If you’re a student at BU right now, do me and yourself a favor: run to the closest phone and call home. It’s time to thank your parents for fornicating on purpose, or by mistake, and giving you life in the timeframe of 1985-1990.
Why?
Because you just experienced the single greatest athletic year in your university’s long history. As VH1 would say, BU had the best year ever.
The 2008-09 sports year was simply awesome. It’s mind-blowing all the accomplishments various BU teams and players on each team accomplished.
Obviously, the true mark of success is that national championship trophy that’s sitting in Parker’s office. That is the milestone that sets this year apart from the rest.
Looking at the four other years BU won a national title, it’s clear that this year stands apart from the rest ‘-‘- not only by hockey accolades, but with all other Terrier sports, too.
First, hockey-wise, Parker did call this team the best he’s ever coached. Thirty-five wins ‘-‘- an all-time BU record. Twenty-seven wins for Kieran Milan ‘-‘- an all-time BU record. This team likely boasted at least five future NHLers, two confirmed already, and an insane 11 20-point scorers. And let’s not forget about having two 50-point scorers, the only two 50-point scorers on a Terrier hockey team this decade.
The seniors won 100 games in their careers, including all six tournaments and seven championships up for grabs this year. The team ended eight teams’ seasons and lost only two games after Thanksgiving. Oh, this team also had a clean sweep in terms of awards: Hobey Baker, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year and four All-Americans. So yeah, they’re pretty damn good.
Women’s basketball had its best season in program history ‘-‘- 25 wins, an undefeated America East regular season, its first postseason tournament win ever and the best senior class in program history ‘-‘- America East Player of the Year and eighth all-time leading scorer Jesyka Burks-Wiley, all-time 3-point leader Kristi Dini, Defensive Player of the Year Amarachi Umez-Eronini and all-time assist leader Christine Kinneary.
Men’s basketball had a winning record! Where was their parade?
Men’s and women’s soccer were the first duo since the reformation of the America East Conference to win both the men’s and women’s titles in the same year. The men got an NCAA Tournament win and featured one of the most exciting teams in recent history. It helps when Jon Jonsson is leading the team in pregame stretches and postgame kumbayas.
Women’s lacrosse hasn’t ended yet, but past BU records have ‘-‘- Sarah Dalton has shattered the goal mark and point mark. Not to mention opening up a nine-game winning streak since losing to their arch-nemesis: the University of Pennsylvania. The real test for the ladies will come when they play their perennial third-round matchup, the Quakers, again in the big dance. Penn has won three straight over BU, but the ladies can make history if they can just score more goals than those Ivy League hot-nerds.
The rest of the women’s sports have been, some would say, too dominant. The women’s track and field team won its fourth straight indoor title. Women’s swimming and diving won its first since 1994. Meanwhile, women’s tennis goes for its 12th straight title. And finally, the softball team was the first America East team with 30 wins this season, not to mention Cassidi Hardy has pitched three no-hitters and Shayne Lotito has broken single-season and career records for stolen bases and runs. Are you kidding me?
Mike Roberts will go down as one of BU’s best wrestlers ever with eight more wins than the hockey team’s senior class. He qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times ‘-‘- quite a feat for someone who competes all by himself.
Women’s hockey has gotten better and better with every season. And with every season, it has gotten more wins ‘-‘- this year besting itself with 18 wins and its first postseason win in program history.
Hell, even the BU cheerleaders existed for all eight months of the school year!
Boston University is easily going to win its seventh Commissioner’s Cup in the last eight years. This cup is given to the school recognized as having the strongest athletic program in the America East. If hockey was part of America East, the cup would’ve already been presented to BU, but we have to wait until the spring sports end. However, BU is a shoo-in and the class of the conference.
What we’ve seen, what we’ve experienced, what we’ve lived has been so outstanding this year. The athletics at Boston University have never been as good as they are right now. It’s a testament to the coaches, the players, the fans, the administrators ‘-‘- everyone involved who has made BU sports what they have been.
As Dean Elmore once said, ‘This campus is floating.’ When athletics perform and achieve at such a high level, it rubs off on the rest of the school. BU is on top of the conference and on top of the world. It’s stood out high above the rest, and I am oh-so happy to be a part of it all. I hope you are too, and I hope this fantastic year carries over to next year.
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