UNDER REVIEW

Thoughts on the 2011 Frozen Four

2011-04-11T18:21:00.008-04:00

Another Frozen Four is in the books and congratulations to the University of Minnesota Duluth; the 2011 Champions in College Hockey.

As my friend SiouxFanInBoston and I spent the last four days in St. Paul, we experienced some likes and dislikes about this year’s Frozen Four.

Here they are in no particular order.

LIKES

St Paul - Liked - Overall a great venue for College Hockey. This town knows how to put on a great tournament and make sure fans are having a great time. This should be the template for other future Frozen Fours.

Xcel Energy Center – Liked – this is a great place to watch a hockey game; I don’t think there was a bad seat in the house.

Hobey – Liked – Sioux Fans gave Andy Miele a standing ovation after he won the Hobey. Also the Sioux faithful gave the UND Team a standing ovation when they filed into their seats for the Hobey and when they were leaving the Hobey as well.

Hobey -- Liked #2 -- the fact that the Sioux team stayed in St. Paul to attend the Hobey ceremony to support Matt Frattin.

Fan Fest – Liked – Closed down the street and had a party for all – Just the best!

Meeting New & Old Friends – LIKED – As usual we met new and old friends at the Frozen Four; from the plane ride to the FF to last call Saturday night.

Listening to Al Pearson-Liked- It was fun sitting at Tim Reid’s listening to Al tell us different Sioux stories. He kept us in good spirits and had us laughing most of the time. True Sioux legend!

DISLIKED:

North Dakota Losing – Disliked – Enough Said.

Michigan Fight Song – Disliked - We stopped counting the number of times the Michigan Band played the fight song Saturday night – FYI we stopped counting at 14 times.

Sick – Big Disliked – I had not been sick all year until this week. I think I spent more money at Walgreens than I did at the Bar.

Booing TAMPA 2012 –Disliked – I did not like it when the fans booed the announcement of next year’s Frozen Four in Tampa. For me I will hold my judgment until next year.

Hotel – Disliked –We stayed at the same hotel as the Michigan team. Not fun after Thursday night... but a little better after Saturday :) This Hotel also booked another convention at the same time and it was crammed full of non hockey people all over the place and the elevators took forever, etc. I felt bad for the Michigan fans --not only did they have to deal with losing Saturday night they had to deal with this when they came back to the Hotel.

Food Xcel Energy Center – Disliked – Not much of a selection; rules of thumb eat beforehand.

Ticket scalpers - Disliked – If one more scalper came up to me and asked if I had tickets, I would have gone crazy – I should have hung a sign around my neck that said I have no tickets. They even were walking through the Hotels asking if anyone had tickets.

Brock Nelson getting hurt- Disliked – Get well and we will see you next season.

Matt Frattin not winning Hobey – Disliked – enough said.

Looking forward to the Ice Breaker in October at the Ralph! Love to hear about your experiences at this year's Frozen Four, feel free to comment. Let's Go Sioux!

Let The Games Begin

2010-10-02T09:03:00.002-04:00

It seems longer than 6 months since North Dakota lost to Yale in Worcester. But a new season also brings new hope. I have to admit, I’m very excited to watch UND play this season, and why not. They will have a good team, with great leadership; including Captain Chay Genoway, the key ingredients for a championship team.

But when most teams have a purpose or rally call for a season, there is no better reason then to play literally for the sweater a team wears.

As most know this is the last season UND will be wearing the Fighting Sioux logo and what a better way to honor the pride and spirit of the Sioux logo but to win the National Championship.

Tonight I will be at BU’s exhibition game, as I always do, proudly wearing my Sioux jersey. As BU gets ready to play in the Ice Breaker Tournament in St Louis, I find some irony in this.

As I mention above UND is losing their logo this year. However, the “hostile and abusive” rule imposed by the NCAA does not seem to apply to sponsors. Warrior Sports Apparel is the sponsor of the Ice Breaker tournament this year. The Warrior name is based on a Michigan high school - Brothers Rice Warriors.

I know the NCAA would say this is not an NCAA sanctioned tournament; this is true. But if they feel strongly about this type of abuse then the NCAA could make a determination that teams which agree to play in these types of sponsored tournaments should realized that the outcome of the games played in the tournament may not be included in the NCAA determination of who makes the Frozen Four – which is an NCAA sponsored tournament.

I know this is not reality because of the NC$$.

Pics from UND vs. Cornell Weekend

2010-01-24T18:37:00.007-05:00

Here is a link to pictures from the UND vs. Cornell weekend. LINK

I have posted a few of my favroite pictures below:

Cornell fans throw newspaper on the ice before the game. Pretty funny.

Zamboni driver dresses up.

Coaching staff walking to the bench.

Scrivens and Eidsness with a post game chat

BU vs. BC at Fenway

2010-01-09T11:37:00.002-05:00

Watching the BU vs. BC game at Fenway last night was just unbelievable. What a great and fun night. Here is a link to some pictures I took of the game. LINK

My thoughts on Matt Frattin

2009-12-31T11:05:00.001-05:00

I’m glad to see Matt Frattin back with the Sioux. A kid trying to go to college deserves a second chance. What Matt did was wrong and he was punished in many ways; including a suspension from the Team. It now appears that Frattin has worked hard to get an opportunity for a second chance.

