One step forward, two losses back

Let's just face it. For a moment late in the first half of this season we started to believe that the Sioux were not an average hockey team, just misunderstood. All that came painfully crashing down this past weekend. After what I like to call bloody Sunday (more on that later), the Sioux season was definitely put into perspective. It's confirmed - the Sioux might just be an average hockey team. Back-to-back losses to Michigan State (a team which had not won in 12 games) and WCHA bottom dweller Michigan Tech, while only scoring two goals all weekend, means the Sioux are just average. The Sioux have left no room for error for the rest of the season-- translation, the only hope for post-season play will be to win the Broadmoor Trophy.

As for "bloody Sunday," this is what I had to deal with this weekend -- the Sioux GLI disaster, a Patriots win but still no playoff berth, and the Dallas fiasco (I have also been a Cowboys fan since I was 10). Thankfully, there were two bright spots - the 1st place Bruins winning #8 in a row, and Team USA beating the Czech Republic (not as convincingly as we'd like, but a win is a win). Speaking of hockey and football, I'll leave you with one last funny thought: what do the Sioux and the Detroit Lions have in common? Neither of them can win in Detroit.

Will the Blackhawks be cursed by Wrigley

We all know the Winter Classic on New Year's day will be Chicago vs. Detroit at Wrigley Field. This video is proof that Wrigley Field is cursed.  Watch the unloading of the Zamboni at Wrigley Field. 

Video of Zamboni.

 

Hockey on Campus Hosted by Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara

HOCKEY ON CAMPUS radio will broadcast LIVE from Bickford’s Grille in Burlington this evening, from 7 to 9 PM (Eastern Time) on AM-890 ESPN Boston, and 1400-AM in Lowell, and will also be streamed live online at http://www.890espn.com/.

Tonight’s line up for our 2nd Annual “College Hockey Christmas Party” from Bickford’s includes:

Coach Jeff Jackson from the #1 ranked nationally Notre Dame Fighting Irish out of the CCHA

Coach Guy Gadowsky from the Princeton Tigers, currently ranked 8th in the country and tied atop the ECAC Division 1 standings

Early season commentary from players from Holy Cross in Atlantic Hockey and Boston University from Hockey East, and Manhattanville and Trinity College in Division 3

Elliot Olshansky and the early-season Hobey Baker Watch

Mike Klein, PR Director from the Eastern Junior Hockey League

Your phone calls at our new phone-in number - 617-242-3776 (E-S-P-N)

The Sioux sweep St Cloud..but I still have concerns

After this weekend’s sweep of St. Cloud, UND’s record has improved to above .500 (9-8-1) for the first time this season.  The Sioux still have a long road ahead of them but they are on the right track. In a post I wrote back on November 23, I mentioned my concerns with their scoring, especially the power play.  At that time, the Sioux were 37^th in the country in scoring and 34^th in the power play.  As of today, they are tied for 9^th in the country in scoring and most importantly, they are tied for 10^th on the power play.  This is a vey impressive and key turnaround.   

However, I still have concerns over the next four games (five if you count the exhibition). My concern is based on the old sports cliché: one game at a time.  The Sioux team and fans have begun to talk about the Gopher series on the January 9 & 10 weekend.  We still have a tough road ahead before the Gopher series, with the GLI Tournament and a home and home with Bemidji.  

Let’s stay focused on the exhibition next weekend, rest players that need a rest, work on key areas that need improvement, and hope the Sioux come out of this exhibition with no injuries. 

Friday Night’s Game Summary – UND Web Site 

Saturday Night’s Game Summary – UND Web Site   

Hockey on Campus is back!

Hockey on Campus is back! The following is a message from Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara.

Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara are BACK ON THE AIR for another season (3rd Big Year!) of the 2-hour weekly radio program HOCKEY ON CAMPUS starting tonight, December 10, 2008, at 7 pm eastern time.

We are excited to announce a new home for the show this winter, as we have re-located to 890AM and 1400AM, ESPN Radio Boston, and will also be carried live online at www.890ESPN.com Wednesdays
from 7 to 9 pm eastern time.

Our new phone-in number is 617-242-3776 (E-S-P-N) and we hope to welcome more phone calls this year from the many fans of college hockey throughout the greater Boston area, New England and the entire country!

Our Opening Night line up for “Commissioner’s Night” tonight features Joe Bertagna from Hockey East, Bob DeGregorio from Atlantic Hockey, and Steve Hagwell from ECAC Division 1, as well as Northeastern University Men’s Coach Greg Cronin, and Mike Klein from the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

We will also speak with new HOCKEY ON CAMPUS sponsor Mike Boyle during the show this evening.

RECAP: Sioux 4 Harvard 3 - Is it another Dartmouth turnaround?

Key to the Weekend

For me the key to this past weekend was the Sioux power play.  They were outstanding - 7 for 14 over the weekend series with Harvard.  This was an area the Sioux needed much improvement.  The best example of the use of the power play was Saturday night.  The Sioux were behind and it was a power play goal that tied the game in the third period.

I think we need to give Hak some credit.  In the third period he began to roll the lines with short shifts.  Harvard could not keep up with the change in lines and the speed of UND.  It turned the game around. 

Game Summary – UND Web site 

Is it another Dartmouth turnaround? 

As I sat in Bright Arena, watching the games this past weekend, I kept thinking about this series having a similar feel to the 2006-2007 Dartmouth Tournament.   

Overall record -- Like today, two years ago the Sioux were struggling and they were 7-10-1 going into Dartmouth.  Like this past weekend series with Harvard, the same could be said - the Sioux began the weekend struggling with a 5-8-1 record. 

Season struggles -- Like today, the Sioux two years ago were struggling with a key component of their game. Back then it was defense, specifically the goaltending of Lamoureux.  This year, it’s offense.  As in the case at Dartmouth, JP turned it around with some spectacular goaltending, and this weekend the offense was clearly working.   

The teams and the barns - two years ago the tournament was played at Dartmouth. Their arena is a traditional old time barn, small, cold and close to the action.  This could be said of Harvard’s arena, even with the addition of the new score board (although I found parking at Dartmouth easier).  And of course, both Dartmouth and Harvard are Ivy League schools playing in the ECAC.    

The Sioux fans - like in Dartmouth, there seemed to be an abundance of Sioux Fans. If it were not for the Harvard band (which doubles as the student section) it would have been a complete overwhelming dominance of Sioux fans.  This was exactly the way I felt in Dartmouth two years ago.  It was great!

Apology – There was no apology from the home team on the Sioux logo like two years ago.  But maybe there will an apology from the ECAC officiating over this past weekend (e.g. the mystery interference call on Hextall last night or the inconsistency of calls between the two teams).  Yeah that is not going happen!

The Results – After the Dartmouth Tournament, the Sioux went on a run, only to lose two more games during the regular season and go on to make the Frozen Four.  I hope this year's results will be the same as after the Dartmouth Tournament - for the Sioux to go on their infamous second-half run.   

RECAP: Sioux 10 Harvard 1 (Includes Pictures from Game)

This was a great effort from the Sioux.  Tonight the power play looked great.  The best moment of the night was when the bench erupted after Zach Jones scored his first goal of his Sioux career. The worst part of the night: when Harvard began to "goon it up".  Truthfully I was surprised, Ted Donato the coach of Harvard, typically does not have his teams play this way. With all that said, I am sure Harvard will come to play tomorrow and the Sioux  will need to be ready.

