’
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