FADEM: High Expectations

I have only one expectation for the BU men’s hockey team, and it’s outrageously high. It’s win a national championship or bust, and I think for most BU hockey supporters this is the accepted attitude.

It didn’t start out this way. I’ll take you back, way back, all the way to October of 2008 ‘-‘- boy, that feels like it was a long time ago. This country wasn’t even in a recession yet! BU was picked preseason to finish second in Hockey East only to BC (that didn’t pan out like voters thought).

In the first USCHO poll of the season, the Terriers were voted as the ninth best team in the country. That would be the lowest the Terriers would be voted all season. From their first game on, the Terriers climbed the polls, hitting the No. 5 spot, then falling to the No. 6 position, then jumping back up to No. 3 on Nov. 1.

A week and a half later, BU was voted as the No. 1 team in the polls only to slip up in their first game as ‘the best team in the country.’ BU dropped to No. 2, then got swept by Vermont in what would be the last real hang-up of the season. This sent BU to No. 8 for one week. After that week, BU hit the No. 7, 5, 4, 3 and 2 positions.

Then, on the first day of the of the Beanpot, BU was voted as the best team in the country. Until yesterday, it had been that way the entire rest of the season. Of course, the Saturday slip-up against Maine cost the Terriers the top ranking.

Boston University has been the best college hockey team in the country over the course of the year. Some westerners would make a case for Notre Dame, but the level of play that the Terriers have shown night in and night out and the wide margins of victory say that they are the best team that the country has to offer. Even without Shattenkirk and Wilson in the Denver Cup, BU’s been the best.

So, because of this, the initial expectations of an NCAA Tournament appearance as a season success have turned into an NCAA championship. Anything less will be seen as a failure, and that’s extremely unfortunate.

The stakes are so high at this point in the season. Honestly, no matter how BU does in the Hockey East Tournament, it’ll be a number one seed in the regional ‘-‘- either Manchester, N.H. or Bridgeport, Conn. Then comes the biggest two games of the season.’ The Terriers will draw a cookie-cutter team in the first round that they will no doubt dominate.

The second round might present a challenge with the potential of playing a Hockey East foe for what would be more than the third time this season. Win that, and we’re all going to D.C. for the Frozen Four. Lose that, and this season was a bust.

These expectations are so high because BU is the best, but as recent history has proven, the best team during the season doesn’t always become the national champion. BC peaked at the right time last year ‘-‘- they weren’t the best team last year throughout the whole year (I mean, come on, BU tied them with Brett Bennett in net!), but they peaked at the right time.

That could be any team this year, and BU might be unfortunate enough to draw a team at the wrong time.

It’s one and done, and that’s really scary. We don’t get to mess up like we did Saturday night ‘-‘- if BU doesn’t play their game for all three periods for four games straight, there won’t be a banner hanging in Agganis.

All I’ve ever wanted since I became a college student is to see a national championship. Weeks ago, I said I think the women’s lacrosse team can do it, but there isn’t a better chance or opportunity than for the men’s hockey team.

And it’s gotten to the point where most everyone knows they should win. It’s a matter of whether or not they will. If they don’t, the Beanpot championship, the Hockey East regular-season championship, the Denver Cup and the IceBreaker Tournament title will all be for naught.

Please boys, don’t disappoint the thousands of fans at this school, the thousands not yet in this school, the thousands of alum who still come to games, or those who track the team from around the world.

All signs indicate that you should be skating around the Verizon Center with a national championship trophy in your hands, waving to the Terrier faithful in scarlet and white, knowing, feeling and being national champions.

Pete MacArthur said he would bring a national championship to BU in his time here ‘-‘- that didn’t happen as Petey had to graduate with nothing but a quarterfinal exit in the NCAA Tournament as his high point. Keep Pete’s promise ‘-‘- bring us home this school’s fifth national championship.