2007-2008 BU Hockey Preview for Seawolves Fans

As promised here is the BU preview courtesy of the Terrier Hockey Fan Blog. The regular season is upon us in less than 24 hours ... See you at the rink!

LAST SEASON: 20-10-9 (13-6-8 Hockey East; 3rd place)
Following a Hockey East championship season in 2005-06, the Terriers' last campaign was characterized by a scoring drought, which led to a school-record 10 ties, and heavy reliance on the skills of All-American goalie John Curry. BU went from the top scoring club in its conference—and a spot among national leaders in goals per game—to waging a nightly struggle to generate offense. Two factors were at the root of the problem . First, BU had graduated a trio of seniors that not only comprised its top line-a physical grinding group that wore down opponents-but also the team's best defensive unit, which was asked to shut down opponents' top lines. And neither of the two freshman forwards were impact offensive players. Second, two of BU's best forwards went down in the home opener. The 2005-06 HE Rookie of the Year, Brandon Yip, was lost for 21 games with a shoulder injury and veteran winger Bryan Ewing missed four games and struggled for a while after his return. Both the lines and defense pairings were altered and it took nearly a semester to get the ship righted. Still, BU produced a 20-win season, a third place finish in the Hockey East standings and a second-half streak of 17 games with just one loss. Unfortunately, four of the 10 ties came during the streak.

THIS SEASON: BU enters the 2007-08 season with renewed confidence and excitement because of a perceived increase in the team's skill level. Besides the return to health of Yip and Ewing and the presence of Peter MacArthur, the leading scorer the past two seasons, the Terriers welcome a freshman class ranked second best nationally by more than one analyst.

Coach Jack Parker believes the scoring woes are a thing of the past and that this edition of the Terriers will be more like the 2005-06 team that was sixth in the nation in scoring and tops in Hockey East. He told CSTV,

"I think our problem will be solved this year. I think we'll have a much better power play, which was a big part of it. Also, Yip will be available for us the entire season; he's really good on the power play and as a five-on-five guy, and we'll have [Bryan] Ewing completely healthy. Having those guys available for the entire season, it's almost like we've got two new forwards. We'll be better all-around from the blueline and the forward perspective as far as offense is concerned."

There will be new faces in goal and several more on the blueline, but all of them have a big upside and several have proven their ability in Division 1 play. Let's start in goal.

GOALIE: The first shot at filling John Curry's skates will go to senior Karson Gillespie, whose misfortune it was to have a very shaky first varsity start early in the 2004-05 season and be pulled in favor of walk-on Curry, who seized the job and held it for three years. When given the opportunity, Gillespie has shined. He shut out defending NCAA champ Denver in 2005-06 and had a 1.00 GAA last season, albeit in only four appearances. Brett Bennett, a freshman last year after two impressive years in the NTDP program, found himself behind both Curry and Gillespie, getting just one start and delivering a 2-1 win while matching Gillespie's GAA. Bennett will get early opportunities to prove he belongs in a rotation. Don't be surprised to see him against the Seawolves on the second night of the Nye Classic. Freshman walk-on goalie Adam Kraus, who'd like to duplicate Curry's Cinderella story, has been a pleasant surprise. Though undrafted, he was invited to rookie development camp by his hometown Dallas Stars. It proved a true learning experience.

DEFENSE: Any discussion of BU’s defense begins with returning second team All-American Matt Gilroy, who spent some time at forward last season following the injuries to Yip and Ewing. He finished fourth on the team in scoring with 26 points and earned first team Hockey East honors as a two-way standout. Says Parker:

“There’s no question in my mind that Gilroy will continue to be one of the premier defensemen in our league. Not only is he solid defensively, but he’s a great offensive defensemen. He was one of our few bright spots on offense last year.”

