Shoring things up

Yeasterday BU received a commitment from, Norfolk native, Garrett Noonan. He is a punishing defenseman, standing 6-1 205. He is the last D-man to be part of the 2010 recruit class. 

Last season he played for the Vernon Vipers, the same team fellow recruit Sahir Gill was on. The Vipers recently won the RBC cup (Canada's junior A championship).

Noonan is a "stay at home" defenseman, who is a low scorer with only two goals and sixteen assists in all of last season. But he did have four goals in the playoffs. He will likely be like Eric Gryba. Noonan only registered 60 penalty minutes on the season

"Noonan was one of the players that stood out for me at the Viper training camp last August, and he has had a solid rookie season. This won't sound like a compliment, but the thing about Noonan is you don't always notice him. While he doesn't always turn up on the scoresheet, he rarely gets caught making bad decisions. He's not flashy, but he is effective and always seems to make the smart play."-Vernon Morning Star, Terrier Hockey Fan Blog

In 2009, Noonan was on the Catholic Memorial team, which won the Super 8 Championship. Noonan was the team leader in points with 25 points.       

Winsdsor Wins Memorial Cup Championship

This has nothing to do at all in any way with BU hockey, but since there was nothing else going on I thought that would put in.

Windsor Spitfires forward Adam Henrique (left) celebrates his goal with teammate Justin Shugg against Brandon goalie Jacob De Serres. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

The Windsor Spitfires, a junior hockey power house, destroyed tournament host the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1 in the Memorial Cup Championship game. This is the second year in a row that Windsor took the  cup and some might consider the Spitfires the Montreal Canadians of major junior hockey.

Windsor jumped out a one lead in the first and never looked back. Adam Henrique was able to sneak a shot through Wheat Kings goalie Jacob De Serres leg pads and Windsor spit fire at Brandon the rest of the night, and never looked back.

With 17 seconds left in the first period, the Spitfires took a two goal lead as Eric Wellwood found the back of the net.


After a successful penalty kill, Windsor electrifying, Taylor Hall scored on a Spitfire power play. After that game, Hall was named tournament MVP. At this point the game was over.


The Spitfires went on to score three  more goals in the second period and they would pick up three more in the third frame. All in all it is obviously clear that Windsor was the better team tonight. So like the plane did back in World War II, the Spitfires took care of business. Final score Windsor nine, Brandon one.

2012 recruit, Polesello taken 7th in USHL draft

Earlier today Robert Polesello, BU's only 2012 recruit was selected seventh in the United States Hockey League draft by the Indiana Ice. The USHL is the premier junior hockey league in the United States and many current BU players have once played in the USHL. Alex Chiasson (Des Moines Buc's), David Warsofsky (USNDP) and Max Nicastro (Chicago Steel) are a few notable members of the BU team who have played in the USHL. 

A possible future Terrier, Gavin Stoick, went just two picks after Polesello, to Green Bay with the number 9 pick. Stoick says that among the the 58 NCAA teams he will likely go to either BU, Harvard,Cornell, Yale, or Michigan. 

Disappointment setting in

Its sadly clear that this has bean a very upsetting year for most of Boston hockey fans. There was the BC national championship but any one who reads this blog really should hate Boston Collage with a burning passion and for the most part that win make things a whole lot worse.  

The Olympic games were the start of many disappointing endings to great hockey seasons. Before the games were kicked off in Vancouver, Team USA was not even suppose to finish with a medal.People said the team was too young, too inexperienced. They did much better than anyone had first thought. Rolling through the first round and wining pool A and in the proses beating Team Canada. But the Gold medal game was a hart breaking for all who wanted the Yanks. Canada pulled out to a two goal lead and looked strong until goalie Roberto Luongo let in a soft goal, in the middle of the third period. Finlay in the last minute of the game Zach Parise found the back of the net for Team USA tieing the game 2-2. Only to have Sidney Crosby beat USA goalie, Ryan Miller in overtime to give Canada the gold. 

