BU Men’s Hockey Special

When the 2009 NCAA national championship banner rose to the rafters of Agganis Arena before Saturday’s exhibition game, the book closed on last season. For those overcome by the sentiment of the ceremony, reality hit just 10 minutes later when the Terriers took the ice. There was no Matt Gilroy, no Chris Higgins, no Jason Lawrence, no John McCarthy, no Steve Smolinsky, no Brian Strait, no Colin Wilson and no Brandon Yip.

But perhaps the Terriers’ most valuable asset last year, their depth, will get the credit it deserves this year, with several supporting cast members stepping up to merit the No. 2/3 preseason national ranking.

Nick Bonino, a 50-point scorer, was on the second line. He’ll jump up to the first line and into the national spotlight this season.

Kevin Shattenkirk, a Second-Team All-American last year, will be counted on to be the team’s role model after being named the program’s first junior captain in 32 years.

Kieran Millan, the Hockey East Rookie of the Year from a season ago, will have to prove himself all over again as he battles with fellow sophomore Grant Rollheiser and junior Adam Kraus for the majority of playing time.

David Warsofsky, one of the best two-way defenseman in the conference, was a third-line blue-liner. He’ll have a chance to make a nationwide name for himself.

Freshman defensemen Sean Escobedo, Max Nicastro and Ben Rosen have a shot to make an impact right away as they battle for the two spots vacated by Gilroy and Strait.

And so the BU juggernaut rolls along, complete with games at Fenway Park and Madison Square Garden and a No. 1 preseason ranking in the Hockey East coaches poll.

After losing five players from an offense that averaged a staunch 3.9 goals per game, there is a measure of experimentation involved in determining this season’s most effective line configurations. Throughout two exhibition games and heading into the season opener versus the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Parker has mixed and matched his offensive groupings liberally in pursuit of the best formula.

Colin Wilson, a 2008-09 Hobey Baker finalist and USA Hockey College Player of the Year, was the Terriers’ most notorious departure up front. But 25-goal scorer Jason Lawrence, 20-goal scorer Brandon Yip and 14-goal scorer Chris Higgins will also be sorely missed.

‘We lost five of our top six forwards from last year, but we’re pretty confident guys like Zach Cohen, guys like the freshman line from last year, can move up to be more productive players and fill those roles,’ Parker said.

A week and a half ago, Nick Bonino was paired on the first line with Zach Cohen and Kevin Gilroy, sophomore Corey Trivino led the second line alongside Chris Connolly and Alex Chiasson, and Luke Popko manned center on the third line with Andrew Glass and Joe Pereira.

Now, Cohen has been pushed to Popko’s third line in the hopes the two can recapture the chemistry that lifted Cohen from the doghouse to prominence last season.

‘He went from being borderline kicked off the team to being a real important player last year,’ Parker said. ‘If he can continue that work ethic he will be a very, very important player for us and probably make himself a lot of money as he’ll be a free agent at the end of the year.’

After netting a blistering one-time goal from the right side against the US Under-18 Team, Connolly, who burst onto the scene with 30 points on last year’s freshman line, has been moved up to Bonino’s first line.

Bonino will be a fixture on the first line. There’s no question last year’s Beanpot MVP is where it all starts for the Terriers on offense.

‘You have the kingpin back in Nick Bonino, who’s a Hobey Baker candidate, All-American candidate,’ Parker said. ‘He’s the straw that stirs the drink as far as our offense’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ is concerned.’

Corey Trivino, whose wiry frame hampered his ability to battle in the corners against stronger players last year, bulked up in the offseason and will lead the second line with Vinny Saponari at his side.

The missing piece on each line will sort itself out, with the possibility of a freshman jumping up to one of the top lines. According to Parker, these roles are tentative. The Terriers will continue to mix and match and may even switch things around during their first game.

‘I’m pretty sure I know who the 12 forwards will be that will play,’ Parker said. ‘But I’m not sure exactly what the combinations will be.’

The defensive corps figures to be BU’s strength in 2009-10. Even after would-be co-captain Brian Strait decided to forego his senior year to follow his NHL aspirations and Matt Gilroy’s Hobey-Baker-winning senior season catapulted him into the New York Rangers’ starting lineup, the Terriers’ blue-liners will still be counted on to carry the team this season.

‘We lost a lot on defense ‘- a shutdown defenseman like Strait, a pair of defensemen like Strait and Gilroy, who were our best defensive core, without question our best defensemen,’ Parker said. ‘And Gilroy was obviously a fabulous offensive defenseman.’