Sophomores Brian Strait –a former NTDP U18 captain—and Eric Gryba took regular shifts as first-year players and, despite some rough spots, had very solid seasons. A reliable puck-carrier, Strait was particularly effective in his own end and earned some powerplay time. Gryba racked up some impressive hits and a bundle of penalty minutes, but the latter were mostly in the first semester. Thereafter, he cut down on stick penalties and proved he could provide some offensive punch. Senior Dan McGoff saw considerable blueline time when Gilroy moved to forward, but later made the reverse switch and played effectively on the Terrier checking line. He’s back on defense where his puck carrying ability and tenacity should help solidify the BU backline. Another senior, Kevin Kielt, only saw action in 13 games last season but given his experience and a very young overall defense, he’ll have opportunities to help steady the group. Freshman Kevin Shattenkirk, who succeeded Strait as NTDP U18 captain, brings a strong all-round game, including exceptional passing, shooting and puck carrying skills, which made him Colorado’s first round draft choice this past June. He’ll join Gilroy on the powerplay and eventually quarterback that unit for BU. The Avs made his longtime friend and fellow freshman, Colby Cohen, its second draft choice. Cohen, who last year became the first USHL blueliner in five seasons to notch 60 points, was a standout offensive defenseman for Lincoln displaying a booming shot and precise passes. He’s one of the reasons Parker is confident the Terrier powerplay will be greatly improved this season. 6-4 senior Ryan Monaghan, a forward most of his career at BU, returns to the blueline where he played in prep school to provide depth.

FORWARDS: Senior Pete MacArthur was unknown, at least to BU fans, when he arrived three years ago in a class that featured the now-departed Chris Bourque and his prep linemate Bryan "Boomer" Ewing. Terrier fans quickly learned they had a gem in PMac, who has led the Terriers in scoring the past two seasons (39 points last year). He's particularly deadly from the high slot using what CSTV analyst Dave Starman calls

"The best slap shot of any forward in the country."

Expect to see that slapper in use often. An opportunistic forward who plays with an edge, MacArthur is the leader of the offense. Ewing, also a senior, has been a dependable scorer when healthy. When he finally recovered from a shoulder separation, the right winger with a strong wrist shot and a penchant for finishing his checks tallied 25 points. Says Parker:

"Bryan has to have a big year. He'll continue to play a lot on power plays and will certainly be on one of the top lines."

Lanky Brandon Yip's star-studded freshman season—Hockey East Rookie of the Year, GWG in OT in the HE championship game against Boston College—was followed by a year of injuries that limited him to just 18 games. A strong skater who can carry the puck deep into the zone and find teammates on the fly, Yip is both a goal-scorer and a slick passer. As a freshman, he manned the point on power plays, but this year, expect to find him screening goalies and tipping in teammates' shots. Junior center Chris Higgins probably possesses the most pure skill of all the forwards. A strong skater with exceptional moves and a sniper's shot, he improved over a fine freshman year to score 13 goals and 32 points-all with an injured wrist. Now recovered, he could challenge MacArthur for the team scoring lead. Says Parker:

"He can be electrifying out there. He's got good hands and he's a good guy to play with because he distributes the puck so well."

Junior Jason Lawrence is the team enigma. After putting up 22 points as freshman, the NTDP program graduate slipped to 18 with just five goals a year ago. While always working hard, results were hard to come by for Lawrence. Seniors Brian McGuirk, the team captain, and Ryan Weston are hardworking, ever-hustling physical forwards likely to lead BU's checking line, along with junior center John McCarthy, who has scored a number of timely goals for the Terriers and will receive opportunities to play a more offensive role this season. Sophomore center Luke Popko anchored BU's third line last year and saw considerable time on power plays, due to his faceoff skills, and as a penalty-killer. A harassing checker with good offensive skills, Popko will likely be playing with more firepower on his wings this year and should step up his scoring. A trio of first-year forwards is expected to have a big impact on BU's offense. Colin Wilson, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound center and the second leading NTDP U18 scorer last season, is a skilled, strong player who is effective in all three zones. Considered a certain NHL first round draft choice next June, he's the son of ex-New York Ranger, Calgary Flame and Hartford Whaler Carey Wilson. The elder Wilson also had a strong collegiate career playing at Dartmouth. Nick Bonino just may have the best hands on the team. Considered a sniper with a lightning-quick release, Bonino has been working with BU strength and conditioning coach Mike Boyle to become the full package. He'll see power play time early on. Speedster Joe Pereira was a late addition to the freshman class. A proven prep scorer, BU believes he'll fit well with the more up-tempo offensive attack the Terriers plan on following this season. Senior Craig Sanders, junior Steve Smolinsky, sophomore Zach Cohen and freshman Victor Saponari— whose brother Vinny is a 2008 BU recruit—round out the forward contingent.

Head coach Jack Parker enters his 35th year behind the Terrier bench as the second winningest active college hockey coach with 762 wins. His teams have won two NCAA titles, four consecutive ECAC titles, six Hockey East titles and 20 Beanpot Tournaments.

BU's Team Website