I have posted some pictures from the game below. The best picture is of Harvard's penalty box. It's basically part of the Harvard bench. See the picture of Harvard's back up goalie: the player sitting behind the goalie, is actually sitting in the Harvard penalty box.

Game Summary - UND Web site

Two BU players on the 2009 US World Junior Team

USA Hockey announced the 2009 US National Junior Hockey Team today. The team includes two players from BU, Colin Wilson and Kevin Shattenkirk along with a future UND player Danny Kristo.

Here is the link to the 2009 team

The Sioux will be in Boston this weekend…..Ok, really Cambridge

I have come to peace with the current results of this year’s Sioux season. For me, it’s time to just enjoy the rest of the games and appreciate the young talent we have on the team. I will always continue to hope and cheer for the best. For those who read my blog, you know that I live in Boston and also follow BU. This weekend is the BU vs. BC home and home series. Even though the BU/BC rivalry is legendary, there is no question where I will be -- at Harvard cheering for the Sioux.

LET’S GO SIOUX!

RECAP: Sioux 7 Cornell 3

This was the kind of effort we have been looking for and expecting to see from the Sioux. They were able to score, especially on the power play. Equally important they only gave up four power play chances to Cornell. But let’s not declare victory and book our flights to Washington D.C. We have a long way to go to get back into the national race. Last night’s effort needs to be consistent and sustained. Tonight’s game will be huge. Win it and we are starting to turn the corner. Lose it and all will be for not.

Game Summary-UND Web Site

The Sioux season begins tonight

The next nine games will be a defining moment for the Sioux. Seven of the next nine games will be against non-conference teams, with the majority of them being played at home. This is a must time for the Sioux to get on track. A good run over these next nine games will provide momentum going into the rest of the season, where the Sioux will play into the “teeth” of the WCHA. Winning at least 7 of the next 9 games is not only something that is possible, but something that must be accomplished in order to have a chance for post-season play.

BU - Time to get back on track

Tuesday night BU will play Holy Cross at Agganis Arena. This will be an opportunity for BU to get back on track after the stinging sweep by UVM over the weekend. On paper, BU should win this game but they cannot take Holy Cross lightly........just ask Minnesota.

B's have a new third jeresy

The Bruins unveiled a new third jersey. I am not sure I like it because I am more of the "old school" type. I'm sure over time it will grow on me.

RECAP: UMD 3 Sioux 1

This was an important weekend to get on track. The bottom line is we are not scoring. I know we ran into another hot goalie but I am tired of hearing that. We need to start thinking about what are we doing wrong and not what the other team is doing to us. The Sioux are tied for 37^th in the country in scoring right behind Bentley…OUCH. We need to take advantage of the power play. The Sioux are ranked 34^th on the power plays. This is a dismal ranking. With the new “rule calling” in college hockey we need to be able to score on these opportunities. Only four other teams in Division I had more opportunities to score on the power play than the Sioux and let’s not forget we are a pathetic 43rd on the penalty kill. Finally, just to add “salt to the wound,” on combined special teams, we are 55^th. We are better than three other teams in all of Division I. Special teams are “killing" us. This must be fixed or it will be a long season.

The next four games are against ECAC teams. The Sioux cannot take Cornell or Harvard lightly or they will be on the losing end.

Game Summary - UND web site.

RECAP: UVM 4 BU 3…..Again

This score is not a mistake. It is the same score as Friday night. This was a differently played game with the same result. BU was down 3-1 and came roaring back to tie the game early in the third period. UVM scored in the third period at the 8:07 mark to go ahead and that was the game. Bottom line UVM out-played BU the whole weekend and was very opportunistic on the power plays. Over the weekend series, UVM had four goals on eight tries on the power play.

This is not the old Hockey East where a few teams dominate. In my opinion Hockey East is the toughest division, top to bottom, in college hockey. If you think you can just put on the sweater and assume you will win – you are in trouble.

BU will play at Agganis on Tuesday night against Holy Cross. But most importantly, T's Pub reopens on Monday so we can get back to our pre-game drinking rituals.

Game Summary- Hockey East Online

RECAP: SIOUX 2 UMD 2

Not much to say here, the Sioux should have won this game but came out with a tie. Eidsness continues to shine.  Let’s hope they can win tonight and come out of Duluth with three points. 

A summary of the game from UND's web site.

RECAP: UVM 4 BU 3

Well if you said the number 2 team in the country, would be playing at home, with a seven game home streak, have 41 shots on net, 2 for 5 on the power play, you would think BU would win.....that was not the case tonight.  BU lost to Vermont  4-3.   I know it’s easy to blame Rollheiser, because he has taken all three losses for BU when he is in net.   However, I think it’s time to stop rotating the goalie every other game.  Parker should make the decision to stay with one main goalie and that should be  Millan.  Tonight is Millan’s turn and we will see what happens.  

A summary of last night's game from BU's web site.

BU ranked number one in the Polls

BU is ranked number one in the polls. This is the first time they are ranked number one during the regular season since 1998. Here is the story on BU's web site about the rankings. This is great news, but personally I hate this because there is no where to go but down.

RECAP: CC 7 SIOUX 4

SUMMARY:  What can you say about last night’s game other than it was a weird night, and the Sioux lost and need to move on to next week.   UND split the weekend on the road and, in general, that is not a bad thing.  We can blame Don Adam for penalty calls, or make excuses because of the injuries, or be in awe of Eric Walsky’s four-goal performance -- but the bottom line is despite these distractions the Sioux fought hard and still had a chance to win. 

THE GOOD: I liked the way the Sioux played this weekend and I feel that some of the players came into their own during this series- especially Eidsness and Hextall. 

THE BAD: The five-minute major on Brett Hextall.  I kept replaying the B2 webcast of the hit and although I thought it was a penalty (he hit the player into the net) I did not think it was worthy of a five-minute major game misconduct penalty.  But with that said, there was no reason for Hextall to make that hit; Duncan had just scored and based on the replay it seemed like Hextall could have avoided hitting the CC player.  He needs to show restraint.  That penalty changed the momentum of the game. 

THE UGLY:  The own goal.  These things happen and you just have to laugh about it.  Just think of the "ribbing” Chris VandeVelde is going to get all week in practice. 

UND’s record for the first eight games is very similar to last year’s record. UND is currently 3-3 in the WCHA and 3-5 overall for the first eight games.  Compare this to the first eight games from last year when UND was 2-3 in the WCHA and 4-3-1 overall.  Both are not are not very good starts.  I think we have to take the positive out of this weekend which is UND did play well despite all the distractions.  I truly believe it’s just a matter of time when all cylinders start clicking and they go on their post-December roll.   

RECAP: Sioux 3 CC 1

SUMMARY:  This is what the Sioux needed --  a road win against a very good team.  Let’s hope they can have a repeat performance tonight and get back into the national rankings. 

THE GOOD: Brad Eidsness was terrific in net.   He put the team on his shoulders in the third period when the Sioux needed him the most.  He deserved a shut-out, but that is not going to happen when most of the play in the third period is in the Sioux end. 

