The Boston University Men’s Hockey Team is set to play No. 15 Providence College (3-3-2 Hockey East) Friday Jan. 8 in the opening game of the 2020-21 season. After three postponements and two cancellations, the Terriers will hit the ice for the first time since March 7, 2020.
Providence will enter the series having played eight games, good for fifth in a tilted Hockey East poll. The Friars are coming off of a tie and a win against the University of Vermont last weekend, and are looking to take advantage of the Terriers in their season debut.
With the win against the Catamounts, Providence ended a two week scoring drought with goals from three of their top four point leaders: sophomore forward Parker Ford and junior forwards Tyce Thompson and Matt Koopman. Also leading the score chart is senior forward Greg Printz who has been recovering from a slow start, but has made up for it with five points in his last five games (3g, 2a).
Jaxson Stauber, the sophomore from Plymouth, Minnesota, seems to be the number one choice to start in net for the Friars, recording shutouts in two of the last three games. After the Vermont series, Stauber has improved his already impressive totals to a 1.30 GAA and a .946 save percentage.
In terms of special teams, the Friars have seen a lot of growth from freshman blueliner Uula Ruikka. With Ruikka, Providence has improved their power play conversion to about 19%, and maintains their league-leading penalty kill, having survived 25 of their 26 penalties (.962).
The Friars are without freshman and sophomore forwards Brett Berard and Patrick Moynihan, as well as head coach Nate Leaman, all of which are competing with Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton, alongside former Terrier Trevor Zegras.
Heading into the conference, the Terriers, who haven’t played a game in nine months, will have to mesh youth with experience, relying on returning players to lead the way. Last year’s 13-man freshman class now has a year of collegiate play under their belts and will be joined by a leadership group headed by Captain Logan Cockerill and Assistant Captains Ty Amonte and David Farrance.
Joining the Terriers for their first season in scarlet and white are defenseman Cade Webber, forwards Nick Zabaneh, Luke Tuch, Dylan Peterson, Jay O’Brien, and Max Kaufman, and goaltenders Drew Commesso and Vinny Duplessis, with six of them making their collegiate debuts.
In their last two meetings, the Terriers gave up one game and tied the other against the Friars.
Puck drop is set for 6pm on Friday with coverage available on SportsLive (link to come) and on Twitter @BOSHockeyBlog.
Caroline great assessment of both our clubs. I want to see bu give Providence a good game. We are at a disadvantage in that we are playing our first game. There will be no fans it’s a adjustment for sure that providence has already experienced. One thing Providence won’t have the edge on us is the feeling of being cheated the opportunity to play at the world juniors by Coach Lehman. We also have one of the best defenseman in the country and a USA NDT alum in Dom Fensore who was cut in July. Folks can spin this anyway they want. The convenient excuse is covid related to pre tournament camp I consider this typical politics which left our players in the cold. This weekend might not be the gold medal game but it should give bu the extra jump to show Coach Lehman the mistakes he made. Revenge is best dish served cold what better place to deliver this dish then a nice cold hockey rink. The current players were not around in 2015 but I remember Providence never should have been in national tournament that year yet they got in and because they hosted got home ice and the rest is history but they bring it up every opportunity they can. The bu hockey community is close current players should understand how bitter this is to so many of us this bu team should be amped up to play this game . Go bu 🐾
Totally agree Colin! I also think there will be some extra motivation after not playing competitively in 9-ish months. I’m just hoping we finally get to play!
who said the world junior players aren’t playing for Providence
Took a private jet back yesterday
Not sure how that affects quarantine rules
Looks like I was wrong there! Just missing Leaman.
No reason not to have played some games. AD the worst.
i wonder how playing at WBA will affect us. smaller rink obviously. we have speed and WBA is not built for that with the small room behind the net
No games in nov when we were health looks like a issue
BU is so PC it is beyond my understanding
Masks on hockey players and tomorrow we have to wear them and PC (the school) does not.
I read my alumni mag and just can not believe it.