The No. 2/3 Boston University men’s hockey team begins its national title defense Friday on the road against the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, a team that has gone 3-2-1 in its last six home games against the Terriers.
After two exhibition games, BU expects to get a better idea of how its line configurations will sort out for the upcoming year against competition better adept to revealing weaknesses.
‘I expect a fast-paced game,’ BU coach Jack Parker said. ‘I expect a game that could be decided on special teams. They’re real good at killing penalties and should have a really good power play this year.’
Both goals BU gave up to the U.S. National Under-18 Team last weekend were on the power play.
Junior All-American James Marcou will lead the Minutemen power-play threat. Marcou, who tied departed-Terrier Colin Wilson for last year’s Hockey East regular season scoring title with 35 points, is in peak form early after tallying four assists in UMass’s season opening win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 5-2.
‘James Marcou is their Nick Bonino,’ Parker said, referencing BU’s junior first-line center. ‘He’s a real clever kid, sometimes he’s very flashy and sometimes he’s very subtle, but he makes all the right plays, can score goals and makes all the players around him much, much better.’
With one year of eligibility left, Marcou is the active career league leader in points and his 83 career points rank 18th all-time for UMass. BU’s defense will be tested right out of the shoot in its first regular season game since stalwarts Matt Gilroy and Brian Strait left school to play professionally.
Juniors Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen lead this year’s unit, which according to Parker, needs to tighten up on puck possession in the defensive zone.
‘We’re giving up turnovers that make us prone to jumps the other way, so we have the puck and all the sudden they have a 2-on-1,’ he said.
A trio of freshmen defensemen, Sean Escobedo, Max Nicastro and Ben Rosen, will battle for the two available spots on the second and third defensive pairings. Parker has yet to decide if it’s a good idea to pair them together or mix and match them with veteran counterparts.
The offensive corps is still up in the air as well, with Parker making changes leading up to the first game, and probably through it. Players are supremely aware of their position on the team and are heavily involved in battling to move up the depth chart.
‘I think guys are more concerned about where they’re playing and if they’re playing, than they are about UMass right now, and that’s not a good thing,’ Parker said.
The offense registered an astounding 95 cumulative shots on goal between the two exhibition games, but it only scored five goals. The Terriers hope simplifying the process will increase efficiency against the Minutemen.
‘We’re over-passing and trying to be too clever,’ Parker said. ‘We look like were trying to get a goal that counts more, like a Russian judge is going to put up a 10 or a nine or six. We don’t care if it’s a one goal as long as the puck goes by the goaltender.’
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