THE BAD:  UND needs to finish strong and play for sixty minutes. They had five of their nine penalties in the third period. They held CC to sixteen shots in the first two periods and then allowed fourteen shots in the third (mostly due to penalties).  In addition, the Sioux only had four shots on net during this period.  If it were not for the play of Eidsness this game would have a different story line. 

THE DIFFERENCE:  This was a good win and Eidsness was the difference in the game.  It was nice to see scoring from Davidson and Hextall, which were their first goals in a Sioux uniform.  These goals couldn’t have happened during a better game (or time -- 14 seconds apart) .  The Sioux need to continue to play strong.  A win tonight will go a long way to getting back on track. 

RECAP: BU 6 ULowell 4

SUMMARY:  What a game!  BU scores four goals in the third period including the winning goal with fourteen seconds left in the game. 

THE GOOD:  Good teams find a way to win and that is the case tonight.  ULowell outplayed BU, as matter of fact BU took their first lead of the game with 14 seconds left.  BU never gave up and came away with two points.  

THE BAD: From a ULowell perspective, Hutton left the net due to an injury and this turned the momentum against ULowell and opened the door for BU.  

THE UGLY: From a BU perspective there wasn't much of an ugly except they trailed throughout the whole game. Winning in the final seconds definitely makes up for this "ugliness."

The celebration of the game winning goal:

RECAP: BU 7 Michigan 2

SUMMARY:  What a difference from last October, when BU went 0-4-1.  This October they go 4-1-0.  I think Red Berenson summarized the game by saying,  "It was a good game for their team and not a good game for our team.  We have to learn from it. Welcome to Boston." 

THE GOOD:  Boston University continues to play well over non –conference opponents.  In fact, all of Hockey East is 18-5-2 against non-conference teams this year. The breakdown is as follows: 

3-1-0 vs. ECAC 

7-2-2 vs. CCHA 

5-1-0 vs. WCHA 

1-1-0 vs. CHA 

2-0-0 vs. AHA 

In addition, when the non-conference games are home games, Hockey East teams are 10-0-1.  This is an impressive start to Hockey East’s 25^th year Anniversary.  The question is will Hockey East be able to maintain this play throughout the season.  Who knows but it will be fun to watch. 

THE BAD:  Michigan.  They were out played the whole game last night; not sure what happened but their defensive injuries must have come back to haunt them.  Their schedule was not favorable, coming into Agganis after playing on Thursday night, but even on Thursday, Michigan struggled in their win against Niagara. I think the bottom line was BU wanted pay back for last year’s drubbing by Michigan and BU got it. 

THE UGLY:  With 21.5 seconds remaining, BU's Vinny Saponari and Michigan's Brian Lebler received game disqualifications for fighting.  Vinny, you will receive the pleasure of watching the next game against Vermont from the stands …..enough said on this.  

RECAP: BU 2 MSU 1

SUMMARY: Off to a good start!


THE GOOD: Boston University

The world is perfect in Terrier Nation. Everyone knows that one weekend does not make a season; however starting the season by beating two top nationally ranked teams to win the Ice Breaker is always a great feeling when you compare it to last year’s start (i.e. 0-4-1).

I will have to say BU looked like they are in mid-season form. If they can sustain their weekend play throughout the 2008-2009 season, they could be a team to watch and could bring back the tradition of BU hockey to the national stage.

THE BAD: ICE Breaker vs. Red Sox

I have to admit as a Red Sox fan the conflicts of the post season have been challenging. Both of the BU games during the Ice Breaker conflicted with the start times of the first two games of the ALCS against the Rays. (Thank goodness for TVs in the suites at Agganis!) Even with the conflicts, though, this is still not that much of a “bad” as I still would not change it for the world…….. Plus, the Sox post-season games invariably end after midnight anyway, long after any hockey game is over. Let’s hope that when the ALCS gets back to Boston, it’s the Ray’s fans that look bad the next day.

THE UGLY: Fan Attendance.

I was disappointed with fan attendance. I can understand fans of North Dakota and Michigan State not making the trip. It’s expensive to visit Boston and during these financial times, fans need to factor in the cost of traveling. But that is no excuse for UMass and especially BU fans. The student sections, for the most part, were filled; however, it did not have the atmosphere of a BC game. If BU wants to bring back the tradition of national prominence then the fan base will need to rise to the occasion. The attendance at the BU games over the weekend was around 3,800 for the first day and 4,200 for the second. Compare this to Saturday night’s UNH game against Wisconsin, they sold out with 6,500 fans.

RECAP: Sioux 2, UMass 3

He is my recap of last night's game:

SUMMARY: Where have you been for five periods of hockey?


THE GOOD: The third period of the game.

The first two periods of this game were similar to the BU game, although I will have to say the Sioux did carry a lot of the play. However, in the third period the Sioux looked like the team we all want to see. Skating fast, winning battles for the puck and putting shots on net for the whole period. Hopefully this is a sign of the way they will play the rest of the season.

Ryan Martens had a good game and Walski was ok. Granted he was only tested with 16 shots but two of the goals were power play goals.

THE BAD: FACEOFFS and OFFSIDES

Did it seem like there were a lot of offsides and players being thrown out of the face off circle? Sioux Fan from Boston and I could not figure it out. It appeared like last night the referees were calling the offsides very tight. As for players being thrown out of the playoff circle, I think I have seen more players thrown out of the circle in this game than I did all of last season.

On a side note: did it really feel like UND won the faceoff battle 41 – 30? When I looked at the summary I couldn’t believe it. Other than the third period, it felt like the Sioux lost every faceoff.

THE UGLY: POWER PLAY!

Until the third period of the UMass game, the Sioux had the following stats on their power play:

Power Play Opportunities: 13
Shots on net: 12
Shots on net by the opponent: 6
GOALS: 0

It’s sad when your opponent has over 30% of the shots on your power plays and the Sioux had only an average of less than one shot per opportunity.

Compare this to the third period of the UMass game:

Power Play Opportunities: 2
Shots on net: 6
Shots on net by the opponent: 0
GOALS: 1

This period had a much better performance on the power play by the Sioux. Although not a power play, when Walski was pulled in the last minute the Sioux carried the play there as well.

With both the Sioux and Wisconsin coming out of the New England area 0-2 it will make the early match-up with Wisconsin the last weekend in October a big one.

It was a good third period so let's hope the Sioux can build on that period and move forward.

GO SIOUX!!!

Recap: SIOUX vs. BU

Here is my recap of last night’s game:

SUMMARY:
Two teams who played on opposite ends of the spectrum.

THE GOOD:
Boston University – Bottom line they played and looked great. I know; one game (win or lose) does not make a season. As someone that also follows BU, I was completely impressed with them. Millian made some unbelievable saves.

It is worth noting that Brad Eidsness of the Sioux was solid in net. He was hung out to dry by the defense and if it was not for him the score would have been worse than 5-1.

THE BAD:
The Sioux – Just like BU, one game does not make a season. However, this was the first game of the season and you would hope they would come to play. The feeling from this game was the exact feeling I had in Denver last year after losing to BC. The sad part of the game is when the Sioux tie it up my friend, Sioux Fan from Boston, and I didn’t have enough time to enjoy the tie - BU scored to go ahead for good 20 seconds later.

