The No. 4 Boston University men’s hockey team isn’t playing the University of Notre Dame or the University of Michigan this weekend. It’s not playing at Madison Square Garden or Fenway Park, either.
But despite lacking the glamour of those four games, this weekend’s series against the No. 8/9 University of Massachusetts-Lowell could mean more for the Terriers in the long run than any of those flashy showcases.
That’s because the River Hawks (3-1, 1-0 Hockey East) are a team that’s looking to soar to new heights this year. They’re out to prove that their run to last season’s Hockey East title game (a 1-0 loss to BU), preseason No. 2 ranking in the Hockey East coaches poll and current top-10 ranking in the national polls aren’t flukes.
If you listen to BU (1-2, 0-1 HE) coach Jack Parker, there’s no reason to think UML can’t reach those new heights.
‘They’re a real good team,’ he said after yesterday’s practice. ‘They’re a real senior-laden, older team. They have a lot of confidence after the end of last year, and they have everybody back except for two guys. So, they’re a very, very solid team. They have a lot of experience, and they’re a physically big, strong team. They can skate, too, and they’re well coached.’
In fact, the River Hawks feature 12 seniors and return their top-seven scorers from a season ago. Senior left wing Kory Falite and junior center Scott Campbell lead UML’s up-tempo, dump-and-chase offense, while junior Maury Edwards headlines the defensive corps.
Falite has more goals in conference play (25) over the last two seasons than any other returning Hockey East player. The Billerica native is currently tied with Campbell for the team lead in points (2 goals-3 assists-5 points). He led UML in points (18-14-32) and was named a Second Team Hockey East All-Star two years ago before dropping down to 14-8-22 totals last season while missing seven games due to injury.
Campbell (3-2-5 so far this season) led the River Hawks with 30 points (14-16) last year. He notched two goals and an assist in UML’s 5-3 win over Colgate University last Friday. Edwards was a Second Team All-American last season, accruing 11-18-29 totals. The Hobey Baker hopeful has a goal and three assists so far this year.
Also back for UML is the senior goaltending tandem of Nevin Hamilton and Carter Hutton. The duo led the River Hawks to the third-best scoring defense in the conference last year (2.26 goals-against average) and has shown nothing but improvement this year, holding opponents to two goals a game so far.
‘I think they know they’re a good team this year with all the returning guys, and we know they’re a good team,’ junior captain Kevin Shattenkirk said. ‘We’re gonna probably have to battle them down the road, so it’ll be great to get a hard-fought battle against them this weekend and take some points away from them, hopefully.’
The Terriers went 4-0 against the River Hawks last year, but that record does not accurately represent the competitiveness of the games themselves. BU needed three goals in the final 2:14 of a 6-4 win at Lowell in November, squeaked out a 3-2 win at Agganis in December, were tied at three 10 minutes into the third before pulling out a 5-3 win at home in February and then came away with a controversial 1-0 decision in the conference title game.
In that final showdown, UML appeared to tie the game at one midway through the second when then-junior forward Ben Holmstrom knocked home a loose puck following a massive pileup in the BU crease. After a review, it was ruled no goal despite the fact that the whistle clearly blew after the puck was already in.
‘They’re obviously out to get us after what happened last year in the finals,’ Shattenkirk said.
Injury updates: After missing Saturday’s game against Michigan with the flu, senior center Luke Popko is feeling better and will play this weekend, according to Parker. ‘hellip; Parker said sophomore forward Ross Gaudet, who has not played yet this season due to a dislocated shoulder, ‘looks like he’s gonna be able to play this weekend. If he can play, he’ll get in the lineup this weekend.’ ‘hellip; Junior center Nick Bonino, also nursing a dislocated shoulder, will be out at least three more weeks, Parker said. ‘hellip; Sophomore goalie Grant Rollheiser will miss at least one more week as he rehabs a high ankle sprain, according to Parker.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