Through two exhibition games, there are few conclusions to be drawn about who will play where. Juniors Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen have played together for the last two seasons, and it’s almost a certainty that the pair will stick together at least on BU’s top power-play unit.

Shattenkirk’ is arguably the best two-way defender in college hockey. The New Rochelle, N.Y. native was the 14th overall pick by the Colorado Avalanche in 2007’s NHL Draft, and will serve as the first junior captain of the Terriers since Jack O’Callahan in 1977-78.

Meanwhile, Cohen, the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player a year ago, was second in points among Hockey East defensemen last year. Cohen’s offensive game is among the best in the nation, and his performance on the power play will be crucial for a BU squad that took a clear dip in talent up front.

Overshadowed occasionally by the play of Shattenkirk and Cohen, sophomore David Warsofsky may be the best-kept secret in college hockey. The Marshfield native is one of BU’s slickest puckhandlers, and his creative work on the breakout and power play are reminiscent of former NHL great Paul Coffey.

‘David Warsofsky would have run anybody’s power play in the nation last year, and he didn’t get a chance to do that last year,’ Parker said. ‘We put Yip back at the point with Gilroy in one group and Cohen and Shattenkirk, who were the two best in the nation I think, on the power play last year.’

Meanwhile, senior assistant captain Eric Gryba and his 6-foot-4, 219-pound frame return as the defensive anchor for BU. Gryba, a third-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2006, is one of Hockey East’s most physical defenders. In addition to his size, Gryba took a big step forward in his skating and positioning abilities last season.

Gryba can likely serve as a good mentor for freshman defenders Max Nicastro and Sean Escobedo, who profile as similar defenders. Meanwhile, freshman Ben Rosen, the brother of Brown University goalie Dan Rosen, projects as a two-way defenseman with flashes of offensive abilities.

There were only a few key differences between last year’s BU squad and the one before it, but perhaps none was more noticeable than the play of freshman goaltenders Kieran Millan and Grant Rollheiser.

Stepping in to replace departed Brett Bennett ‘-‘- now playing with the University of Wisconsin –‘-‘- Millan and Rollheiser immediately made their presence felt, guiding the Terriers to a 7-2 start. During that span, just once did either goalie allow more than two goals in a game as the Terriers rose to national prominence with wins over midwestern powers the University of North Dakota, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.

Late in November, Rollheiser was forced to miss time due to an injury. Millan was given the opportunity to start on back-to-back nights for the first time in a home-and-home series with then-No. 2 Boston College. Millan stopped 39-of-41 shots in the two-night span and made the majority of the team’s starts the rest of the season, highlighted by an unbeaten streak that ran from early December until the middle of March.

This season, Parker plans to bring back some form of a goaltending rotation centered around Millan, Rollheiser and junior Adam Kraus. With Rollheiser sidelined by a notoriously unpredictable high-ankle sprain, the bulk of the ice time appears to be Millan’s for the time being.

‘Day-to-day or week-to-week, it’s the type of injury where he could be back in four days or he could be back in three months, you never know,’ Parker said. ‘It’s a real problematic injury for a goaltender, probably more than any other position.’

Indications from the team, however, point to a continuation of the rotation once Rollheiser is healthy enough to play. After that, playing time is likely to be given to whoever has the hot hand.

The incoming freshman class, ranked No. 6 in the country by Inside College Hockey, has had four of its seven members selected by NHL teams.

Forward Alex Chiasson, picked in the second round (38th overall) by the Dallas Stars, looks to have the best chance to contribute offensively after playing on the second line during the exhibition games.

Justin Courtnall, Wade Megan and Ryan Santana have rotated on the fourth line through exhibition play.

Courtnall likes to throw his body all over the place, a real grinder profiled as a third- or fourth-line checker. Santana impressed in his final performance of the preseason against the U-18 Team and looks to be battling with sophomore Kevin Gilroy for the fourth-line center spot.

But it’s the incoming defensemen who have impressed the most. Ben Rosen, Sean Escobedo and Max Nicastro have exhibited strong puck control and responsibility around their own goal.

‘Rosen’s a more clever guy with the puck and not a real physical defenseman. Escobedo’s a very physical defenseman. And Nicastro’s a very, very physical defenseman,’ Parker said.

Nicastro has some offensive game and could see time on the power play, while Escobedo comes from the mold of Brian Strait – a straight-up defender.

Rosen has flown under the radar a bit since he didn’t commit until this summer, and wasn’t as highly touted as Escobedo or Nicastro.