BU is about to kick off another crucial two game set in Hockey East this weekend, this time against the Wildcats of the University of New Hampshire. With four points up for grabs in a still very tight conference, every game is important for the under-achieving Terriers right now. UNH is smack in the middle of the dog fight that is Hockey East, sitting in second place along with four other teams.
The Whit
An important detail about this game to get to right off the bat is the venue on Friday night. The Whit is a unique arena with a larger surface than most collegiate rinks. This creates a great deal more of open ice, and can really test a team's stamina over the course of a game. More important than the size is the crowd. UNH is hoping their fans will be especially loud this weekend, calling on their fans to show up in a sea of blue in what they call a Blue Out.
UNH may need the extra fan support, as BU has been fairly dominant at The Whit. BU is 9-6-5 in the arena, a better number than any other visiting team at The Whit.
Another big part of these games is remembering the last time the two teams met up.
Head to the 8:05 mark for the good stuff
BU went to Manchester and survived an inceredible effort from a fast, tough UNH team in the NCAA regional finals last season. UNH was the better team that day, and if not for some absolutely brilliant saves by Kieran Millan, the Wildcats most likely would have gone on to DC for the Frozen Four.
Instead, Jason Lawrence got the ultimate puck luck, as he sent one through the crease that hit off a diving defender and slid into the back of the net with 15 seconds to play. To be fair, had it got through clean, Colin Wilson was waiting with wide eyes, staring at an open net. I'm just saying.
In any case, that unluck bounce ended the year for the Wildcats, who finished last year at an impressive 20-13-5.
But lucky for BU, one of the most exciting players in hockey no longer suits up for the Cats.
As you can see, James Van Riemsdyk has moved on to the NHL to play for the Flyers. As a sidenote, it's a shame that both JVR and Colin Wilson left after their sophomore years. Those two could have provided some epic mano y mano offensive shows for the next two years. But if we can't have Colin, you can't have JVR, or his 40 points.
Without JVR on the team, senior Bobby Butler has stepped up for UNH to lead the team in scoring. Butler has 9 goals and 5 assists. Butler, along with our own Chris Connolly, was Co-Player of the Week in Hockey East last week.
The Wildcats also brought back goaltender Brian Foster, who was exceptional for UNH last season in his 35 games with a 2.68 GAA. So far this year, Foster has been the netminder for all 11 of the Cats' games, and his numbers have not been nearly as impressive. He has a bloated 3.95 GAA and just 3 wins so far. It's part of the reason that UNH has given up more goals than every other team in college hockey aside from Harvard.
Against BU last season, Foster saved 91 of the 101 shots he saw in four games. The Terriers knocked him around for 5 goals on 29 shots in a 5-0 whopping in January. Besides that, Foster was exceptional against the Terriers.
Last weekend the Wildcats snuck away with 3 points from a two game set at Amherst.
For more, check out the game preview from the UNH Wildcats website.
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