Starting way aback in the start of the season BU went just 4-7-2 and failed to win a game in the entire month of December. It was clear that the Terriers were not going to have the same magical season that had the year before. But as the year wore on the team got better and the games got tougher. Starting with the opening round of the beanpot. BU played their best game of the season that night beating Northeastern 2-1. It would prove to be the high point of the season. One week from that night more disappointment hit the Terriers as the lost a hart breaker to arch rival Boston College. The next weekend BU shoot them selves in the foot when Corey Trivino was lost in the middle of a game against Maine. Although BU swept Maine that weekend and then became national ranked, the Terriers would play sub-par hockey for the rest of the year. Hopeing to build from the earlier success against Maine, The Terriers had to face those same Black Bears and with out Trivino and the fact that half the team was out drinking the night before, BU struggled through most of the first and second periods of the Hockey East semi finals. Late in the third BU sobered up and caught their stride, scoring two goals on Maine to cut their lead to 3-2. Maine would grab two more goal and cut of any last hope BU had of repeating as national champions. The game proved to be a perfect recap of how the season went, slow start, started pick it up toward the middle, very good hockey, not enough left in the tank. And so the 2009-2010 Terrier hockey team will go down as a very big disappointment.

Finally there was last weekend, this might have been the worst and most disappointing loss in the history of the NHL. The Bruins were up 3-0 in game seven of a series in which they lead 3-0 over the Philadelphia Flyer. It looked very good in the early gooing, Millian Lucic scored on a 3-on-1 making the score 3-0. It was all down hill form there. Former UNH standout, James van Riemsdyk scored one of the softest goals of the whole playoffs. The puck trickled through the legs of  Tuukka Rask and over the goal line. The Flyers would score ever goal from here on out. Philly would win the game on Simon Gagne's fourth goal of the series. Gagne's shot just under where the post and the cross-bar meet. On sport center that night hockey analyst Barry Melrose said that it was the worst loss in the history of the Boston Bruins.Monday night the Flyers crushed the Canadians 6-0 in game one of the estern confidence finals.

Gilroy nets hat-trick in blowout

2009 Hobey Baker winner and Terrier captain, Matt Gilroy (photo) scored three goals in Team USA's 10-0 rout of Kazakhstan, in the World Hockey Championships. Along with five points from Brandon Dubinsky (who is from the University of Alaska) Team USA will move on and play France, Sunday.

A Q&A with Gilroy from USA Hockey.com

Q: This is your first experience at the World Championship. How has it been?

A: It’s been good. It’s a different kind of hockey. The fans are a lot different. They have so much passion. I don’t understand a word they’re saying, but it’s a cool atmosphere to be a part of. The game we played in Gelsenkirchen that set the world attendance record was like no other game I’ll probably ever play in again. The party outside before the game was really something. Inside the stadium, everyone was booing us, but it was a pretty special feeling being out there in front of almost 80,000 people.

Q: What is your favorite memory growing up as a youth hockey player?

A: Probably playing mites with my brothers Frank and Timmy for the Nassau County (N.Y.) Lions. We played on a line together and that’s the only time we’ve played on a line together since.

Q: Is there a youth hockey coach that made a difference in your life?
A: Aleksey Kikiforov trained me since I was 10 years old. He also trained Mike Komisarek, Chris Higgins and Eric Nystrom. He taught us to be hockey players, not just positional players. We learned the fundamentals of the game so well. I credit him for all my success in hockey.

Q: Describe how you felt when you found out you won the Hobey Baker Award?

A: I found out on the ice. I really had no idea. It was kind of crazy. I was getting ready for the biggest game of my life the next night and here I was at an awards ceremony with my teammates and a lot of fans. It was obviously a real nice award to receive.

Q: And then the next night you won the national title in improbable fashion. How did that feel?

A: That was the best. I still don’t understand how it happened. That game was one of my favorite memories ever. My whole family was there. To win a national championship is a hard thing to do and when you’re able to do it, it’s an unbelievable feeling.

Q: You played cross-ice hockey today in practice. How does that help you as a player?

A: It helps a lot. You’ve got to think and react more quickly in cross-ice. Cross-ice is more of a skill game and that helps a lot when you get into a real game situation.

Q: What do you do away from the rink?

A: I really enjoying hanging out with my family. I have a huge family … I’m one of 10 kids. I like the beach. We live on the beach in Point Lookout, Long Island. I love the TV show Family Guy and my favorite movie is Caddyshack. I played lacrosse growing up my whole life through high school and enjoy that. I like college football (Notre Dame) and college basketball (Duke) too.

BU recruit class ranked third nationally

According to Red Line sports, part of the Wisconsin State Journal BU has the third best incoming class of freshman i n the country..

Sahir Gill, Matt Nieto, Adam Clendeing, Charlie Coyle, and Patrick MacGregor make up the 2010 recruit class (so Far).