Some are suggesting this may be a desperate move by Hakstol; I don’t see it that way. I truly believe that Hakstol feels based on Frattin’s actions during the time away from the team he deserves a second chance. I also see it as a very smart move with Frattin. With Genoway out indefinitely and other injuries to the team it opens up a spot with an opportunity to see if Frattin is truly ready to make the commitment to the team, on as well as off the ice.

My thoughts are it’s better to find out now, during the second half of this season, if Frattin is committed, than halfway into next year when your options to bring in new talent would be limited vs. the beginning of the season.

Don’t get me wrong, I hope Frattin makes the commitment to himself and it works out, but he must understand that he is “under a microscope” and the success or failure of his return is all up to him.

Let’s Go Sioux!!!!!

HOCKEY ON CAMPUS TONIGHT 7 P.M. EST

2009-12-02T13:05:00.001-05:00

A message from HOCKEY ON CAMPUS

HOCKEY ON CAMPUS online radio returns to its regular weekly 3-hour edition this evening, Wednesday December 2nd, from 7 to 10 pm eastern time. The nation’s most comprehensive college hockey podcast program is co-hosted by Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara.

The show can be accessed live through the website at www.hockeyoncampus.com, and is archived on the site (following the live cybercast) so folks can listen at their convenience any time throughout the weekend.

Scheduled for this week’s program:

Norwich University Coach MIKE McSHANE & a preview of the
100th Anniversary Celebration of Norwich Hockey taking place this weekend

Minnesota-Duluth Coach SCOTT SANDELIN
on his team’s upcoming series with North Dakota

Boston College Women’s Coach KATIE KING
BU-BC Video “The Battle of Commonwealth Ave” Producer MATT FULTS
Inside Hockey Writer KEVIN EDELSON
College Hockey News’ ADAM WODIN
The “Hobey Watch’s” ELIOT OLSHANSKY
and more!!!

We’ll also take a look at this week’s national polls in Divisions 1 & 3 (both men and women)…and we’ll review the holiday weekend results and preview more of this weekend’s upcoming activity…

(Check the web site at www.hockeyoncampus.com around 5 pm this afternoon to confirm tonight’s Official Line Up.)

DU 3 UND 2

2009-11-22T10:45:00.004-05:00

This was a very disappointing game. In my opinion you only can control what you can control. UND did not do a very good job controlling their emotions. We can blame the Refs or George W for his constant complaining during the game, but the bottom line is you have to adapt; DU adapted to the flow of the game and UND did not.

UND- What I liked about the Game:

Brad Eidsness - He played great all weekend.
The power play - UND scored two goals off the power play

UND-What I did not like about the Game:

UND's Stupid, undisciplined penalties

Time to get over this weekend and focus on next week's series at the Subway Holiday Classic.

DU 1 UND 0

2009-11-21T11:37:00.005-05:00

UND lost to Denver in a game that met the expectations of two highly ranked teams.

What I liked about the game:

Brad Eidsness
The fourth line of Cichy-Knight- Kristo

What I didn't like about the game:

The "line change" that was a factor in DU's goal. UND did not get the puck deep enough into the offensive zone before they made their change and it cost them a goal.
Missed opportunities - hit the goal post twice
Power play - Six chances nothing to show for it

I hope tonight's game will be as good as last night's game except with a different result - A UND win.

Let's Go Sioux.

UND 4 St Cloud 2

2009-11-14T11:27:00.009-05:00

What I liked about the game:

The play of David Toews
Joe Gleason's save
Ben Blood's assist on Lamoureux's goal

What I did not like about the game:

The hit on Chay Genoway.

After reviewing the hit again, in my opinion, this was clearly intentional and could have been avoided. St. Cloud, WCHA and all of College Hockey need to put a stop to this. If they don't the individual Teams will.

Aaron Marvin should be suspended for multiple games. I would send a message to all of college hockey not only implement a suspension, but Marvin should not be able to return to St Cloud until Genoway is back playing with UND and then Marvin can sit out for his suspension.

This would send a message - hurt an opposing team player intentionally and you will be out for the same amount of time, if not more.

A link to the Hit.

Pics from Harvard vs. Cornell

2009-11-14T00:39:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures I took when I was in Ithaca last weekend at the Harvard vs. Cornell game. It's a great place and I look forward to going back in January when the Sioux make a visit.

Link to Pictures

Hockey On Campus - Drops the Puck Tonight!

2009-10-28T07:36:00.001-04:00

Here is a note from Bernie and Paul on tonight's Show.

GREETINGS COLLEGE HOCKEY FANS!!!

Another college hockey season has begun and HOCKEY ON CAMPUS radio with Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara is back, starting this Wednesday (October 28) and set to run right through the Frozen Four in April.

We're streaming live each week at www.hockeyoncampus.com from 7 to 10PM (eastern) and throughout the season we will do our best to cover what is happening in all the Division 1 and Division 3 conferences across the country, including the women’s leagues as well.

Each week we'll try to post the planned Line Up for the week on our website on Tuesday evening. We hope you'll join us the following evening for great college hockey talk and the best guests anywhere in college hockey. This week's lineup:A packed house as we lead off with visits from, among others, Atlantic Hockey commissioner Bob DeGregorio, ECAC commissioner Steve Hagwell, Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna, Union men's coach Nate Leaman, #1 Miami (Ohio) coach Enrico Blasi, and Merrimack College coach Mark Dennehy.