In hind site - I had a chance to talk to Coach Eades before the game. You could tell he was excited about the start of the season mentioning they have a lot of good young players. Maybe this was his way of saying the Sioux will need time to develop into one cohesive team.

THE UGLY:
Defense and the power play -first the defense, just down right ugly. Joe, BU made you look like a rookie and by the way you are suppose to be a leader on this team - so act like it. Stop taking stupid penalties down 4-1 or gooning it up because you are frustrated, the team needs your calm leadership.

The power play – this will not be in the stats but we had eight power plays and you could not tell. The Sioux played better when it was 4 on 4 or 5 on 5. This is a situation with young players that we need to take advantage of.

The Sioux will play UMass today and they will have a chance to redeem themselves after last night’s game. Just do not take UMass lightly. Although UMass lost to Michigan State, UMass had 37 shots on net vs. 16.

RECAP: New Brunswick vs. BU

Here is my recap of today's game:

THE GOOD:
BU received goal production from Connolly, C. Trivino and, V. Saponari (with MacArthur and Ewing gone).

THE BAD:
Who will BU start in net?

THE UGLY:
BU needs to play for sixty minutes - the third period has to be as good as the first.

Recap - Manitoba vs. UND

Here is my recap of tonight's game:

THE GOOD:
The Offense - six goals on 51 shots. Nice to see goals from the "rookies" Jason Gregoire and Brett Hextall ( Let me throw in Mario Lamoureux - I know Hextall beat him to it!) and the team leaders.

THE BAD:
Wish we could have seen David Toews play and Walski have more of a test.

THE UGLY:
Too many penalities. Eight penalites for 16 minutes against a much weaker team.


On to Agganis for the Ice Breaker. I can't wait; We will be in Section 115.

Bruins Commercial on NESN

This is a pretty funny commercial for the B's. The face off circles are great! Goon I thought you would appreciate it!

Bruins Commercial on NESN

David Warsofsky

Article in Today's Boston Globe on new BU recruit David Warofsky.

By Matt Porter Globe Correspondent / August 24, 2008

Jack Parker is often reserved, but mention David Warsofsky, and the Boston University hockey coach has trouble containing his excitement.

Jarmo Kekalainen, the assistant general manager of the St. Louis Blues, also believes his club has a winner in the diminutive defenseman from Marshfield, who will head to BU this fall after being chosen by the Blues in the fourth round (95th overall) of the National Hockey League draft in July.

Standing 5 foot 9 and weighing 168 pounds, the 18-year-old has spent a young career erasing doubts caused by his size.

"He's such a talented player and a competitor," said Parker. "He's one of the top players in the world at his position. He's not the biggest defenseman in the world, that's for sure, but he's got everything else."

Kekalainen said, "We think he's going to be an NHL player some day. People might pass on him because he's short, but I don't think that's the whole thing."

Warsofsky, despite the absence of a bruising frame, has world-class hockey sense, dynamic offensive skills, and excellent skating ability. He was captain of the US National Under-18 team this year, finishing third on the team in scoring.

Warsofsky has had his puck passport stamped in Ashburnham and in Ann Arbor, Mich. He has competed against the world's best in his age group, traveling to Slovakia, Russia, Switzerland, and Finland to do so. Now, he's back in Marshfield for a few weeks before he moves into his dorm at BU.

"I'm really excited," he said by phone, after having dinner with his parents in Marshfield. "I've been away from home for three years."

He's come back to where he got his first taste of hockey - Mark and Dawn Warsofsky's driveway. That's where he battled with older brothers Ryan, now a sophomore defenseman at Sacred Heart, and Adam, an assistant coach at Curry College.

David went on to play against top local talents such as Dorchester's Jimmy Hayes and fellow BU import Andrew Glass in junior leagues, then spent his freshman season at Marshfield High under coach Dan Connolly. As a sophomore, he transferred to Cushing Academy. US national team coach John Hynes invited him to the Under-18 program after Warsofsky scored 49 points in 29 games his senior year at Cushing. Warsofsky was the Under-18s' second-leading scorer (9-31-40 in 56 games) last year.

"I think the thing that's special about him is his hockey sense," said Hynes. "He can anticipate where the puck's going to go."

Parker agreed. "He's got Larry Bird court sense," said the BU coach. "He sees things before everyone else can see it."

Independent scout Kyle Woodlief, who has seen Warsofsky play since his Cushing days, likens the defenseman's skills to NHL players Brian Rafalski and Kimmo Timonen.

"He's a guy who can move the puck and beat the neutral-zone trap with a home-run pass," said Woodlief.

Parker says Warsofsky isn't limited to one position. "We figure on him playing a big role for us," said the longtime BU boss. "He's a freshman, so he has to step in and earn his ice time, but at the same time he's projected as being a power-play defenseman and an offensive force 5-on-5 as well. He's also a solid defenseman. I think he can be physical when it really needs to be done, but I think he can avoid that and take the puck off a guy's stick. He's pretty clever."

According to his coaches, he's also a leader.

Nearly all the U-18s had played together the previous season as Under-17s, but though he had been in Ann Arbor only a few months, Warsofsky's new teammates voted him captain at midseason. "He came in and he was extremely hungry to learn and make his game better," said Hynes, who instantly plugged in Warsofsky on both power-play units.

In February, Woodlief was in Varkaus, Finland, watching Warsofsky lead the United States to gold at the Five Nations Tournament. Woodlief said he was impressed by how Warsofsky played ice general, quarterbacking the power-play, leading the rush, and even positioning his teammates on face-offs.

"He was the only kid who was out there doing that," said the scout.

Warsofsky captained the United States at April's IIHF Under-18 championships in Kazan, Russia. The Americans dreamed of gold, but they lost a semifinal match to Russia and had to play Sweden for the bronze. Warsofsky paced the team in tournament scoring (7 points), but Hynes said it was his off-ice leadership that carried the squad. "We fell short, and less than 24 hours later we had to go back and play," said Hynes. "At the bronze medal stage, it's all about a team's ability to bounce back and lay their hearts on the line. When you're successful in those games, your captain's a major part of it."

"We practiced the whole year to win that gold medal," said Warsofsky. "It was kind of a heartbreaker, but we rebounded well."

Warsofsky might have his shot at international redemption this December, but on a grander stage. Though he's younger than most of the players, he might have played his way onto the US roster for the Under-20 World Junior Championships in Ottawa. He scored twice during the Aug. 1-9 National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., impressing US coach Ron Rolston with his wicked one-timer and puck sense. "We're always looking for a couple of guys who can create offense from the blue line," said Rolston.

NHL teams feel the same way. Warsofsky's skill set is suited to the way the game has changed in recent years. Puck movers are in high demand, and Warsofsky looks to have a long career.

Since returning home from a trip to St. Thomas, Warsofsky has been working out three days a week and playing pickup with Ryan Whitney, Keith Yandle, and Jim Fahey of the NHL. He took summer classes at BU in July. His parents are longtime BU season ticket holders, so they're even more excited about their son's rise.

But there will always be questions about his size.

"I think whenever I talk to someone it's about my height," he says. "They ask, 'How do you think you're going to get to the next level being that size?' It just makes me work that much harder. I think I've proven that at every level so far."

