In Case You Were Wondering How Saponari Felt ...

Saponari Crosses Enemy Lines

Hi everyone. I’m going to kick off the official start of hockey season with a joke:

Vinny Saponari.

Remember him? You may recall him as one of the producers of the infamous, chart-topping hit, ‘Party like a Puckstar.’ Or you might remember him as the kid who got booted off the BU hockey team for thinking he was above showing up on time and staying sober the nights before games. Yeah, that’s him.

Well, the kid has skills, so he was going to have to play somewhere else to keep his career going. Then, with a swift kick to every BU fan’s nuts, he committed to play for the Boston College Eagles. Wait, let me repeat that for you:

The. Boston. College. Eagles.

Per NCAA rules, he has to sit out a year before he can join the Eagles, but words cannot explain how excited I will be for the first BU-BC match-up in the 2011-12 season. Cannot even wait. I know Terriers fans will eat this up. It has to be one of the first times, if not the only time, that a player has transferred down Commonwealth Avenue – either way.

As a hockey move, good for him. BC has an elite program, and isn’t going to be horrible anytime soon (unfortunately). Saponari is a good hockey player. And he will go pro. A guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do. He got lucky that someone as good as BC was willing to put up with him.

BUT if there’s one thing I hate, it’s someone who is presented with an unbelievable opportunity and isn’t mature enough to keep it. There are no excuses. You’re not 2 years old. You can act like a grown-up.

My favorite quote out of Saponari’s comments on joining BC was:

"I love the city of Boston, and Boston College always has a good team. I played against them for two years. I know how the program is –– the professionalism that comes with being there and playing there."

Keyword: Professionalism. The one thing that got him kicked off the team in the first place. Well bud, I hope you fare better there.

To his credit, he did admit he acted like a jackass – sorry, that he wasn’t “very mature when I was at BU, but I hope in the long run, [the experience] helps me. It was an unfortunate situation, but I’ve grown up and learned from it.” If that’s the truth, I’m glad. I don’t wish him to be horrible for the rest of his life. Only when he plays against BU.

I always enjoyed calling Nate Gerbe a little bitch. Saponari isn’t as good as Gerbe was at the college level, but I will certainly enjoy bestowing him with the same nickname.

B.C. Got Screwed

Yes, I actually did write that headline. We all know by now, I bleed Terrier red and white. The BC Eagles usually make me sick to my stomach. But this is one situation where I actually feel bad for my foes down the street.

Shortly after the Eagles won the NCAA hockey championship, three guys on the team were involved in an incident where they basically crashed into the MBTA Green Line (Boston's subway for any outsiders). No one was hurt, and no one was drunk. The guys did flee the scene at first, and according to the Globe, there were beer cans and vodka in the car.  The media ate it up (not a huge story, but it was still covered in some big time pubs).

Recent updates: the charges have been dropped. Apparently it was the MBTA's fault. The driver was going 35 mph rather than the 10 mph it should have been. On top of that, the T driver had multiple moving violations in Florida and Massachusetts despite testifying he had a clean driving record.

Here's where I feel bad: Because of the incident, the Eagles were not invited to the White House as most NCAA champions are. It was kind of silly to not extend an invite to them in the first place -- it was three guys out of the entire team. Had it been true, it would have been embarrassing and irresponsible, but punishing the whole team is a little much. Leave the three kids behind if you must.

The Eagles also did not get a sign on the Mass Turnpike like area champs usually get. Does this mean the Terriers are still up there? ;-)

Read more about his whole mess in the Boston Globe.

Frozen Four Detroit:

The NCAA Frozen Four kicks off tonight at Ford Field in Detroit. About a year ago, I had my face buried in my hands as I watched my BU Terriers fall behind 3-1 to Miami in the championship game .... followed by the greatest 59 seconds of hockey I've ever seen when we tied it up and went on to win in OT. It was one of the greatest feelings. Funny how sports can do that to you, isn't it?

But now it's officially time to move on.

Miami-Ohio is back after becoming BU's victim last year in the final game. I love the type of team head coach Enrico Blasi puts together, and I wouldn't mind seeing them finally get their championship. They're still probably feeling the sting of last year's game. This would be a great way to redeem it.