Also scheduled for this week: a chat with Eliot Olshansky as he monitors the “Hobey Watch” for another season; a check-in with Denver University coach George Gwozdecky; and some early season comments from both CCHA and WCHA commissioners Tom Anastos and Bruce McLeod. Are you tired yet?

Join us this week and every Wednesday this college hockey season for the best in college hockey talk…

HOCKEY ON CAMPUS, live online at www.hockeyoncampus.com!
Every Wednesday night from 7 to 10 PM

UND 5 - UAA 0

2009-10-24T12:29:00.006-04:00

Another great Friday night effort by the Sioux:

What I liked about the game:

Dell's shutout
Dell's Assist
The power play
The penalty kill
Trupp's Goal

What I didn't like about the game:

Corban Knight's checking from behind late in the third period. Second time this season a freshman has received a game misconduct penalty late in the third period.

Other Item: Friday night - Lights Out:

Friday games are starting to look like UND's night. UND has not allowed a goal in eight periods of hockey on Friday night. They have scored at least four goals in each of the games on Friday night and have only allow two goals in total. I am sure there are more interesting stats on Fridays. It will be interesting to see how this plays out as the season progresses.

LET'S GO SIOUX!!!!!

Gwozdecky battled H1N1 - Some things are bigger than Hockey

2009-10-23T22:30:00.002-04:00

Denver Post.com reported that "DU coach George Gwozdecky battled H1N1 this week but traveled with the team to Minnesota today. He said he might not go on the ice at practice today but will be behind the bench in Friday’s series opener." Are you kidding me. There are some things that are bigger than a hockey game and this is one of them.

This is a serious illness and it needs to be taken that way. Gwozdecky is not only impacting his players but potentially everyone he comes in contact with. While college campuses across the United States are trying to protect students and stop the illness from spreading, he appears to be saying it's ok to push the limits if you are playing sports.

Now, I hope his Doctor, DU, University of Minnesota, as well as the WCHA, cleared this by saying he is not contagious and he can no longer spread the illness. If there is a small chance that he could spread the illness he should have stayed home to protect all those around him. This doesn't even consider that some of the DU players may now be spreading the illness.

If any coach or player of any team - I don't care who he is - contracts this illness, the illness needs to become bigger than the game.

UND3 Minn3

2009-10-18T14:11:00.002-04:00

From a college hockey perspective this was a much more entertaining UND vs. Minn. game

What I liked about the game:

UND came away with three points for the weekend
Jake Marto's save late in the third period
Goals from the blue line( both games)

What I didn't like about the game:

Gophers short handed goal
Inconsistent play by UND
Eidsness being away from the front of the net

UND 4 - Minn. 0

2009-10-17T09:46:00.005-04:00

UND had a great team effort in last night’s game. They beat the Gophers 4-0.

What I liked about the game:

11 players on UND had at least one point.
UND scored off the power play.
UND played their game for the full 60 minutes.
The whiteout by the fans at the REA.
The UND “kill” of the five-minute checking from behind penalty.

What I didn’t like about the game:

Gleason’s five-minute checking from behind penalty - If this was a closer game it could have been a huge issue.
Watching the Gopher feed on Fox College Sports.

I’m sure tonight’s game will have a very different feel to it. I expect the Gophers will play very differently then the way they played last night.

Let’s Go Sioux!

Ok it's worth one more look....

2009-10-16T16:27:00.001-04:00

Great Move - check it out here

Pictures from BU Banner Night - This is Impressive

2009-10-10T20:36:00.010-04:00

Hockey on Campus - New website

2009-10-07T06:28:00.006-04:00

Follow Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara via thier website Hockey on Campus.com .

See Hockey on Campus at media day for Hockey East. Co-host Bernie Corbett interviews all ten of Hockey East’s men’s coaches at Boston TD Garden.

Nickname - Sioux vs. 'Guns up'

2009-09-06T17:24:00.007-04:00

As the Sioux are on the verge of losing their identity and proud tradition, was anyone else struck by the irony surrounding Texas Tech’s “Guns Up” symbol? I read about the symbol last night when I was listening to the football game, and it got me thinking.

From Texas Tech’s web site:

GUNS UP - The hand sign of Texas Tech is the "Guns Up" which was created in 1972 by a Texas Tech Graduate who was attending law school. The sign is made by extending the index finger outward while extending the thumb upward and tucking in the middle, little and fourth fingers to form a gun. The idea is that the Red Raiders will shoot down their opponents. The Guns Up sign is the widely recognized greeting of one Red Raider to another. It is also the sign of victory displayed by the crowd at every athletic event.

Now, I am all for tradition and, as matter of fact, I think the TTU traditions are very cool, but I guess I don’t understand the NCAA. When it comes to logos that are “hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames, or imagery,” then it’s an issue, but traditions that promote gun violence -- well, that’s ok.

This picture says it all.

Game On!!!

2009-08-20T11:01:00.003-04:00

The BC vs. BU match up is on at Fenway. January 8, 2010 at 7:30. See this link for more info.

Bruins Hockey Rules Commercials

2009-04-25T15:50:00.002-04:00

With Matt Gilroy Hobey Baker Winner

2009-04-18T19:21:00.002-04:00

Favorite Moment After the Championship Game

2009-04-15T21:38:00.003-04:00

Jack Parker Named Coach of the Year

2009-04-14T13:25:00.003-04:00

At the BU party today it was announced that Jack Parker was named College Hockey Coach of the Year!