His new coach has no doubts about Warsofsky's ability.

"Not at all. Not at my level and not at the next level," said Parker. "I think he's got a real good shot of making a living at this."

Warsofsky has no doubt about his own ability.

"Who says I can't make it?" he asks.

Nick Bonino

The Terrier Hockey Fan Blog (one of the best blogs on BU hockey) has a Q&A with Nick Bonino.


August 22, 2008

The Terrier Hockey Fan Blog

Sophomore forward Nick Bonino just may have set a BU record by tallying his first career point—assisting on a Boomer Ewing goal— just 17 seconds into his first college shift. He went on to record an impressive 16-13-29 line with the most goals by a Terrier freshman since Jay Pandolfo’s 17 in 1992-93.

Scoring has always come naturally to Bonino. The Farmington, Conn., native led his high school in points, then transferred to Avon Old Farms as a repeat junior and also led that team in scoring (26-30-56). He was the top scorer and co-MVP of 2006 Spring (Scholastic) Hockey Night In Boston and #2 scorer in the 2006 HNIB Major Showcase (14-19-33). As a senior, he captained Avon to the 2007 NEPHISA Div. 1 Championship, again leading the Winged Beavers with 23-43-66, finishing 3rd among all New England preps and earning U.S. Hockey Report’s Prep Forward of the Year award by a comfortable margin. In the 2007 NHL entry draft, he was selected by San Jose in the sixth round. Bonino recently took part in our Q&A interview series.

Q—Freshmen often take a while to adapt to the speed of the college game. Was there a fast or slow learning curve for you?

A— Personally, it was more of a slow learning curve my freshman year. Coming in I knew how fast and strong the older players would be, but I was still surprised when I skated with the team that first time. It was much more physical than anything I had ever played, and it definitely took some time to get used to.

Q—Do you have a most memorable moment of your freshman year?

A— The winning streak at the end of the year really sticks out in my mind as my favorite memory of last year. The Cornell game [at Madison Square Garden] was definitely exciting, and the Beanpot was a fun experience despite the loss, but winning all those games down the stretch brought a different atmosphere to the locker room. Everyone seemed so excited, and we were playing great hockey.

Q. You’ve played center and left wing for BU. Which position do you think is your strongest and where do you feel most comfortable playing? How do you see your role in the team’s offense?

A— I think I'm strongest at center, although I felt like I played well at wing last year during the couple of games I was there. At center, I get to touch the puck more, and I like being able to gather speed while moving, instead of from a stand-still on the wing. As for my role in the team's offense, I believe with the amount of offensive talent this team has it makes my role so much easier. It's much easier to produce points when you are playing with such talented players, including both the forwards and defensemen.

Q—You arrived at BU with a reputation for having great hands, but needing to improve your skating. While the improvement was during the season was evident, do you expect to be able to ratchet it up even more, working with Mike Boyle?

A— I think so. Coach Boyle helps out so much in the off-season, and the amount of guys in the pros that work out with Boyle is a testament to that. So far I believe I've made some good progress, but it will never be enough, and I'll have to keep working at it.

Q—Besides foot-speed, what else are you working hardest to improve?

A-- Mostly everything. I'm working hard to get bigger, stronger, and faster, and that happens in the weight room and on the track. Besides that, I try to work on my shot and my hands as much as possible, either getting open ice somewhere or shooting on goalies at camps in the area.

Q—Most observers cite your stick-handling ability as one of your strengths. Have you had to make any adjustments to your stick-handling to meet D1 competition? Can you do the same things as you did in prep/HNIB?

A— I have had to learn how to better protect the puck at this level, so my stick handling did have to adjust slightly to the college game. I didn't focus on it as much as my skating, however, because my hands seem to adapt quicker than other parts of my game.

Q--You were an early addition to the penalty-killing corps which is somewhatunusual for a freshman. What makes you a solid PK guy?

A-- I think it's my ability to anticipate where the puck will be, and I try to get there before the puck arrives. I was playing alot on the PK with Higgins, and I think it was easier because we both felt comfortable with each other.

Q—After earning co-MVP in the 2006 Spring Hockey Night in Boston event, you became a hotly pursued prospect. What led you to choose BU over Providence and New Hampshire?

A— It was a combination of things. The coaching staff at BU is incredible, and during my freshman year they lived up to their reputation. I remember when I was young I would always watch the Beanpot, and this played a part in my decision. Basically, BU is a great school with a rich hockey tradition, so I felt it was the best choice to make.

Q—Have you patterned your game after a pro or college player?

A— I wouldn't say patterned, but I definitely like to watch the NHL guys and take a few things from their game. I really enjoy watching Joe Thornton and Pavel Datsyuk, as each of them can control a game. You can learn things from really any pro, as well as fellow college players, so it's beneficial to watch the games when they're on TV and take things away from what you see.

Q—You recently attended San Jose Sharks Development Camp along with senior John McCarthy. Tell us about that experience and it will make you a better player.

A— It's a great learning experience for me personally, as the management, coaches, and scouts who run the camp have so much knowledge of the game. It's completely a development camp, and they stress that no one is being judged or rated. Instead, they encourage us to focus on the skills they are teaching, and this makes it much less nerve racking. The skating coach there is great, and I take alot of drills back from camp and work on them when I can.

Q—As an organization, San Jose tends to encourage its NCAA draft picks to develop in college. Have you discussed future plans with management?

A— Not at this point, and personally I don't think I'm ready. I'm very happy where I am, at BU, and I look forward to playing college hockey.

Danny Kristo

Puckmania has a Q&A with Danny Kristo. I like the answer to the first question.

August 22, 2008
Puckmania


Little was known about Danny Kristo when the Habs made him their first selection in 2008, on the homefront we knew that we could expect big things from Danny this year due to the fact he's always been a go to guy for the USHL, but what kind of player is Danny Kristo, what does he bring to the equation and most importantly how does he fit the Hab's equation.

Danny Kristo is 6 ft tall 180 Lbs right winger, born in Eden Prairie Minnesota

Scouted Strengths are : North\South Speed with Elite level decision making in all three zones, hard worker with puck possession tenacity.

Scouted Weaknesses : East\West mobility overall gritiness needs improvement as well as his ability to stand out from the pack. needs more imposing confidence to his game and toughness.

Puckmania caught up with Danny as he's preparing for a new Season, and got to learn allot from him ( including his love of Waffles ! )

Q - I was surprised to find out you've decided to join the Ranks of the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota instead of heading to your State's University of Minnesota in 2009 , can you give us some insight into your decision ?

A - I never grew up a Minnesota fan. I always wanted to play for Nodak.We have some family ties to North Dakota so i wanted to play there.

Q - What are your personal and team objectives going back to school this year ?

A - Definitly, my goal for this year is to make World Juniors and to play to the best of my ability. somewhere along top 3 scorers in the USHL would be great. As far as team, the Omaha Lancers won it all last year. I don't think anything less than that the team would be happy with.

Q - Talk to us about going to Russia for the U18's how did that experience mesh into the weave of experiences you've had this year ?

A - Going to Russia was very different. the tournament was great and very fun. i wish we would have came out on top but we fell short. as far the travel and everything it was very demanding. i got food poisoning at the start of the medal round.