So here are the rankings 
1. Minnesota
2. North Dakota
3. Boston University
4. Denver
5. Notre Dame
6. Boston College
7. Colorado College
8. Wisconsin
9. Minnesota-Duluth

NCAA could change some rules

The NCAA rules committee meets every two years to update, tweak and make new rules for hockey. Icing, delay of game and overtime are the main topics of this years meeting.

The committee will look to have the refs actually enforce the delay of game penalty like the NHL does. For icing, it looks like there will be touch up next season, again like in the NHL.

Overtime gets  more in depth.

Here are some of the possible scenarios

The current format (five-on-five for five minutes): five-on-five for 10 minutes; four-on-four for five minutes; four-on-four for 10 minutes; five-on-five for five minutes, then four-on-four for five minutes; five-on-five for five minutes, then a shootout; and four-on-four for five minutes, then a shootout. The last is the method used by the NHL. -USCHO

One of the other topics is half shields. This would be instead of the current cage on the helmet. Other leagues such as the OHL and the NHL use the half shields. Also many college players sport the shields in the world junior championship.

The rules committee will meet in September to vote and decide weather to go forward with the rule proposals.

Click here for a related USCHO article  

In other news

2010 recruit, Shair Gill and his Vernon Vipers won the RBC cup. This is the championship for Canada's junior A league. Gill scored a goal in the championship game in which they beat tourney host Dauphin 8-1. For the tournament, Gill had 9 goals and 17 assists. 

But wait there's more

You should know by now that there where three BU  hockey players who were either cut from the team or suspended for a drinking incident. According to the Daily Free Press, the were not alone. 13-15 players where out drinking on the night of March 18th until about 1am in the morning. The article also states that there multiple freshman and team captain, Kevin Shattekirk.

Head coach, Jack Parker, after he found out about the incident, required players who were out drinking, to take part in mandatory bike rides. At the first bike ride, Parker told the team, “If you miss [a bike ride], don’t bother coming back because you’re off the team,” according to multiple sources. THE DAILY FREE PRESS


At the last ride Corey Trivino and Vinny Saponari showed up as the team was about done with the bike ride.


In Other News 
2010 recruit, Sahir Gill scored the first of four goals for his Vernon Vipers, in rout to a 4-2 come back win over Brockville in the RBC cup tourney.


Former Terrier and Hobey Baker award winner will be part of an outdoor game in front 76,000 in a soccer stadium in Germany. This was part of the IIHF World Championships. 

Victor and Vinny Saponari both dismissed from the team

Yesterday I put up an article that said the Victor Saponari had been released from the team and that Vinny (photo) had been suspended along with Corey Trivino after a drinking incident. That's still true but now both of the Saponari brothers have been dismissed from the BU hockey team. This is according to a USCHO article.

“Over a period of time, there have been cumulative instances in which Victor and Vinny Saponari have displayed conduct unbecoming of a Boston University hockey player,” Terriers coach Jack Parker said in a news release. “In a related issue, Trivino will be suspended for the early part of next season."-USCHO

“I just found out today, like all of you, and I’m pretty shocked, just as shocked as everyone else,” Saponari said. “I didn’t see this coming. I know I’d made some mistakes as far as rules go, but I really didn’t think it would lead to this"- The Daily Free Press  

Vinny had racked up 48 points in 82 games as a Terrier and was drafted in the fourth round NO. 94 over all in the '08 draft. Victor played in only 13 game and only tallied two points his whole carer and never scored a goal.

The Daily Free Press has more coverage on this story. Click here for the link

One cut two, maybe three, suspended after drinking incident

Two sources close to the team have reported today that three members of the BU hockey team will be punished for a connection to a drinking incident.

Senior Victor Saponari will be "cut" or released by the team and his brother Vinny along with Corey Trivino and third string goalie, Adam Kraus will face suspensions at the start of next season. Victor was one of only two remaining seniors on the team, leaving captain Joe Pereira as the only four year man on the team.

The incident was said to have taken place just 48 hours before the four had to play Maine in the Hockey East semi finals. BU lost the game 5-2 ending there season. BU as a team played just about as bad as possible.

Victor and Kraus were both over the drinking age but broke team rules that say that players are only allowed to "go out" on Saturday. Trivino and Vinny Saponari were both under aged.

Check back latter for more details