Parker Parker Parker!!!!!

Terrier Nation Invited to National Championship Celebratory Parade Tuesday

2009-04-13T12:25:00.002-04:00

From BU's Web Site

Dean of Students Ken Elmore's Announcement

BOSTON - Boston University will celebrate the men's ice hockey team's fifth NCAA championship with its own Duck Tour parade on Tuesday (April 14), starting in Kenmore Square at 12 p.m. and then rolling up Commonwealth Avenue. When the parade hits Marsh Plaza on campus, the party kicks off with cake and ice cream and will feature speeches from the players and a few glimpses of the trophy.

Leaving for DC you Can Follow me on Twitter

2009-04-08T07:01:00.003-04:00

Leaving for DC in a few hours. Hope to make the open ice practice for UVM and BU. You can follow me on Twitter @siouxbufan as I make my way around DC and the Frozen Four.

Go BU!!!

Interview of BU's Matt Gilroy

2009-04-07T20:04:00.001-04:00

Puck Daddy interview of Matt Gilroy.

BU Today - Stuff on the Frozen Four

2009-04-06T17:08:00.002-04:00

Here is a link to info from BU Today on BU Frozen Four info and articles.

Agganis Showing Hockey Game

2009-04-06T16:55:00.001-04:00

Info On the party

Colin Wilson - Thoughts from a year ago

2009-04-05T09:18:00.003-04:00

May 2008 - My thoughts about Colin Wilson funny how things worked out.

BU 2008-2009 Regular Season Summary

2009-04-05T07:59:00.004-04:00

If you want to see a summary of the BU 2008-2009 regular season, here is a recap.

BU Fans - Hot Dog and Jesus

2009-04-05T07:47:00.002-04:00

For those who go to BU games, we all know Hot Dog and Jesus. Here is a You Tube about them.

I hope they are in DC!!!!!

Thiessen signs with Pittsburgh Penguins

2009-04-03T22:32:00.002-04:00

One of the Hobey Hat Trick gang Brad Thiessen, signs with the Penguins today.

Here is a link to the story

Hobey Hat Trick

2009-04-03T19:57:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Brad Thiessien of Northeastern, Colin Wilson and Matt Gilroy of Boston University for making the 2009 Hobey Hat Trick.

Prediction: Matt Gilroy wins the Hobey.

Link to Hockey East

Pictures of BU in Manchester

2009-04-03T19:45:00.003-04:00

Sioux Pictures From Manchester

2009-03-29T14:02:00.008-04:00

Very Painful From Manchester - However the UNH fans were great

2009-03-29T07:09:00.007-04:00

I thought last year's loss to BC in the Frozen Four was painful - this just stings.

As the BU Ohio State game began, I sat there going through the motions of watching, still thinking about our loss to UNH. I can't imagine how the UND Seniors are feeling.

I will say one thing, the UNH fans were great after their win. We were sitting in a section with mostly UNH fans and they all came up after the game to offer us comfort.

UNH fan's - thank you for your thoughts and graciousness.

As a fan that follows BU as well, I really don't feel like making the trip tonight to Manchester. But I will. I will be there proudly wearing my Sioux jersey.

Tonight's "Hockey On Campus" show previews this weekend’s “round-of-16” play (guests from each region)

2009-03-25T14:14:00.004-04:00

Here is Bernie Corbett's and Paul McNamara's email with their line-up for tonight's radio broadcast (also being streamed over the web live):

HOCKEY ON CAMPUS radio will broadcast LIVE from 7 to 9 PM (Eastern Time) tonight, Wednesday March 25, 2009 from the studios of AM-890 ESPN Boston and 1400-AM Lowell, and will also be streamed live online at www.890espn.com.

Tonight’s line up includes:

Previewing this weekend’s NCAA Division 1 “round-of-16” play…
1. Dan Parkhurst (UNH – NorthEast Regional)
2. Keith Lavon (Northeastern – MidWest Regional)
3. Steven Conn (Yale – East Regional)
4. Guy Gadowsky (Princeton Coach – West Regional)
Mike Klein, PR Director from the Eastern Junior Hockey League, previewing the Tier 3 National Junior Championships scheduled for this weekend in Marlborough, MA
Tom Burke from the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston, to present the 2009 Walter Brown Award
Possible “mystery guest” from the world of college hockey and broadcasting!
Your phone calls at 617-242-3776 (E-S-P-N)

BU takes a 1-0 lead in the series

2009-03-14T06:50:00.007-04:00

There is an old saying, "if you play with fire you are going to get burned." Friday night, Maine played with fire by giving one of the top ranked power plays in the nation (BU) eight chances, including giving up the winning goal on a BU 5 on 3 power play with three minutes to go in the game.

You have to give Maine credit, they came to play and Maine's goalie Scott Darling was terrific in net. BU did not play to its potential. BU is a very confident team, maybe too confident. They need to take care of business.

BU has only played one top ten nationally ranked team since mid February (i.e. Northeastern) and that series ended up with both games in a tie. BU needs to realize, while they have been playing great hockey since the first game of the season, everyone else is now catching up. Just look at North Dakota, Michigan and Denver. BU beat these teams early in the hockey season when each of the three teams were not playing their best hockey. I am sure North Dakota, Michigan, or Denver would like another "crack" at BU on the national stage.