Q - Prospect camp must have been an interesting experience, the media here was quick to notice your smooth skating and accurate shot, is there anything in particular Hab's brass wants you to work on ?

A - A lot of people say im a good skater but you can always improve there. i still need to get stronger and work on the little parts of my game.

Q - Describe your reaction the first time you saw Missiaen in goal ?

A - When I saw Jason the only thing I said was where the hell do i shoot? five hole?

Q - Allot of fans are curious about a prospect's mindset going into the combine and draft, what did you find the most grueling ? over two dozen interviews or sitting on that bench waiting to hear your name ?

A - The whole process is a good experience. It was stressful and difficult but exciting. I think the hardest part differs per player. for me it was the bike test at the combine and the interviews.

Q - Talk to us about your experience meeting the Habs at the Combine, did Trevor seem to put the emphasis on certain abilities vis a vis others ?

A - The meeting at the combine went well. I remember it and thought that they liked me after. It was pretty mellow and not to stressful.

Q - One of the funnier comments we've had was Timmins telling us : He's like a young buck in the headlights now, but watch his feet ... he's got really quick feet." Was the initial '' wow '' effect a bit overwhelming at first ? It reminded me allot of a comment he made about Chris Higgins several years ago, so your in good company !

A - Glad i could get compared to Chris Higgins ! But everything is overwhelming at first you tend to deal with it.

Q - Who was your idol growing up ? Was Hockey always your sport ? Any favorite teams then ( it's ok we'll forgive you if it isn't the Habs but it can't be the Bruins ... )

A - Growing up I loved hockey, I would have to say my favorite player is TJ Oshie. I now can say that he is my favorite NHL player now that he has signed. Mike richards from Philadelphia also.

Q - Equipment related : What Skates are you presently sporting ? Any prefered sharpening pattern ?

A - I'm using brand new Stuff from Reebok this year ! ( 9K Reebok )

Q - What stick - Curve style do you presently play with ?

A - Right now, the Easton Special Edition 85 flex Iginla Curve !

Article on Wilson staying at BU

New England Hockey Journal has a nice article on Colin Wilson returning to BU.

CCHA will implement Shootouts

By now everyone knows that the CCHA announced that it will implement the NHL shootout style for the 2008-2009 season with no impact to the PWR. The key question - is this good or bad for college hockey? I think the answer is it will be fun to watch and let’s see how it works in the CCHA. My friend, Sioux Fan in Boston and I, have debated this issue over and over again. I have been on the side of - not sure if it will be good for hockey (ok I admit I am a purest) and she says bring it on! Don’t get me wrong, shootouts are an exciting part of hockey. I’m just not sure it’s fair for a team to play great for 65 minutes and then lose a point to an opponent because they can score without a defense in front of the goalie. But I will admit I do get caught up in watching shootouts in the NHL and I will be interested in seeing how this plays out in the CCHA.

I am curious how the stats will be implemented for the CCHA. How will the shootout win look in the CCHA standings, as a win, a tie or something else? In other words will the CCHA still show wins, losses and ties, with ties including both shootout wins and losses. If not, will a second set of CCHA team stats need to be tracked (including stats for possible non-conference teams playing a CCHA team that agrees to play a under the shootout format) so the PWR RPI can be calculated? How will individual stats be determined? Will shootout stats count towards a player’s individual records or will they be excluded?

At the end of the day I will concede my purest hat and consider that shootouts could be an exciting addition to college hockey. Can’t wait to see how it works in the CCHA.

October in Boston

October in Boston usually means great fall weather, the Head of the Charles Regatta, the Red Sox are fighting for the playoffs, the Pats are beginning their Super Bowl run and the Bruins have great hope for Lord Stanley. 

This year not only will we have our “normal” great sport events to watch, in one weekend in October the eyes of the DI College Hockey community will be focused on New England.  During the weekend of October 10^th and 11^th the following games will be played in the New England area: 

October 10, 2008 

Michigan State vs Massachusetts 

Wisconsin vs. Boston College 

North Dakota vs. Boston University 

October 11, 2008 

North Dakota vs Massachusetts 

Wisconsin vs. New Hampshire 

Michigan State vs. Boston University 

 

Later that week, Michigan State will be at U Lowell.  

Can’t wait for October……… 

On a side note, the bad news for me is in December North Dakota will be visiting Harvard. Normally this is great news to be able to see the Sioux back in the Boston area for a second time in one season.  But this is the BU VS. BC weekend, so I have a choice to make.   

There is no doubt on what I am going to do- I will be at Harvard supporting the Sioux.

WILSON TO STAY AT BU?

The Terrier Hockey Fan Blog  (a great blog for BU Hockey) reported the following: 

Colin Wilson, last season’s top Terrier freshman scorer and the 2008 first round draft choice of the Nashville Predators, has decided to return to BU for his sophomore season, according to several sources close to the program.

 

I hope this is true. It would be great to see Colin in Scarlet for one more year. 

Being a Boston Sports Fan

Ok it was only a matter of time before I was going to write about this. I have lived in Boston my whole life and these past few years have been the best time to be a sports fan in Boston. We have seen six titles since February 2002. We have seen three Superbowl titles, two World Series, and now the Celtics. (I actually say there is seven: I count the comeback against the Yankees in 2004 as a title win). In addition, the Bruins made it to the playoffs this year. They took Montreal to game seven. The Revolution (MLS) have been to the finals the last three years. There are many college titles and great runs in the New England area including a college hockey team, not to be mentioned, that has won two national titles since 2001.

Sorry, but the parades do not get old. I am lucky; the parade route goes by the building I work at so I have a prime seat. I work in the same building shown on the TV show Boston Legal so we watch from the balcony that Denny and Alan smoke their cigars at the end of a tough day of legal work……Just kidding there is no such balcony but I do have a prime seat from the building. In my opinion the 2004 Red Sox parade was the best, even if it was a cold and rainy day.

The problem is some of the younger kids here in Boston don’t know what it is like to go through bad sports times in Boston. With the Red Sox, "Wait 'til next year” was our famous saying and you could actually get tickets to the game. What about the Patriots? Remember when home games were “blacked out” in the area because the home games were not sold out? As for the Celtics, the death of Len Bias and years later Reggie Lewis was the beginning of the end of a great run. And finally, the Bruins: well they have always had a loyal fan base through the good times and bad.

Yes, we had a similar run in the eighties. The Patriots had the miracle run to the Superbowl only to be blown out by the Bears. The Red Sox went to the '86 World Series and all is forgiven, Bill Buckner, it was never your fault; it was a team lost. We all forget that in the next game, game seven, you went 2 for 4 and scored a run. The Celtics' win in '86. The Bruins made it to the Stanley Cup finals in '88 only to lose to the Oilers. This was also a great time because it was unexpected…other than the Celtics.

As Boston Sports fans we are a little spoiled. We now begin to expect that the Sox will make the playoffs, the Pats will make their Super bowl run and now the Celtics could be a dynasty. All that is left is the Bruins, so who knows if they will join the title party. I hope so!

All I know is it's great to be a Boston sports fan. We should enjoy the run because as history has shown us the run will end and all we will have are the stories of the great times as a Boston sports fan.

