Hobbled men’s hockey set for weekend series with Merrimack

Forget about the H1N1 virus. A different type of bug has been ravaging the home locker room at Agganis Arena ‘-‘- the injury bug.

The No. 17 Boston University men’s hockey team already knew it would travel to Merrimack College Friday night without the services of Hobey Baker-candidate, junior Nick Bonino, and sophomore defenseman David Warsofsky.

During practice Wednesday, the Terriers (2-5-0, 1-4-0 Hockey East) likely lost their leading goal-scorer, freshman Alex Chiasson, for Friday night as well.

‘The hits just keep coming,’ BU coach Jack Parker said after Wednesday’s practice. ‘What goes around comes around. We had very few injuries last year and now, all of a sudden, we’re getting a rash of them.

Chiasson was decked by senior defenseman Eric Gryba during a scrimmage in practice Wednesday, suffering a cut on his chin and ending up with a ‘bad headache,’ Parker said.

Parker said Thursday Chiasson did not take a concussion test after the hit, and has no medical history with the injury. However, the freshman did not practice Thursday, and is doubtful to play Friday, according to the Terriers’ coach.

Of course, Chiasson won’t have to watch from the stands by himself Friday night. Warsofsky, who was rushed back to the lineup Sunday against the University of Maine, will sit Friday with an injury to the adductor muscle in his hip. The defenseman skated in practice Thursday but was not wearing pads and did not participate in any contact drills.

Meanwhile, Bonino has been out since dislocating his shoulder on Oct. 24 against the No. 6 University of Michigan. For the first time since suffering the injury, Bonino participated in full-contact drills Thursday.

The assistant captain is still likely out Friday, but Parker said Bonino might be back for Saturday’s home contest against the Warriors (5-3-0, 2-1-0).

Also on the injured list for the Terriers is sophomore goaltender Grant Rollheiser. The Chilliwack, British Columbia native has yet to see game action this year after suffering a high-ankle sprain in preseason workouts.

The netminder has practiced at 100 percent all week, and after Thursday’s practice, all indications point to Rollheiser being past the injury, Parker said. However, the BU coach was noncommittal on whether Rollheiser might start a game this weekend, citing uncertainty over whether the goalie was back in ‘game shape.’

The Terriers head into the weekend home-and-home with Merrimack on a three-game losing streak, capped off by a 3-2 loss at Maine Sunday night.

BU has scored just four goals during the losing streak, and the Terriers have tallied just three even-strength goals in five regular season games, excluding a 5-4 overtime win against the No. 5 University of Massachusetts-Lowell on Oct. 30.

The answer to the Terriers’ offensive woes? According to Parker, just some good old fashioned patience.

‘[Sophomore Chris] Connolly finally got a goal this weekend,’ Parker said. ‘He was leading the team in shots and only has one goal. I think he’s hit at least three pipes this year. When you’re not getting puck luck, that usually turns around over the course of a season.’

In addition to bad luck, part of the problem has been that night in and night out, BU has been seeing the best of each of its opposing netminders, Parker said.

‘One of the things we talk about all the time is, because what happened to us last year, that we’ll get everybody’s best game,’ he said. ‘They’re playing the defending national champions, and the guy who gets more geared up than anybody is the goaltender. He’s saying, ‘I’d like to beat those guys.”

That said, Parker also said his team needs to show more focus and composure when scoring opportunities arise.

‘We’re also making [opposing goalies] look good,’ Parker said. ‘We’re squeezing the sticks so tight that, at times, we’re getting rid of it too quickly and just hitting his chest or, a lot of our best chances, we’re just shooting wide.

‘So I think we need to be a little more poised and show a little more determination to get the puck off the goalie and get the puck by the goalie.’

As a coach, Parker said relaxation isn’t something he can give to his team. From his standpoint, the most he can do is sit back and wait for the Terriers high shot totals to finally yield corresponding results on the scoreboard.

‘When [goals] start going in, they start going in,’ Parker said. ‘I can’t scream at them, ‘Relax.”

Merrimack comes into this weekend’s action having won five of its past six contests, and is yet to drop a game at the friendly confines of J. Thom Lawler Arena. Junior Chris Barton leads the Warriors with twelve points (8 goals, 4 assists) in eight games, trailed closely by freshman Stephane Da Costa (6g – 5a -11 points), who has played in just six games.

The Warriors most recently split a home-and-home with No. 16 Boston College two weekends ago. Early results for coach Mark Dennehy’s squad have been surprisingly strong, considering Merrimack was picked to finish last in Hockey East in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

According to Parker, this year’s Warrior squad is much improved over last season’s model, which went 5-19-3 in Hockey East play. Most notably, Merrimack brings a physical game backed by strong skating, good forechecking and an emphasis on preventing fastbreak chances.

‘They never, ever, ever seem to give up an odd-man rush,’ Parker said. ‘They play a certain style that keeps three guys back at the blue line in the attacking zone, so it’s hard to get out on a 3-on-2 or a 2-on-1.’

Overall, Parker isn’t surprised by Merrimack’s ostensible emergence from the Hockey East basement, he said.

‘There’s a reason why they’re playing so much better this year and beat some good teams already, and I expect they’ll be better as the season progresses. They’ve got skill, they’ve got some size and they have two really good goaltenders.

‘They’re a team that’s very formidable for anybody, and anybody’s formidable for us right now.’
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