The Boston University men’s hockey team showcased its resiliency last week in come-from-behind efforts against Harvard University, 6-5, and No. 7 Cornell University, 3-3.
The Terriers (4-7-2, 2-6-1 Hockey East) look to translate out-of-conference heroics into Hockey East building blocks this weekend at home against two familiar foes, the No. 19 University of Vermont and No. 15 Boston College.
‘[Rennselaer Polytech Institute] could be eight years away as far as I’m concerned ‘-‘- we’ve got Vermont (6-5-1, 4-4-1) and BC (6-3-2, 4-3-2) right now and those two home games are huge,’ BU coach Jack Parker said. ‘We have to get points in our league, we have to make a statement that we can beat good teams and we have to continue to defend home ice.’
A change in team demeanor is largely responsible for the energy generated last weekend.
‘It’s like I keep telling them, attitude is everything. We had a good attitude last week, and lo and behold, we get two pretty good efforts out of everyone,’ Parker said. ‘I think [the captains] are the ones who turned them around. They said, ‘It’s our team, we’ll take care of it,’ and they have so far.’
‘Some take [motivation] from the words that coach is saying or other guys see it as their captain setting an example in practice,’ junior captain Kevin Shattenkirk said. ‘And that’s something we’ve tried to focus on more ‘-‘- being a little more competitive in practice and showing that it will translate more the games on the weekend.’
First up are the Catamounts, fresh off a 1-0 victory over No. 10 Yale University. Senior goaltender Mike Spillane shut down the Bulldogs and has posted a 2.54 goals-against average. He has played his way into a 50/50 rotation with sophomore Rob Madore (3.51), after the incumbent found himself in a bit of an early-season sophomore slump.
BU had no problem taking care of Madore in last season’s Frozen Four Semifinal, beating him five times on 28 shots. But on the whole, Madore had a sensational rookie season, sporting a 15-10-4 record and Hockey East’s fifth-ranked GAA (2.35).
The story in 2009-10 for the Catamounts is more about who they don’t have coming back ‘-‘- 2009 Hobey Baker Finalist and current Toronto Maple Leaf Viktor Stalberg. The Swedish forward led Vermont with 34 points last season.
‘I know they lost a lot of guys that were important to them last year, like we did,’ Parker said. ‘They’ve still got a great goaltender coming back and a solid core of defenseman. They’ve added a couple really talented incoming freshman. They’re a quick skating team from what I understand.’
Stalberg’s production has been replaced by senior forward Brayden Irwin (5 goals-7 assists-12 points), junior forward Jack Downing (3-5-8) and junior forward Wahsontiio Stacey (3-4-7). But a Hockey East-worst 9.6 percent power-play success rate is indicative of how much he’s been missed.
According to Shattenkirk, the Catamounts’ ineptitude on the man advantage should help jumpstart BU’s penalty kill, which gave up two goals against Cornell.
‘It will give us the confidence that we can kill penalties,’ Shattenkirk said. ‘I think we’ve been just a half step short recently.’
Parker will adhere to his own rotational scheme, starting Millan against Vermont and sophomore goalie Grant Rollheiser against BC. Friday’s debut beneath the bright lights of Madison Square Garden has prepared Rollie for his first start against BU’s most hated rival.
‘Going into the [Cornell game], I tried not to be too nervous, but I kind of psyched myself out a little bit when we went out on the ice and I saw 18,000 people,’ Rollheiser said.
The Eagles are led by junior forward Brian Gibbons (3-10-13), senior forward Ben Smith (9-3-12) and senior defenseman Carl Sneep (5-7-12) and will be out to even the score after going 0-2-1 against the Terriers last season.
‘I think a lot of guys know that the tradition behind BU hockey, and the alumni that have been here take so much pride,’ Shattenkirk said. ‘And you’re not only letting your team down by not showing up to play, but you’re letting down the hundreds of guys who have played here before.’
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.