Miami's opponent tonight is good, old Boston College. I'm not the best person to talk about them considering I hate them. The bottom line is they have a good team again. We'll see how they fair. In two of their last three games they gave up over six goals (6 and 7 respectively). Um, that's not that good. They gotta figure something out.

The Wisconsin Badgers. Who doesn't love Bucky the Badger? I've always been a Wisco fan (was THIS close to going there for school too); I probably like them more than any other team in the final four. Blake Geoffrion is the big name here. He's up for the Hobey, and he's pretty unreal. Count on him to do some damage.


And finally, the Cinderella team. Ah, how I love these types of teams. Following in Bemidji State's footsteps, RIT has surprisingly found its way into the semi-finals. RI-who? Yeah, I know. You'll love them though because there's no way not to. No scholarship players. No drafted players. Just a hard-working team who are riding a hot goaltender. They took out Denver and UNH -- no easy feat. They can do this. Will they? I don't know, but I kind of hope so. 

One of my favorite college hockey writers, Ryan Lambert over at Puck Daddy, put together a little preview here. Although I can't say I agree with 'Jerry York is the best coach in college hockey.' That belongs to Jack Parker in my eyes. But that's because I'm absolutely biased, and I've had a closer look at how Jack interacts and helps his players grow. Regardless, the both of them together are a hard act for any coach to follow. But that was completely off topic.

Both games tonight will be shown on ESPN 2 starting at 5:30 with the Wisconsin-RIT match-up.

Kreider's Beanpot Goal

Here's a clip of Boston College's Chris Kreider and his goal mentioned in the post below. Not sure Max Nicastro enjoys this one as much.

No Miracles This Time

Down 4-3 with 2:46 to go, Boston University fans started to believe. Deficits don't scare us as much after what happened in last year's national championship game. But this isn't last year, and last minute miracles (or any for that matter) are hard to come by in '09-10. So I left the Garden a little heartbroken that my Beanpot career as a student comes to an end with a record of 2-2.

If you were to rewind back to the fifteen minute mark in the third, the score was 4-1 in favor of Boston College. I wish I could say it was ugly, but it wasn't ugly at all. The game was unbelievable. Kieran Millan was the best I've seen him all season. He had some remarkable saves, and you can't fault him for Chris Kreider's work of art early in the third. On the other side, John Muse looked better than I've seen in awhile too. If he doesn't stop Nick Bonino with 19 seconds left, the game goes to OT, and then I put my money on BU. There was Kreider's goal and Dave Warsofsky's shorthander. There were nail-biting third period penalties and more. It was just a really great game.

Quick recap in terms of scoring: The Terriers opened it up in the first with Kevin Shattenkirk's goal. BC responded with three straight: two in the second from Steve Whitney and Carl Sneep and one in the third from Barry Almeida. It looked like BU might be up to its old tricks with Warsofsky's shortie and Colby Cohen's goal late in the third. But that's where the scoring would end.

So, yeah. I didn't get to win my last Beanpot as a senior. But it was a great game, and it's still the best college tournaments out there. And I mean, we have to let other teams win sometimes. It's the nice thing to do .... ;-)

Linkage:
+ Keeping the lid on (Boston Globe)
+ Classics like this make familiar title game anything but stale (Boston Globe)
+ Honors roll in for goalie Muse (Boston Globe)
+ Quite the experience for freshman (Boston Globe)
+ Eagles pot 15th title (Boston Herald)
+ Jack Parker Praises Terriers (Boston Herald)
+ Bean-tossed (Daily Free Press)
+ [BC] Men's Hockey Wins Beanpot (The Heights)
+ Boston College Edges Boston University to Capture 58th Beanpot Championship (USCHO)
+ BC Goalie Muse Named MVP (ESPN) 

Photo: AP, Winslow Townson

Round 1: BC > BU.

Prior to last night's BU-BC game, I made a prediction: If BU won that game, their season would turn around for the better. Yeah, about that ...

The first match-up of the year between two of the biggest rivals in sports (which made the front page of the Wall Street Journal this week) saw BC heading back down Commonwealth Avenue with a 4-1 win. The score is a little misleading -- BU arguably outplayed BC in the first two periods before falling apart in the third.