Who has more haunting stats? - Wisconsin or Merrimack

2009-03-07T07:10:00.013-05:00

Wisconsin lost to UND last night (2-1) which makes it their 10th loss by one goal. USCHO and others are talking about how this is a "haunting stat" for Wisconsin.

Well what about the little Hockey East team that plays in North Andover Mass - Merrimack College.

Here are Merrimack's 2008-2009 haunting stats:

14 one goal losses this season while playing in the toughest conference - Hockey East
They never lost to a team by more than three goals this season and this happened three times; twice against BU and once against BC.
Of their nine wins this season, four of them were by one goal.

I think Merrimack deserves some credit for how they have played this year. Their stats clearly show they are a team that may become a more widely recognized name in D-I hockey - just ask any Hockey East team.

14, 15, 16

2009-03-06T21:41:00.005-05:00

They say you should play your best hockey going into the post season. This is an understatement with BU. Tonight Brandon Yip and Nick Bonino both had hat tricks as BU beat Providence 8-2. Both Yip and Bonino scored their 14th, 15th and 16th goals of the season.

As a team, BU has scored 6, 7, and now 8 goals in the last three games respectively. I guess this means they will score 9 goals on Sunday afternoon as they complete their home and home series against Providence.

You can't ask for a team to be playing any better than the way BU is playing now.

Sign of a Good Team

2009-02-28T10:38:00.003-05:00

You don’t realize how good a team can really be until they face adversity, especially on the road. Down 3-0 BU came storming back to score six unanswered goals to beat UMass 6-3. Like any great team when you are down and being completely outplayed, you look to your strengths. For BU their strengths have been their power play and their veteran senior players. Last night, BU’s iron man Matt Gilroy and sniper Jason Lawrence stepped forward after Coach Jack Parker sent a message to the team by replacing goalie Kieran Millan with Grant Rollheiser. Down 3-0, with the fourth goal either making or breaking the game, Gillroy put the team on his back and scored two consecutive power play goals, getting BU back into the game. Not to be outdone, Jason Lawrence then took it from there, with a natural hat trick, scoring the next three BU goals. David Warsofsky finished the night off with the sixth goal.

BU will complete their home and home series with UMass tonight at Agganis arena.

Beanpot Recap

2009-02-10T19:37:00.009-05:00

Congratulations to BU for winning their 29th Beanpot! I had a great time, and here are some of my best and worst moments of this year's 57th Beanpot.

Best Dressed:
SiouxFaninBoston and I get the best dressed – we were wearing Sioux Jerseys

Worst Dressed:
The Gopher fan wearing the M jersey who was put on the big screen.

Best Chant:
Goes to Harvard - They began chanting, “You can’t count," at the BC Band after the band began to play three blind mice as the four officials took the ice.

Worst Moment:
Scott Hansen, one of the referees for the championship game was hit in the face with the puck and needed to leave the game.

Most Unusual Moment:
During the consolation game the Harvard fans (i.e., the band) “out chanted” the 3 and 1/2 BC fans in attendance . I guess the BC fans decided to stay home and watch 24.

Best Chance Meeting:
We met a couple who just moved to Boston from East Grand Forks and they were happy to see us in our Sioux Jerseys.

Worst Chance Meeting:
We met three Gopher fans.

Worst Comments:
Go Irish! (referring to our Sioux Jerseys) or, "Did you know [so in so], he played for Sioux City?"

Most Unexpected Moment(s):
BU's three shorthanded goals.

Best Fan Reaction:
BU fans cheered during the post game activities for Northeastern and Brad Thiessen as he won the Eberly award for best save percentage of the tournament.

Best Showmanship:
Northeastern - When the championship game was over, they stood at the blue line and watched BU raise the Beanpot during the post game festivities.

Most Interesting Post-Beanpot Situation:
When BU gets back to Agganis to raise the Beanpot banner, guess who they will be playing,… you guessed it - Northeastern.

Worst Post-Beanpot Situation:
Now that the Beanpot is over, College Hockey will go from front and center in Boston to the abyss – as the Red Sox are ever so close to spring training.

I still like the Beanpot and I'm already looking forward to next year.

Beanpot Match Ups (with pictures from Hockey on Campus - Beanpot Preview Show)

2009-02-01T12:25:00.023-05:00

In Boston, the first two Mondays in February means it's time for the Beanpot. This is always a great event and the first round of the 57th Beanpot will be on Monday, February 2nd. Some in Boston call this the BUpot because of their success. BU has been to the final game 46 out of the 56–year history and has won the Beanpot 28 times. However, this year three of the four teams are top ranked teams in the country.

First Game: Boston University vs. Harvard 5p.m. Est

BU and Harvard have played each other 139 times since the 1922-23 season. BU holds the edge with a 71-62-6 (.532) record. In the Beanpot, the teams have met 38 times and BU has a 25-13 (.658) advantage.

Prediction: BU wins this game.

Second Game: Boston College vs. Northeastern 8p.m. Est

BC and NU have played each other 200 times since the 1932-33 season. BC holds the edge with a 145-42-13 (.725) record. In the Beanpot, BC holds the edge with a 30-8 (.790) record against NU. Even though NU is tied for 6th in the Pairwise (while BC is tied for 15th), I am going with past history on this one.