BU & Sioux Players selected at the NHL 2008 Draft

The following players associated with BU and UND have been drafted in the 2008 NHL Draft:

Pick /Team /Player
7 /Nashville/ Colin Wilson
36 /NY Islanders/ Corey Trivino
56/ Montreal /Danny Kristo
66/ NY Islanders/ David Toews
81/ Buffalo/ Corey Fienhage
90 /Detroit/ Matt Nicastro
94/ Atlanta/ Vinny Saponari
95 /St. Louis /David Warsofsky
158/ Toronto/Grant Rollheiser
159/Phoenix/Brett Hextall
188/Toronto/Andrew MacWilliam
192/Chicago/ Joe Gleason

Colin Wilson Drafted by Nashville Predators

Colin Wilson was drafted by Nashville Predators in the 7th pick. Now the Colin Wilson watch will begin. Does he go Pro or stay with BU.

Corey Fienhage

Twincites.com has an article on Corey Fienhage, a defensive recruit for UND. Just think of the size of the UND defense with Finley at 6-4, LaPoint at 6-3, and Fienhage at 6-2.

2008 USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp

The roster for the US National Junior Development camp has been announced. It includes Danny Kristo a UND recruit and five players connected with Boston University. The BU players include current players; Colin Wilson, Colbly Cohen, Kevin Shattenkirk and two recruits; Vinny Saponari and David Warsofsky.

It would be fun to see the Wilson, vanRiemsdyk, Schroeder line again.

Wilson and Trivino - USA Today Mock NHL Draft

USA Today has a NHL mock draft with two BU connections going in the first round. They have Colin Wilson going ninth to the Nashville Predators and Corey Trivino going twenty fifth to the Montreal Canadians.

Good Luck Guys!

Big Papi becomes a US citizen

Ok, it's not hockey, but it's great news. David Ortiz became a US citizen today at the JFK Library. I guess being on the DL is not all that bad.

Congratulations Big Papi... it's a proud day in Red Sox Nation.

Finley to Return...The news keeps getting better

Brad Elliott Schlossman reported today in the GrandForks Herald that big Joe Finley will be returning to UND for his senior year. BUCKY look out!

Garrett Clarke to QMJHL

Heath Hotzler wrote in today's GrandForks Herald that Garrett Clarke will back out of his verbal commitments to the USHL Fargo Force and UND to go play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. This decision will make him ineligible for NCAA college hockey.

One GM thinks Colin Wilson may be ready for the NHL.

The Boston Globe has a note on Colin Wilson today. It's the GM comment that worries me.........

Loose pucks

Boston University forward Colin Wilson, projected to be drafted high in the first round, may have climbed even more with an outstanding performance in the NHL combine in Toronto. Wilson might even be ready to play in the NHL in 2008-09, according to one GM . .

Nice article on Colin Wilson in The Vancouver Sun

The following is a nice article in The Vancouver Sun on Colin Wilson.

Proposed Rule Changes – Good or Bad?

The NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee proposed several changes. These changes are intended to allow student-athletes to use their speed and skill to create scoring opportunities.

The NCAA noted that: Protection of the puck carrier and faceoff protocols were identified as the committee’s points of emphasis. The committee believes officials have properly handled obstruction away from the puck, but believes the puck carrier must be afforded more opportunities to make offensive plays. In the area of faceoffs, the committee will continue to emphasize the administration of the line change procedure and increase the enforcement of interference and obstruction fouls immediately after a faceoff.

The Proposed changes are as follows:

Two-referee, two linesman system.

I think overall this is a good proposal. However, I do agree with comments made about the WCHA on the blog GOON’s World.

Goals scored by kicking. The committee spent a considerable amount of time discussing goals that are scored with the use of the skate. To make this rule as clear as possible, the group proposed adjustments to its rules that will allow all goals scored as a result of deflections. This will include deflections off an attacking player who is in the act of stopping, provided neither skate is used to direct the puck into the net. Pucks that are directed or kicked with the skate moving toward the goal will not be allowed.

This is a good change; however it is still all about referee judgment. The rule needs to be very clear and interpreted consistently amongst the referees.

Shootout. The committee voted to maintain the traditional game structure (60 minutes, followed by a five-minute overtime), but will allow interested conferences to use shootouts at their discretion. This will in no way alter national rankings or the NCAA championship selection process.

Bottom line; leave this alone. However, if a conference considers a shoot out; it should be for the extra point and not winner of the shootout takes all.

Icing. The committee approved a proposal dealing with icing. The rule will not allow a team that ices the puck to change its on-ice personnel.

This is a good change. A team should not receive a benefit for icing the puck.

Faceoff locations. Starting next season, all faceoffs will be conducted at one of the nine faceoff spots.

Not sure the impact of this.

Overall, I think the above proposals will help the play of the game. I guess we have to see what happens in July when the Rules Panel votes.

Kozek to Return for Senior Year

Brad Elliott Schlossman reported in the GrandForks Herald that Andrew Kozek has informed UND that he will be back for his senior year. This is great news!

Chorney to attend Oliers Development Camp

Kevin Prendergast, of the Edmonton Oilers announced that Talyor Chorney has been added to the roster for the team's upcoming Development Camp.

Chorney still in Negotiations

The Vancouver Sun has reported that Taylor Chorney’s advisor is still in negotiations with the Oilers. Because of this, Taylor may not report to the Oilers development camp this Sunday. Is it possible the negotiations will fall apart? It would be interesting to see if he can go back to UND next year... I doubt it, but it's fun to think about.

BU's 2008-2009 Schedule

OCTOBER
Sun. 5 NEW BRUNSWICK (exhib.) 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 10 UMass vs. Michigan State^ 4:30 p.m.
NORTH DAKOTA^ 7:30 p.m.
Sat. 11 UMass vs. North Dakota^ 4:30 p.m.
MICHIGAN STATE^ 7:30 p.m.
Fri. 17 MERRIMACK* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 18 @ New Hampshire* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 25 MICHIGAN 7:00 p.m.

NOVEMBER
Sat. 1 @ Vermont* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 7 @ UMass Lowell* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 14 @ Massachusetts* 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 16 NORTHEASTERN* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 21 VERMONT* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 22 VERMONT* 7:00 p.m.
Tue. 25 HOLY CROSS 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 29 ST. LAWRENCE 7:00 p.m.

DECEMBER
Fri. 5 BOSTON COLLEGE* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 6 @ Boston College* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 12 UMASS LOWELL* 7:00 p.m.

JANUARY
Fri. 2 vs Rensselaer% 6:30 p.m.
Sat. 3 vs Denver/Holy Cross% 6/9:00 p.m.
Sat. 10 MAINE* 7:00 p.m.
Tue. 13 PROVIDENCE* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 16 @ Merrimack* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 17 BOSTON COLLEGE* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 23 NEW HAMPSHIRE* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 24 @ New Hampshire* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 30 @ Merrimack* 7:00 p.m.

FEBRUARY
Mon. 2 vs Harvard# (NESN) 5/8:00 p.m.
Fri. 6 UMASS LOWELL* 7:00 p.m.
Mon. 9 vs BC/Northeastern# (NESN) 5/8:00 p.m.
Fri. 13 @ Maine* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 14 @ Maine* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 20 NORTHEASTERN* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 21 @ Northeastern* 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 27 @ Massachusetts* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 28 MASSACHUSETTS* 7:00 p.m.