The Terriers had a bunch of offensive chances and spent a lot of time in BC's zone. Nick Bonino had a sick wrap-around goal in the second to go up 1-0. Then a puck deflects off of Kevin Shattenkirk's stick past an unprepared Millan to put the Eagles up 2-1, and things go downhill from there. After playing with a bunch of energy, BU just ... lost it. I mean literally there was a point in the third period where both teams were almost just standing around. Maybe the Terriers were tired. Maybe they were emotionally drained from working hard and ending up down 4-1. Maybe it was lack of heart. I don't know. What I do know is that they are a better team than what they showed in the third. The comeback kids just didn't have it in them last night I guess. It happens. It's just disappointing after seeing how well they played in the first two periods.

Part of the problem was the fact that sophomore goaltender Kieran Millan did not give his team a chance to win. Sounds a little harsh, I know. I usually have a huge soft spot for goalies, and I'm a big Millan fan. But what is with him? I have enough confidence in him to say he probably could have made saves on some - if not all - of the goals he allowed last night. When my friends and I are cringing at any fluttering shot towards the net in fear of it going in ... that's pretty bad.

Notes:

+ A 39-game streak came to an end last night: the Terriers had been undefeated every time Nick Bonino scored.

+ Dave Silk, Jim Craig, Mike Eurizone and Jack O'Callahan -- members of the 1980 Olympic 'Miracle' team and well known BU alumni -- took center ice for a presentation during the first intermission. So unbelievably cool.

+ Penguins' prospect Carl Sneep was one of the goal-scorers for BC. I guess if it has to be someone on the Eagles it might as well be someone I'll be cheering for in the future. But as my mom said, "He needs to wait until he's on the Penguins to score."

Photo.

It's Official

Even though we knew it was coming for a few weeks now, the BU-BC match-up at Fenway is officially a go. January 8th will feature a 4:00pm women's game between UNH & Northeastern preceding the 7:30pm face-off.

As if this didn't feel enough like an early Christmas, apparently tickets will start as low as $5.00. $5.00. God only knows where those seats will be, but I will take that offer any day of the week.

LinkNation

I read a ton of great hockey stuff everyday, so why not share it? I figure it's a good way to keep things going here during the off-season. Check 'em:

+ Coyote Ugly: A Call for 10 Depositions (James Mirtle)
Mirtle is a go-to guy for anything hockey. He's been doing an awesome job covering the whole Coyotes mess. It's where I go to try and make sense of it all.

+ Pens Universe Preseason Top 20 (Pens Universe)
A look at some of the top prospects in the system. For the most part I agree with the rankings. I would move Strait up a spot or two; Rummel is absolutely right when he says Brian's game is simple and solid, but it's also very smart. Then again, that's at the college level. I think he'll have no problem adjusting after a little while.

I'd also relax a bit with the Thiessen 'overtaking Curry by the end of the season' remark. I like Thiessen a lot, but I still think he has some maturing to do (as most goalies do when they transition). Curry beats him out by a mile there. That extra year at Northeastern would not have hurt Thiessen, but oh well. What can ya do. He'll be alright.

+ BC-BU Hockey a go at Fenway (Boston Herald)
January 8th is the magic date. It will be unbelievable. My only complaint: BC would be the 'home team'. Um, Fenway is pretty much ON the BU campus. So that really makes no sense. But whatevs. I think I'll be as nervous for this game as I was in the playoffs.

Hey -- remember when BU was down 3-1 but scored three goals in 59 seconds to push the NCAA championship game to OT? And then they won in OT? Unbelievable.

+ The Hockey News' AHL Jersey Rankings (The Hockey News)
Ugh, who picked these this year?! Okay, I agree with the first three. They're cool. But then it's all downhill from there. I would get into it, but I'm not even sure where to begin.

+ AHL Regular Season Schedule (The AHL)
DO IT PENS. Even if you did lose pretty much all of your offense.

+ The Replacements (Empty Netters)
A look at who might replace Talbot while he's out for the first two months.

+ War Simulation Puts Ducks' Battles in Perspective (OC Register)
Bobby Ryan & George Parros (how can you not love that guy?) visited Fort Irwin and got to see what it's like over in Iraq. Love seeing them do this stuff. Helps them see how really, really, really lucky they are.

Unbelievable News

Well, it is for me anyway.