Prediction: BC wins this game

Hockey on Campus - Live Beanpot Preview Show

Once again Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara had a terrific show with Harvard Coach Ted Donato, BC Coach Jerry York, Northeastern Coach Greg Cronin and, due to scheduling conflicts, Travis Roy filling in for Coach Parker. Travis was able to talk about a great event that takes place Monday before the Beanpot, the Corporate Beanpot Challenge, which raises money for both the Travis Roy and Mark Bavis Foundations. Elliot Olshansky, talked about the Beanpot including Chris Dury’s induction into the Beanpot hall of fame.

I have posted a few pictures from the show.

Paul McNamara Raises the Beanpot

Berine Corbert talking to Mike Klein of the Eastern Junior Hockey League

A Sioux Fan (me) with the Beanpot

Mike Klein Director of Media Relations from the Eastern Junior Hockey League with the Beanpot

Sioux - Back in Black

2009-02-01T11:25:00.009-05:00

The Sioux broke out their third jerseys for Saturday night's must win. I was glad to see UND play better than their lack luster effort on Friday night. Because of this much improved effort Saturday night, UND was rewarded with a 4-2 win over St. Cloud. Although the split this weekend dropped us to 15th in the pairwise, tied with BC, it could have been worse. Next week's mid-season break, will give the team a needed rest and refocus on the final push towards the NCAA tournament. I have posted a few pictures from last night.

Go Sioux!!

Congratulations to Jack Parker on his 800th Win

2009-01-31T07:13:00.005-05:00

BU's win over Merrimack last night gave Jack Parker his 800th win. He is the third coach to reach this mark and the only one to reach this mark with just one team. The picture to the left is from BU's web site of Jack with the team after his win 800th win.

Here are a few more links to stories on Jack's 800th win, The Terrier Hockey Fan Blog, BU Web Site, Boston Herald, Boston.com.

Sioux - Another Opportunity Lost

2009-01-31T06:12:00.005-05:00

The Sioux, once again, lost an opportunity to move up the pairwise last night. With losses to Notre Dame, Vermont, Cornell, Minnesota, Northeastern, Princeton, Ohio State, and BC tied, an opportunity to move up in the rankings and further away from the pairwise "bubble race" was lost. As mentioned many times during the season, tonight's game (against St. Cloud) is a must win.

Go Sioux.

Tonight's "Hockey on Campus" Radio Show (7 - 9 p.m. ET) The Beanpot Preview

2009-01-28T07:09:00.013-05:00

Here's the line-up for tonight's Beanpot Preview Show with Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara.

HOCKEY ON CAMPUS radio will broadcast LIVE this week from BRANDY PETE’S restaurant (located in Boston’s Financial District at 267 Franklin Street) 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 3rd Annual BEANPOT PREVIEW show includes:

Tournament Director STEVE NAZRO from The Garden
Harvard Coach TED DONATO
BU Coach JACK PARKER
BC Coach JERRY YORK
Northeastern Coach GREG CRONIN
Your phone calls at 617-242-3776 (242-E-S-P-N)

Come see the show LIVE from one of the true downtown Landmarks in Boston…

And bring a camera (or at least the camera in your mobile phone!) and take your picture with the world famous BEANPOT! We will have the “hardware” on hand, and ON DISPLAY!

Take a turn ON THE AIR, talk some college hockey, and make a Beanpot prediction!

Sioux weekend - I have a different take

2009-01-26T19:45:00.004-05:00

I know when a team takes three points it's considered a good weekend, especially against a top ranked team. But this past weekend was not a series where UND stole three points, it was a series where UND lost an opportunity to grab four.

Did it bother anyone else that the Sioux let up 3 goals in the last minute of play in three different periods? I know one of the goals was on a power play, but it's really bugging me.

I guess what's really bothering me the most is that the Sioux dug a hole for themselves in the first half of the season and there is very little room for error in the second half. In prior seasons, the strength of the WCHA helped the Sioux in their second-half surge. This year, that same level of strength is lacking. The only thing that is really within North Dakota's control is the way they play in their own games and this year more than ever, every game counts. I guess I don't want to find us on the bubble at the end of the season and not make it into the NCAAs,wondering how things could have been different if we had only won just one more key game during the season. Because to date, there are about seven games you can point to that could have really helped the Sioux if they had pulled out a win: UMass, Cornell, Minnesota- Duluth (the tie), Michigan St., Michigan Tech (two times) and now Denver.

Tonight's "Hockey on Campus" Radio Show (7 - 9 p.m. ET)

2009-01-21T19:01:00.001-05:00

Here's the line-up for tonight's show with Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara -- sorry for the late post.

HOCKEY ON CAMPUS for Wednesday January 21, 2009

Hockey On Campus will broadcast live from the studio this evening from 7 to 9 pm (eastern time)
on Boston’s ESPN affiliate 890-AM ESPN Boston,

We also will stream live online at www.890ESPN.com.

Scheduled in the first hour tonight are:

From the Atlantic Hockey Association, Bentley Coach RYAN SODERQUIST

From the ECAC Northeast, Nichols College Men’s Coach LOU IZZI

From the Eastern Junior Hockey League, Publicity Director MIKE KLEIN

And from 8 – 9 pm we are scheduled to welcome:

From ECAC Division 1, Cornell Men’s Coach MIKE SCHAFER

With an update from The Hobey Baker Watch, ELLIOT OLSHANSKY

From Hockey East, UNH Men’s Coach DICK UMILE

Phone calls are welcomed at 617-242-3776 (617-242-E-S-P-N)

Sioux Take 3 Points / Another Dartmouth Turnaround? (Part II)

2009-01-18T07:58:00.022-05:00

The Sioux continued their second-half run by taking three points from Michigan Tech (Friday's Game Summary and Saturday's Game Summary). The run is currently at 10-2-1. Back in December, I suggested that the 2008-2009 run has the same feeling as the 2006-2007 run.