MARCH
Fri. 6 @ Providence* 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 8 PROVIDENCE* 2:00 p.m.


All times EST
All home games (in CAPS) to be played at Agganis Arena
* Hockey East game
^ IceBreaker Invitational (Agganis Arena)
% Wells Fargo Denver Cup (Denver, Colo.)# Beanpot Tournament (TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, Mass

Garrett Clarke On the Fence?

Garrett Clarke had given a verbal commitment to play for The Fighting Sioux but is he changing his mind to play in the QMJHL. Per the Times & Transcript this may be the rumor... I am sure there will be more on this after the June 7th QMJHL draft.

Agganis vs. "The Ralph"

As summer starts, my thoughts are about the beginning of the 2008-2009 season with the Sioux vs. BU at Aggainis (i.e. at the "Ice Breaker"). So I thought I would provide some thoughts on differences between Agganis (home of BU) and The Ralph Engelstad Area "The Ralph" or "REA" (home of The Fighting Sioux).

From an arena standpoint, hands down, The Ralph is the best hockey facility in all of DI. However, from an atmosphere prospective....Agganis has it beat. Don't get me wrong, The Fighting Sioux have the best fans in college hockey (e.g. Sioux party in Denver 2008). However, when it comes to watching a game at The Ralph; it does not have the same atmosphere as others.

Below is a copy of a post I made on the Sioux Sports .com about the Ralph. I also added a few links to videos of the fans at Agganis.

I love the Sioux but I will have to say I have been very disappointed with the atmosphere in the REA. Because I live in Boston, I follow Hockey East as a season ticket holder to BU. I go to every BU game dressed in SIOUX. Each year I make a pilgrimage to the REA to watch the Sioux play and I have to say each year I get more disappointed. The atmosphere in the Ralph can be at times like be like watching a Chess match with tons of commercials. When I compare the two, the crowd at the Agganis is twice as loud ( it’s half the size of the REA) and the fans including the students are always cheering and appear to be having fun during the game. Their “ Fan antics” including the “ole, ole ole ole ole” chant during a BU penalty kill with a count down at the end of the kill 10, 9, 8…..or the chant to “stand up” towards the end of a close game to have the whole arena stand and cheer. Yes I admit sometimes they can go over the top (e.g. "The Song")but it’s the students enthusiasm, and witty chants that make it fun to watch BU play. My favorite chat from 2007 related to a bunch of younger kids cheering for the opposite team when the students started to chant “It’s past your bed time”. The fans at BU love the SIOUX . They have nothing but great things to say about them and always ask about the REA and how they hear it’s a great hockey facility. Most fans say they would love to see a game at the REA. Here are my thoughts on the REA:Yes, I do believe the students and the band should sit in the lower bowl they should be behind each goal so they can stand, intimidate the opposing team and be heard. They should be the ones getting the fans going; not the big screen. Let’s keep in mind this is a college hockey game and the students should have better treatment. Need to tone down the commercials on the big screen during the game. I was at the Wisconsin series last year at the REA. Saturday night game it was close, the SIOUX were down 3-2 with a few minutes – key time of the game, the place started to get into the game and began to cheer when “BANG” a video message was flashed on screen, not relating to the game, and the place went silent to hear the message and the wind was sucked out of the arena. I tried to continue to stand and cheer only to be yelled at to sit down. I guess Bobby Fischer was about to make his checkmate move. I think the cheerleaders make it fun – it beats having a mascot.. PS this post was brought to you by BOBCAT……………


I would love any comments ...good, bad or indifferent.

BU vs. BC Where is the Line?

I thought this was funny! BU vs. BC

Not Hockey - But a once in a Lifetime event

This past Monday night my friend and I began a journey to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox play the Royals. Ok I will admit it was cold and to tell you the truth it did not look like it was going to be a fun night. It was windy...I mean very windy and just cold, game time temp was in the high 50s. One fan near us said, get use to this it’s October weather....ok it was funny but maybe he was getting ahead of himself.......and then it started....... 3rd inning the thought was in our heads but we did not want to say anything to each other....Then Jacoby makes the great catch in the 4th.. (I was yelling for Jacoby to dive for the ball.) Now we knew something special may be happening. After the 6th we were the only ones standing in our section clapping as Jon Lester walked off the mound. Then in the 7th inning you could feel the tension. Then the eight inning began with a knucklehead sitting next to us saying “oh wow, no hits??” I turned to him in disgust and said, “Welcome to the game”…. After the last out in the eighth by the Sox all of Fenway (even the knucklehead) stood and cheered……..then history was made with Jon Lester, who has battled cancer just two years earlier, throwing a no-hitter and my friend and I witnessing it…… a once in a lifetime event for us to see a cancer survivor throw a no-hitter live at Fenway Park…. Jon Lester you are an inspiration to all…..

Thrashers Sign former UND Captain Rylan Kaip

Today the Trashers signed former senior captain of the University of North Dakota Rylan Kaip. Congrats Rylan!

Top Ice Hockey Story of the Century

No it's not Holy Cross over the Gophers.... the International Ice Hockey Federation announced that the "Miracle on ICE" by the US Team at the 1980 Olympics was the ice hockey story of the century.......I still get chills when I watch it....

Ryan Duncan will stay for his senior year

Schlossman reports Ryan Duncan will be staying for his senior year. This is great news.

Bennett Drafted by USHL

Former Boston University Goalie Brent Bennett was drafted in the first round by the Indiana Ice.

Colin Wilson - Will He Stay or Will He Go

There has been a lot of player moves to date (See CHN) and of course the much anticipated signing of T.J. Oshie. But I can’t believe I am going to bring this up about a player who hasn’t been drafted. But is Colin Wilson going to stay with BU or go to the tempting pros? Not a lot has been written about Colin. Is he ready? Is it possible that Colin would be lured to the pros so quickly if he's only being drafted this summer?

So why should he go? Well the money, everyone else is doing it, and what son would not want to follow his Dad into the family business, becoming an NHL player.

So why should he stay? …. Take a page from the former North Dakota star TJ Oshie’s book and stay for the jersey and pride. This is what TJ said about signing with the Blues:

"This could not have become possible without the help of my fans, coaches, and teammates. Thanks to the fans who have stood behind me through the good and bad times. You are truly the best fans in college hockey.

"A special thanks to the coaching staff for teaching and guiding me to become the best hockey player and [sic] man I can be. Most of all I would like to thank my teammates. My success is directly related to our team success. You have become my lifelong friends and I would 'go to war' with you guys any day. I have had the time of my life at UND and am very proud to have worn the Sioux sweater and added to its tradition."

I think Colin should stay with the Terriers for a few more years. The money will always be there as a pro, and being only 18 (19 in October) he'll get another shot at the World Jrs. But, most of all, he could be part of Terrier history if he's the player that leads the Terriers back to the Frozen Four after an 11 year absence. ……… While the Terriors have a lot of work to do to get back to the Frozen Four, if successful, Colin could say ………"I stayed and made Terrier history" as he signs on the dotted line.