Reports are surfacing that BC & BU will be taking part in the NHL's 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park.

BC is a definite go apparently. The Terriers should be the second. BU makes the most sense to play because of four reasons:

1. Fenway is practically part of the BU campus (I could see it from where I lived last year).
2. They just won the national championship.
3. The BU-BC rivalry is the only college match-up suited for Fenway.
4. I'm really biased and love my Terriers.

HOW COOL IS THAT GOING TO BE?! Now I need to get tickets ... even if I have to sell my soul or something along those lines.

Quote Me

“El Nino? You think I could explain that?”
- Jack Parker

What Parker was referring to, of course, was how he could explain his team's three goals in 44 seconds that occurred in the third period of the Hockey East semi-final game against Boston College.

I caught most of the game, and those 44 seconds were it for the Terriers. Without that burst ('burst' is even an understatement) of scoring, I don't know if BU would've won that game. The Terriers were down 1-0, and BC's John Muse was playing solid as usual. But just like Game 1 of the Maine series, BU found a way to win with those quick goals from Zach Cohen, Brian Strait and - who else - Colin Wilson.

The Terriers face an unexpected opponent tonight when they skate against UMass-Lowell. UML was down 2-1 to the Northeastern Huskies until they tied it up with about 20 seconds left. Then they scored in OT to win. It will be the first time the Riverhawks play in the HE Final since 1994 I believe. Good for them. I always have a soft spot for this team. They always work hard, and they almost lost their hockey program. I can't like them tonight obviously, but I'm happy they made it to this point.

Game time is 7 p.m. NESN will broadcast the game beginning at 6:30. Definitely tune in. Even though BU is the outright favorite, you can never, never underestimate UML. They can beat the Terriers, and they're sure as hell going to try.

BU vs. Maine: Game 1 Recap

You see that Terrier? See how angry he looks?

That's how I feel towards BU after Game One against Maine. Before I go on, the final score was 2-1 BU. But boy were the Terriers lucky. Really lucky. They probably should not have won that game.

As I said in my previews, play-offs are a completely new ball game. Anything goes. Maine showed that tonight as they went on to battle hard against BU all 60 minutes. The Black Bears outworked the Terriers for most of the game. They were more aggressive, more physical and just seemed to want it a lot more. They had nothing to lose coming into this game. There was no pressure on them. They did awesome.

Maybe I'm being hard on BU, but they were overall just blah. Nothing special. They weren't the team I've seen that can move the puck, complete flawless passes and keep the scoring chances coming one after another. I liked the words one of the play-by-play guys used: "casual". They were very casual in their play. Not really aggressive. Only one for eight on the power play. Colin Wilson was awesome as usual, but they can't rely on him for everything. They had their little bursts of good scoring chances, and then they had their times where Maine just took their game away. Was it a case of being too cocky? I don't know. I don't think so. They just fell into that same relaxed, reactive style they've gotten caught in a few other times this season. This is the playoffs though boys. Step it up.

So Terriers: please show up tomorrow, work hard and show why you are number one.

Other HE updates:

+ Here's a big score: UMass beats Northeastern 2-1. What did I say in my predictions earlier? If UMass won the first game, they'd win the series. We'll see what happens.

+ BC beats UNH 5-3. This one surprised me. They're closely matched, but I'm not sure I expected this score. Brock Bradford had two goals for the Eagles (and Brooks Orpik's younger brother Andrew also tallied one) and James vanRiemsdyk got two for the Wildcats.

+ UMass-Lowell and Vermont are about to head into their first overtime period. Vermont was leading 2-0 and then 3-1. At some point UML must have come back to tie it up 3-3. Good for them. I'd like to see UML win that series.

Hockey East First Round Predictions

Hockey East Playoffs begin tonight. All I can think is, 'Playoffs already?' My heart is still getting over the Baby Pens last post-season run to the finals. I'm ready for the heart attacks to begin again starting tonight when BU takes on Maine at Agganis Arena. Here's a look at the HE match-ups going on:

#1 BU vs. #8 Maine

BU is number one in the nation. Of course this means absolutely nothing in the post-season. I've seen the underdog succeed many, many times in all different leagues. The last time these two teams played each other they skated to a tie. So anything can happen. On paper, BU should win this no problem. But paper = BS. That's why play-offs are so fun.