It seems uncanny, but I have a few more similarities in addition to the ones I suggested in December.

Sweep of the Gophers
During the 2006-2007 run, the Sioux swept the Gophers at Mariucci Arena by scoring 12 goals during the series. Sound familiar? The Sioux swept the Gophers last weekend scoring 12 series goals.

Battle with Bemidji
During 2006-2007 run, the Sioux had to battle in order to sweep the home and home series against Bemidji. The same was true this season.

Three-Point Series
During the 2006-2007 run, Alaska Anchorage visited the Ralph for a series with the Sioux, one the Sioux were expected to sweep. The Sioux ended up with three points; a tie Friday night 3-3 and a shut-out Saturday night. Sound familiar.... [The Sioux tied Michigan Tech, 3-3 last Friday, and won in a shut-out on Saturday (5 - 0).]

Next Weekend's Denver Series
Although there are similarities to both runs, next weekend is a series where I hope the two runs will differ. In 2006-2007 the Sioux split the late-season series with Denver. This season, I hope the result is the same as last year, instead - a sweep of Denver.

Let's Go Sioux!!!

Tonight's "Hockey on Campus" Radio Line-up (7 - 9 p.m. ET)

2009-01-14T13:46:00.002-05:00

Bernie Corbett and Paul McNamara circulated their weekly email outlining the line-up for tonight's Hockey on Campus radio broadcast (also being streamed live over the internet, see link below). Below is their email:

HOCKEY ON CAMPUS for Wednesday January 14, 2009

Hockey On Campus will be on the air this evening from 7 to 9 pm (eastern time) on Boston’s ESPN affiliate 890-AM ESPN Boston, broadcasting LIVE once again from our new “home away from home,” Bickford’s Grille in Burlington, Massachusetts.

We also will stream live online at www.890ESPN.com.

Scheduled in the first hour tonight are:

From the NCAA, Coordinator of Officials FRANK COLE

From Hockey East, UMass Lowell Goaltender CARTER HUTTON

From the Atlantic Hockey Association, Mercyhurst Forward PHIL GINAND

From the Eastern Junior Hockey League, Publicity Director MIKE KLEIN

And from 8 – 9 pm we are scheduled to speak with:

From ECAC Division 1, Union Forward JASON WALTERS

From the ECAC Northeast, Curry Men’s Coach ROB DAVIES

And a possible Hobey Baker watch update with ELLIOT OLSHANSKY

Phone calls are welcomed at 617-242-3776 (617-242-E-S-P-N)

Hockey On Campus - Tonight

2009-01-07T16:34:00.003-05:00

The following is a message from Bernie and Paul on tonight's show:

HOCKEY ON CAMPUS returns to Airwaves

After a 2 week Christmas Break, the 2-hour weekly college hockey radio program Hockey On Campus returns to the air this evening from 7 to 9 pm (eastern time) on Boston’s ESPN affiliate 890-AM ESPN Boston.

(We are hoping to also be streamed live online as well tonight at www.890ESPN.com. Our first two programs of the season did not make it online due to some technical issues, but we have been assured those have been resolved and we WILL be available at that web address for the rest of the year.)

Once again our show will be “on the road” coming to you live from Bickford’s Grille in Burlington, Massachusetts.

Tonight’s Line up features guests from a number of leagues in college hockey.

Scheduled in the first hour are:

From Atlantic Hockey, Army Coach BRIAN RILEY

From Hockey East, Vermont Men’s Coach KEVIN SNEDDON

From the Eastern Junior Hockey League, Publicity Director MIKE KLEIN

And from 8 – 9 pm we are scheduled to speak with:

From ECAC Division 1, Quinnipiac Forward BRYAN LEITCH

From NESCAC, Middlebury Men’s Coach BILL BEANEY

Hobey Baker watch update with ELLIOT OLSHANSKY

Phone calls are welcomed at 617-242-3776 (617-242-E-S-P-N)

RECAP: Overtime - The order of the night

2009-01-04T09:53:00.005-05:00

For me, last night was one of the best and exciting nights for watching sports in a long time. I’m sure like me, many of you were watching multiple games at once, not knowing where to focus. I was watching the following games at the same time, using multiple TVs and computers: the Sioux vs. Bemidji State, the Denver Cup Championship game, the Dodge Holiday Classic Championship game, the World Jrs. semi-final and San Diego vs. Indy. What did they have in common? All of the games went into overtime other than the Denver Cup. What a night!

SIOUX 4 Bemidji State 3 – OT

Truthfully, I am not sure what to make of this weekend. It was a great series and the Sioux took both games. But it feels like the Sioux should have easily taken care of business and they did not. Bemidji came to play and if it were not for the Sioux power play (i.e. both game winning goals were off the power play), the outcome of this weekend could have been different. Hopefully, this past weekend can jump start the Sioux for next weekend’s series against the Gophers.

