Post Game Reactions, Saturday Oct. 3

BU 2 -- SFX 2


The score in a pre-season game is far from the most important thing.  The coaches are not coaching to win, lose, or draw, but rather to get their teams ready to play the games that matter, and to figure out who plays well together.  You also get a first look at your goaltenders and your freshmen.  All things considered, it wasn't a bad way for the Terriers to start off last night.

Lines and Pairings

The starting five for last nights game was the forward line of Chris Connolly, Nick Bonino and Kevin Gilroy with the defensive pairing of Kevin Shattenkirk and Sean Escobedo.  The first line played well throughout the game, generating a ton of chances, including the Terriers' first score.  The starting three forwards has 13 of BU's 53 shots on goal.

Here are the other lines and pairings.
Forwards
Zach Cohen, Corey Trivino, Alex Chiasson
Andrew Glass, Luke Popko, Joe Pereira
Justin Courtnall, Wade Megan, Ryan Santana, with Ross Gaudet cycling in


Defense:
Eric Gryba with Ben Rosen
David Warsofsky with Max Nicastro

Shots, Shots and More Shots

BU took 19 shots in the first, 15 in the second, 18 in the third and 1 in the OT for a total of 53.  However, a great deal of those shots were not efforts that you will generally see from the boys in Scarlet and White.  They didn't exhibit a great deal of patience in trying to create opportunities, and when they did Joe Perricone of St. Francis did an outstanding job keeping their shots out of the net.  Terriers' fans hope that with time, the Terriers will take fewer shots, but more quality chances.

The First of Many

Alex Chiasson assisted on BU's second goal.  On the play, he collected the puck from behind the net, spun and backhanded a nifty pass out in front to Corey Trivino who buried it for the goal.  Chiasson should have many, many more points this year, and the Terriers need him to step in and replace some of the points they lost from Wilson and Lawrence.  He looked extremely comfortable last night, and his a tremendous skater, especially for a player of his size.  Chiasson is a ridiculous six foot four, and he looks even bigger than that out on the ice.  At one point, he was skating alongside Eric Gryba, and it really was an impressive sight to see.  Alex Chiasson should be able to contribute tremendously to this offense immediately.

A Tad Bit Rusty In Net

Adam Krauss didn't see a whole lot of playing time last year, and it is the first exhibition game, but that being said, Krauss still looked unreasonably rusty.  He surrendered both goals despite facing only nine shots.  The biggest problem with Krauss last night was his apparent inability to prevent big rebounds from bouncing out in front.  If he wants to be considered for the back-up spot, he'll need to do a much better job smothering those shots and not giving up second and third chances.  St. Francis didn't do much with them, but I know some guys at BC and UMass Lowell would be licking their chops at the sight of those loose pucks.

Speaking of Rust...

Assistant Captain Eric Gryba fumbled around in the defensive end a bit, including turning the puck over in front of his own net, nearly setting up an X-Men goal.  He didn't look 100% comfortable skating around, but as it has been noted, it is only the first exhibition game.  

Physical Freshman

Max Nicastro spent much of the game throwing his weight around, and he seemed to get more aggressive as the game went on.  He went hard after the puck, drove guys into the boards, and got into an extended tussle after a play in the BU defensive zone.    He was not intimidated by his first game with the Terriers, and his play really generated a lot of excitement among the fans at Agganis.

Zach Attack

If the Terriers are going to be a successful offensive team,  they are going to need a sizable contribution from Zach Cohen, and he gave the fans every reason to believe he is in for a big year.  His stick handling was excellent all night long, as he undressed some St. Francis defenders with nifty moves.  He also put six shots on net.  He seemed to be even faster than he was last season.  If Cohen can play consistently like he did last night, the second line should be in for some goals.

Nice Gear

Kieran Millan debuted a new set of leg pads last night.  On his right leg is a large B, and on his left leg a large U.  After the game, Millan talked to WTBU Sports, saying “They are a little different from what I wore last year,” Millan said after the game. “They are a little flashy, but I like them; coach doesn’t.”  I'm surprised Parker even let him wear them.  I guess dominating the world as a freshman has its advantages.

Feels Like the First Time

Along with Chiasson and Nicastro, five other freshmen skated for the first time with the Scarlet and White.  Ben Rosen, Wade Megan, Justin Courtnall, Ryan Santana and Sean Escobedo all got their first taste of game action at Aggannis.  Rosen made a nice play in the third period, hustling back on defense, spinning, and putting himself in position to hip check an SFX winger and strip the puck.  

Notable Absences

Victor and Vinny Saponari both missed the contest, mourning a death in the family.  National Title game hero Colby Cohen and sophomore (presumably backup) goaltender Grant Rollheiser each missed the game due to injuries.

Check Your Programs

Some numbers being worn this year that belong to players from last year:
Max Nicastro -- 7 (Brian Strait)
Ben Rosen -- 8 (Steve Smolinsky)
Corey Trivino -- 10 (Chris Higgins)
Ryan Santana -- 15 (John McCarthy)
Wade Megan -- 18 (Brandon Yip)
Sean Escobedo -- 21 (Jason Lawrence)

Next Up

The Terriers next contest is on Saturday, October 10th against the US U-18 Team.  The team will be raising their National Champions banner before the game, with a ceremony scheduled for 6pm.