BU has to do a few things. One thing I've been on them about all year is penalties. They take too many. I know they have an awesome PK unit (three shorthanded goals in the Beanpot? What?), but eventually that stuff will catch up with you. So discipline is one. Second thing: Kieran Millan has to be on. He has been excellent in the majority of his starts this year, but there were certainly a few times where nerves may have gotten to him. When he's on, he's on.

As for Maine, if they can find a way to shut down BU's offense (and defense), they'll have a much better shot at stealing a game. Other teams have done it this year.

Some quotes from the coaches that I think are 100% truth:

“There’s nobody in this league, and I mean nobody in this league, that is capable of beating anybody in this league by thinking they’re going to win on talent. We have a lot of talent, but we’re not going to win on talent. The question is, will we come with effort, intensity, focus, and good decision making? If we have that, we’ll be a good team. We may not win but we’ll be a real difficult team to play against. Maine has got enough talent to beat us.” -- BU's Jack Parker

“It is a new season and a fresh start on Friday and anything can happen if we work hard and stay focused. Crazy things do tend to happen in the playoffs and that is going to be our mindset.” -- Maine's Tim Whitehead.

Prediction: Sorry. Since BU is my team, I can't make a prediction. I'm superstitious when it comes to playoffs hahaha. No, seriously.

#2 Northeastern vs. #7 UMass

Northeastern has without a doubt been one of the most fun teams to watch this year. Just ask all their fans who came out of the woodwork just in time for a winning season (low blow, I know. Couldn't resist). Anyway, NU is a team that works hard and wins games. I've enjoyed watching them. They hung on to first place in HE until the very last second.

Key stat: UMass is the only team besides BU that Northeastern did not win a series against. So this is definitely something to watch.

UMass is one of those teams in HE (just like UMass Lowell) who can steal one right from under your feet. I never underestimate them.

Northeastern's anchor is goaltender Brad Thiessen. I've raved about this kid since his freshman year. He is a really, really good goaltender. I think NU owes him a lot for this season's success.

Prediction: Wouldn't it be something if UMass took this one? Why not. If UMass wins the first game, they take this series 2-1.

#3 UNH vs. #6 BC

This could go either way. BC has been struggling quite a bit this year. They remind me of BU last year but reversed: BC had a decent first half and a bad second half (reminder: last year bad a poor first half and a good second half). It hurts any team when you lose a guy like Nathan Gerbe. They could also have that cursed championship hangover that most teams (except the Detroit Red Wings who are just awesome every year) get.

Prediction: UNH managed to beat BU this year. James vanRiemsdyk is a beast. UNH wins this one. I just don't think BC has the confidence to pull it out.

#4 Vermont vs. #5 Umass-Lowell

Anything can happen here. Seriously. Vermont beat BU twice this season in a series that stung a lot, and I have never took UMass-Lowell lightly. Ever.

Prediction: If Vermont gets out-willed by UMass-Lowell, UML wins. Other than that, I'd say the Catamounts (whatever that is) take this in two games.

Hockey East is always one of the best divisions in NCAA Division I hockey. All the match-ups will be good games to watch. They'll be broadcast on the B2 Networks for $8 a game. Check one out.

One word: BEANPOT.

Each year, the first two Mondays in February feature two of the best nights of college hockey all season. The Beanpot tournament is here once again ladies and gents. For those of you who don't know much about the tourney, the four Boston-area teams (Harvard, BU, BC and Northeastern) go head-to-head. To some of these guys, winning the Beanpot is even bigger than winning an NCAA championship. As a fan it sometimes feels that way too. Each team brings their very best hockey. It just feels special.

This year everyone is hoping for a BU vs. Northeastern final -- the number one and three teams in the nation respectively. That game would be unreal; the teams haven't met since November 16 where BU won 3-0. Things have changed a bit since then, and Northeastern has been on fire. But let's not get ahead of ourselves -- first BU has to beat Harvard (who can be sneaky from time to time) and NU has to get past BC. I would make predictions, but I'm also superstitious -- a.k.a I don't want to jinx anything. And in a tournament like this -- anything can happen. We all know who I'll be rooting for.