BU Denver Cup Champion - BU 4 DU 1

BU took care of business against Denver. Taking nothing away from BU, Denver did not come to play and it showed. Other than the third period when BU decided to protect the lead, BU completely dominated Denver. BU’s effort did not include the services of Colin Wilson and Kevin Shattenkirk, who are part of the USA World Junior team.

I had two favorite plays during the night, first Yip's goal off the face off. In a blink of the eye, Bonino won the face off which went directly back to Yip. Yip in one motion shot the puck at the net and scored. The second play was BU’s power play goal. BU passed the puck in the attack zone like a pinball machine and scored. Denver had no chance on defending this power play.

Minnesota – Dodge Holiday Classic Champion – UM 3 NU 2 - OT

This was a great game, two good goalies battling it out for 60 minutes. In overtime, Thiessen was called for a delay of game when he tried to clear the puck off the glass and it went out of play. Minnesota then scored, in overtime, on the power play to win the tournament.

Northeastern surprised me on how well they played. Although a tough loss, this is a game they can build from as they start the second half of the season.

On a side note it was nice to see Don Lucia come out after the game and congratulate John Hill and the team on the win. Hope all is well with Lucia.

Canada 6 Russia 5 in a shootout.

All I can say is - what a game. Canada tied the game with 5.4 seconds left on the clock. The Canadians down 4-3 pulled their goalie to add the extra attacker. Russia took a long shot at the empty net and missed the net, icing was called. With less than 10 seconds on the clock the face off went back into the Russian end. Canada took advantage of this with a last-ditch effort, sending the game into OT. With no scoring in the over-time period, the game went to a shoot-out where Canada beat Russia to move to the gold medal round.

San Diego 23 INDY 17 - OT

This was a fun game to watch. Personally I didn’t care who won. I just wanted to see a good game and San Diego won in OT sending them to the next round.

Games to watch tonight - Hockey East vs. WCHA

2009-01-03T08:04:00.005-05:00

Tonight, we will see two key games that "pin" a Hockey East team against a WCHA team.

First the Denver Cup. Boston University will play Denver University. This will be a good test for both teams. If Jack Parker is true to form, he will continue to rotate his goalies and Millian should be in net for BU (since Rollheiser played last night).

My prediction - BU wins in a close game 4-3. The absence of Wilson and Shattenkirk will hurt BU, but they should still have enough "fire power" to win.

The second game is Northeastern vs. Minnesota in the Dodge Holiday Classic. This game will be won or lost based on the play of each team's goalie. In other words, it will be the Thiessen (NU) vs. Kangus (MU) show. He who plays the best....... wins.

My prediction - Minnesota edges out Northeastern 5-3.

On a side note, Boston College lost to New Brunswick last night 5-3. Although only an exhibition game, it is not a good start for BC. York could not have been happy. I hate to see what BC does to New Brunswick tonight.

RECAP: BU 6 RPI 2

2009-01-02T20:46:00.006-05:00

BU takes care of business tonight and beats RPI, 6-2. BU held RPI to 15 shots on net. Tonight's win over RPI puts BU into the championship game of the Denver Cup. BU will play the winner of Denver vs. Holy Cross.

Since BU won, the Denver Cup championship game will be televised in Boston on CN8 tomorrow night.

RECAP: Slovakia 5 USA 3

2009-01-02T17:52:00.008-05:00

USA was downed by Slovakia, 5-3. There was just one problem for the US tonight, it was Jaroslav Janus, goalie for Slovakia. He was just phenomenal. He stopped 44 shots tonight with multiple game saving goals.

One step forward, two losses back

2008-12-29T20:25:00.010-05:00

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

2008-12-24T07:04:00.008-05:00

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

2008-12-17T12:21:00.005-05:00

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

2008-12-14T09:03:00.005-05:00

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!

2008-12-10T13:38:00.003-05:00

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?

2008-12-07T10:18:00.011-05:00

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)

2008-12-05T22:36:00.022-05:00

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

2008-12-03T13:02:00.005-05:00

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

2008-12-02T19:10:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-29T11:55:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-28T09:03:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-24T20:31:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-24T18:25:00.005-05:00

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

2008-11-23T07:51:00.005-05:00

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

2008-11-23T06:59:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-22T09:34:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-22T08:50:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-10T18:43:00.006-05:00

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

2008-11-09T09:33:00.010-05:00

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

2008-11-08T09:07:00.009-05:00

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

2008-11-07T23:01:00.008-05:00

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

2008-10-26T09:45:00.009-04:00

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

2008-10-12T12:29:00.005-04:00

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

2008-10-12T07:10:00.009-04:00

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

2008-10-11T08:08:00.008-04:00

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

2008-10-05T22:36:00.004-04:00

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

2008-10-05T22:16:00.008-04:00

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

2008-08-30T20:12:00.004-04:00

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

2008-08-24T07:48:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-23T12:17:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-23T12:07:00.004-04:00

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

2008-08-19T18:42:00.002-04:00

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

CCHA will implement Shootouts

2008-08-18T19:00:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-26T08:56:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-07-26T08:18:00.000-04:00

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

2008-06-22T08:27:00.008-04:00

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

2008-06-20T21:55:00.012-04:00

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

2008-06-20T19:15:00.006-04:00

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

2008-06-16T20:33:00.003-04:00

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

2008-06-16T19:51:00.006-04:00

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

2008-06-16T19:31:00.004-04:00

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

2008-06-11T21:06:00.003-04:00

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

2008-06-11T21:00:00.003-04:00

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!