Game Preview: #5 BU Terriers (2-0-0) vs. Merrimack Warriors (1-0-0)

The Boston University Terriers are coming off of one of the most impressive opening weekends in recent memory, having defeated the #5 North Dakota Sioux 5-1 and the #11 Michigan State Spartans by a count of 2-1. They did it with strong goaltending, fundamentally sound defense, and a flashy offense.

This Friday night, at Agganis Arena, BU faces an opponent that should be a walk in the park compared to their nationally ranked foes from last weekend. However, far too often good teams make the mistake of looking past a team that they are “supposed to beat.”

Call it a trap game. Call it a hangover game. Call it a potential let down.

Just don’t call it automatic.

The Merrimack Warriors (1-0-0) visit the Terriers Friday, on the first weekend of conference play in Hockey East for the 2008 campaign. They are coming off a 3-1 win over Robert Morris in their season opener.

Conventional logic would call the Terriers the vast favorites in this game. BU went 3-0 against the Warriors last season, putting up a monstrous 15 goals and yielding just 7 over the three contests.

Further, the Terriers have dominated the Warriors for the past four seasons, winning each of their last 12 contests. To find the last time BU dropped a game to Mack, you have to look all the way back to February 12, 2004.

In addition to the past, BU has the present on their side. Right now, the Terriers are on top of the world. Their two best players, Colin Wilson and Matt Gilroy, put the NHL on hold for another year in scarlet and white, and that decision seems pretty good right now.

Add to that one of the best classes of freshmen in the nation, and the fact that the Terriers returned 5 out of 6 of last year’s starting defensemen, and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot for Coach Jack Parker to worry about.

Might as well start worrying about the big match-up in Durham, New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon, right?

Wrong.

A loss to Merrimack in the first conference game of the year would deflate not only the team, but the cautiously optimistic fan base that is still licking their wounds from last year’s disappointing finish.

And the Warriors will certainly bring their A Game to Agganis on Friday. Despite last year’s 12-18-4 finish, Goaltender Andrew Braithwaite played well behind an offensively challenged team.
In 25 games Braithwaite posted a .922 save percentage and an above average 2.38 goals against average. However, his teammates managed just 2.1 goals per games throughout the campaign.

If the Warriors want to upset the Terriers, players like sophomore forward Francois Ouimet will have to continue to step up. Ouimet scored two goals in Merrimack’s win over Robert Morris. Braithwaite was also solid between the pipes, recording 23 saves on 24 shots.

Without a doubt, Merrimack is not North Dakota, Michigan State or New Hampshire. But by no means does that mean that the Terriers can take this team for granted. If BU wants to make it thirteen in a row over Mack, they have to maintain the focus that got them to 2-0.

Any team playing in Hockey East can steal one on any given day, especially when they catch an opponent napping.

If the Terriers look past Merrimack Friday, they could very well become the latest in a long line of good teams who play down to their opponents.

However, if they play as well as they are capable of, BU could turn this contest into the type of confidence booster they need to carry them into an even bigger game on Sunday afternoon, and beyond. It could even be the type of runaway win a team draws on all season as a positive. It could end up being a trademark of the entire Terriers season.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.


--Phil DiMartino