Game time is at 5 p.m. with BU facing off against Harvard. BC and Northeastern will play immediately following that game. NESN and Rogers Sportsnet will broadcast it on TV. I highly, HIGHLY recommend checking it out.

Wow.

Talk about a great game. The 243rd match-up between BC and BU proved to be just as exciting as always. The final score was a 1-1 tie, but there's more to it then that. Coming into this game, everyone knew it was going to be interesting. BU was 9-4-0, and BC was 9-4-1. BU ranked 3rd in the nation in goals scored per game, and BC was right behind them in 4th. Could it be more evenly paired? Here are some game points:

+ Except for a few spots in the first and third period, BU controlled this game. They out-shot the Eagles 36-22. BC had 10 of those come in the first; they were held to a mere 4 shots in the second. The second period was frustrating to watch as a BU fan because almost the entire period was played in the offensive zone, and no one could bury one home. It happens, but wow it's annoying. The Terriers battled harder than I've seen them all year. I wish there was more to show for it.

+ John Muse was unreal for BC as usual, and without him, I'm not sure the score would have been that close. This kid is going places. He's calm, and he controls his rebounds extremely well. Muse and Brock Bradford are probably the only two BC players I like.

+ I was walking out when they were announcing the three stars, but I'm pretty sure I heard them give BU goaltender Kieran Millan the second star. I'm a big Millan fan, but I don't know about the second star. He came up with a HUGE save at the ten minute mark of the third, but I bet he wishes he had that first period BC goal back. Literally about ten seconds after BU scored the first goal of the game, BC came down on a breakaway and basically walked the puck in. It's a save that Millan makes more times than not. I think he should've had it. Is it all his fault? Of course not. His teammates should've never left him alone like that. But it happens, and he could have made that save to post a shut-out.

+ Nick Petrecki. It was the first time I was able to see him play, and I was excited too since he was picked 28th overall in the 2007 entry draft. I'm not sure if he was a bit off tonight or what. He had three penalties -- two of which were a completely unnecessary boarding call and a roughing penalty in OT. I'm not sure if he did it to get Colin Wilson off the ice (which he succeeded in doing) or what, but I did not like the game he had tonight.

+ BU's Dave Warsofsky is really growing on me. He's only a 5-9 (and that might be generous) freshman, but he has some of the best puck control I've ever seen. He looks like a senior out there. Very impressive.

+ Brandon Yip had a great game for the Terriers tonight. He had a ton of energy and helped set up BU's goal. Noticeable and very deserving of the number three star.

Tomorrow is another night. Both teams are going to be sleeping like babies tonight that's for sure. I was exhausted just watching them. I believe the game is on TV again, so check it out if you get a chance. It's great hockey.

It's That Time of Year Again

The Boston University and Boston College home-and-home series has arrived. I get butterflies thinking about it. The two teams battle it out at Agganis Arena tonight then head to the Conte down the road tomorrow. It's going to be a great series. Both BC & BU are unbelievably talented teams that have suffered patches of inconsistency. It's anyone's game.

If you get CN8, make sure to tune in at 7:30 to see one of the most heated rivalries ever (and I mean EVER).

Check out the New York Times piece on the rivalry.

Catamounts Win Again. Boo.

Talk about deja vu. Vermont beat BU 4-3 again on Saturday night at Agganis Arena. I didn't get to see it, but it sounds like the Catamounts frustrated BU once again. It's pretty much a sure thing that they'll see their number 2 ranking drop, but like I said earlier they still deserve to be in the top five. We'll see. BC split their series with UMass, winning 2-0 on Friday and losing in overtime last night.

It's funny to see BU ranked second in the nation but in 6th place in Hockey East. Same with New Hampshire -- they're ranked in the top ten nationally but are in 7th in HE. Just shows how competitive HE is this year.

BU faces off against Holy Cross on Tuesday. I better see a win boys!

Photo Credit: Melissa Wade

Headline of the Week

How can you not love this headline? Like I said earlier, no one hates Northeastern. They're not really a rival of BU even though they are neighbors to the Comm Ave school. So it's okay for me to be really proud of them in their win over BC Saturday night. It sounds like NU goaltender, Brad Thiessen, continues to do well. Just goes to show BC isn't 'perfect.'

BU won their game against Merrimack 5-2 on Friday night. There was a beautiful goal thanks to a perfect pass to Brandon Yip who easily shot it into the glaringly empty net in front of him. Poor Merrimack. One of these years I really hope they have a good season. They're way overdue. Anyway, BU pairs up against UNH tonight in a game that will be a bigger challenge for them than Merrimack.

Go Terriers!

Hockey East Pre-Season Rankings

The NCAA hockey season is just around the corner. If you are one of the people who don't really follow college hockey, you should get into it. If you're used to NHL hockey, NCAA will look like it's moving at a snail's pace with terrible passing; on the other hand, it's a lot of fun to watch these guys develop. If anything, watch a game between BU & BC. It's a great rivalry; anyone can get into it. Hockey East media day was this past Monday. The coaches released their preseason poll. The following is the rankings and my personal comments if I had any:

1. Chestnut Hill University - Oh, I mean Boston College (but it's not in Boston nor is it a college, so really the name makes no sense). I had forgotten that they are the defending national champs until now. It's possible I might be sick to my stomach. Anyway, yes, BC will be good again. Surprise, surprise. Sophomore goaltender, John Muse, is unbelievable. I actually like him better than former BC goalie, Cory Schneider. The team will be led by Brock Bradford (who missed a lot of last year with injuries), Benn Ferriero and Tim Filangieri. Collectively, they'll play well. They lost a big player in Nate Gerbe who skipped his senior year to go pro. The Eagles will miss all 3'9" of him. They'll also have a big scoring hole to fill. Will they repeat their NCAA championship? It's a possibility, but for the sake of my sanity, let's hope not.

2. Boston University - The team you should always be rooting for. ;-) BU has a lot of potential this year. If they want to, they can be great. If they don't want to, they could suck. Last year was a medicore year with a poor start and a strong finish that didn't amount to much in the post-season. They have some great players -- Colin Wilson (7th overall to Nashville in 08), Kevin Shattenkirk (14th overall to Colorado in 07), Colby Cohen (45th overall to Colorado in 07), Brian Strait (65th overall to Pittsburgh) and so on. If Wilson can play like he did the second half of last year, it would help BU out a ton. Defensively, they should be pretty sound with Strait, Shatty, Cohen and Matt Gilroy. The interesting situation to watch will be goaltending. After last season, BU got rid of Brett Bennett. That leaves sophomore Adam Kraus and two freshman -- Grant Rollheiser and Kieran Millan - to split the duties. I saw Kraus play in one game last year, and he looked decent. Then again that was against the US U-18 development team. It's totally up in the air, and it could really affect the team who is still dreaming about its days with John Curry. The freshman class has 10 guys in it - aka it's huge. Hopefully they learn quick.

3. New Hampshire - You can usually count on UNH to be pretty good. They lost a great goaltender in Kevin Regan, but I think they'll be fine without him. 2007's 2nd overall pick, James VanRiemsdyk, is back for his sophomore year. He's a big kid, and he wasn't drafted number 2 for no reason.

4. Northeastern - Nobody hates Northeastern. I'm not sure if anybody really loves them either. They're just there. Kind of like Harvard. Their key player is their goalie, Brad Theissen. His freshman year he was one of the best goalies I saw play; last year I felt like I didn't see as much from him. It's not that he was bad, but something wasn't the same. While NEU is never a team that's been a huge threat, you can always count on them to steal games from you when you're not expecting it. Pittsburgh draft pick, Joe Vitale, will captain the team.

5. Vermont - I still don't know what a Catamount is, but oh well. Vermont knocked out BU last year in the Hockey East playoffs, but lost in the semi-final to BC. You can't take them lightly, but they don't really have anything that stands out about them.

6. UMass
7. UMass-Lowell
8. Providence - I think being named the Friars just kills season hopes year after year.

9. Maine - It's weird to see Maine ranked this low. Last year, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1998. They're usually a dominate team, but last year's unsuccessful season looks to carry into this one. It happens. Teams have good streaks and bad streaks. They also have ten freshman joining the squad this season.

10. Merrimack - Oh gosh. Someone please put this team out of its misery. Ranked last. I think the poor Warriors finish last just about every year. I'd love for them to have a good season one of these times. But I'm not so sure that will happen.