By Kevin Dillon/DFP Staff
A couple inches to the right, and it would have been a tie game.
A couple inches to the right and Boston University freshman forward Kevin Duane’s deflection would have sailed into the top corner of the net. The score would have leveled. BU would have been on the verge of an incredible upset.
Instead, the vulcanized rubber caught a piece of No. 2 Boston College goalie Thatcher Demko’s jersey. It fluttered behind the net and shortly after it was gliding into BU’s (8-15-3, 3-8-2 Hockey East) open net with a push thanks to the efforts of forward Johnny Gaudreau.
It was a predictable ending — the best offense in the country beat up on the worst scoring defense in Hockey East. But this one was different. Win or lose, Monday night’s performance in the Beanpot semifinal was the best BU had to offer — and it was not that bad.
If we play the what if game, we could also have been blown out 8-1 if BC capitalized on the breakaways and open nets they missed.
Unless DQ is trying to save his job, next Monday would be the perfect time to start Moccia.
Quinn was given a five-year contract.
why would DQ be trying to save his job? More like he’s going to get more years added with the recruiting he is doing…again, wait for it…..
Agree,these DQ haters will be gone before long,the talent Quinn has been great.From Carpenter,to Echel and the other 4 rated by NHL central scouting,soon people will be saying-THEY GAVE QUINN AN EXTENSION??sooner than you think…..extendquinn.com
The team look young, small, and tired at the end of the game when BC got the empty net goal. Guys were falling all over the ice led by Noonan.
Just saw that our women’s team got destroyed by BC in the women’s Beanpot. Sigh…
BC has a freshman who would lead our team in goals and points. He plays ion their third line. Why can’t our freshman be coached up to play like that?
oh little Troll….so subtle yet so obvious……say all you want about our coach and players now….because in a few months, you’ll be hiding in your dorm crying!
I missed the Beanpot this year. Did Sashquash make the trip and take off his shirt to rally the troops after we scored?
I haven’t seen him since last year. I think he’s retired like Parker.
I did see him at the Wisconsin game in October. He was in all his glory. That was a game I prefer to keep in my memory.
Interesting to see that OC played the absolute best that he could and we still couldn’t beat BC.
I do have trust in DQ and Greeley, but i am so so disappointed in this freshman class with the exception of Ballergeron. I mean, is Collier breathing out there? so many ifs about the recruiting… if they come… if they stay. And we have such a long road to toe. Please note, I am not the troll.. just an ardent BU fan who is down in the dumps
Anonymous 2/6/14 2:49pm: Is your disappointment in the recruiting of the Freshmen by Parker/Bavis, the lack of development from the Freshmen by DQ, or a combo?
Agree on Baillargeon. Was expected to be an impact player and has delivered. Playing an extra year of Junior hockey was the right move for him.
I’d also add that Nick Roberto has played about as well as expected for a Freshman. Kevin Duane has potential, but really needs to improve his skating. Dillon Lawrence was a late addition to the team, so I think expectations on him were unknown. He has good size and could be a good 3rd/4th line player.
Collier and Tommy Kelley are ones I think could be watching more games instead of playing next year. Collier came with a lot of hype b/c he’s a “townie” – but hasn’t shown much. Kelley came this year more so out of “need” (not enough bodies) rather than “want”; what he needed was at least a year in Juniors before college hockey.
Same point about Kelley can also be made about Dalton MacAfee. Doyle Somerby showed promise and steadiness earlier this season, but has hit a rough spot w/ his play of late. TJ Ryan is another once who’s unlikely to see much ice time once more talent and depth arrive.
BU is not losing much after this season – Noonan is the only key player whom they need to replace in the lineup. MacGregor has been asked to play above what his role should be; Moscatel and Ronan are extra forwards that have been forced to play regularly b/c of injuries and zero depth. Moccia as a 3rd-string goalie is being replaced by a recruited goalie in Starrett.
At the very least, all the recruits for next year will bring a lot more depth plus considerable talent onto the team. Several guys playing every game out of need right now will be competing for playing time. That competition will be good for the team, giving DQ more options than the hand he’s been dealt with this season.
I too, a long time fan, can not understand the Collier thing. His fellow MC’er with BC is far and away better. Were Parker/ Bavis that bad or has it come to a point that we simply can not compete with BC in the recruiting wars?
Anonymous 2/6/14 4:46pm:
Roberto is also a MC’er, but I don’t recall him getting hyped as much as Collier or Fitzgerald (BC). From a recruiting standpoint, I think over his final years Parker was less involved in recruiting. I also think BU hasn’t been getting as many of their A-list targets and the result is the on-ice product. I don’t think it’s a concession that BU can no longer recruit head-2-head against BC (or Michigan, Notre Dame, and other elite programs), but they’re having a harder time doing so despite having vast resources.
I am concerned b/c I know some of the players on the current roster were being recruited by schools with lesser hockey reputations compared to BU (i.e. there is one Freshman on the team that chose BU over a school in the AHA and a lesser program in the ECAC). It’ll be nice to hear more stories like ” chose BU over BC, Michigan, Notre Dame, Wisconsin”.
One story I’ve heard is that BU admissions has made it more difficult for borderline (by BU standards) student-athletes to get accepted; thus some of the elite recruits whose grades/SAT scores were consdiered good enough to be accepted at BU years ago aren’t today. Even though some of the other elite hockey programs are also excellent academically, their admissions’ departments may have a little more leeway in admitting such student-athletes.
To friend above: Very interesting about the admissions problem. I know some of the players were going to the night school and I do not think that is proper. When I was in school the Canadians kids were not the smartest but went to school every day and did the work. This has been a problem at Notre Dame and the reason Lou Holtz left the University. I also believe that the AD is anti hockey and pro B ball as he drops Hockey from the radio and puts on B ball. This has never been done except the last few years. This has led to the loss of people in the stands even when we were doing good. We had the “Ice Breaker” Tournament a few years ago with poor attendance because he did not promote it. I think his name is Kelly and we need to get rid of him. As I understand it he won’t even allow hockey themed logs on our gear. Lots of problems.
Admissions problems? There is no admissions problem. Chris Bourque proves that any hockey gets into BU with no problem. Is this another excuse to provide backup for DQ?
Will DQ let Moccia play in the Beanpot since no one cares about the consolation game?
The issue is college sports turns over its core attendance base every four years. There is not one student on campus that has seen BU win a Beanpot, or make the NCAA tourney. I would guess on campus the hockey team is known for sex scandal, drop outs, and I hate to say it..the kids probably have no respect for the players or care about the team. The current players are not at fault but the program fell off the rails since that miracle in DC.
It can happen in a flash. The student sections are empty, the Beanpot was empty (and it was a BC first round game), the general public is not paying the ridiculous prices..its a recipe for apathy. It is sad to see this program going down the tubes and I hope DQ can fix it.
Just because we once dominated does not mean its a given. They need to turn this around quick. Look at St John’s basketball, or up the road at BC football..a couple missteps and all of the sudden its hard to get back to where you once were.
jeeeeez . . . . to say you must be a dq hater to be unhappy with what is going on is rather absurd. how can you hate the guy when he’s been here for less than a full season? who could “know” him well enough to hate him? at the same time, the win/loss record speaks for itself. the team is on track for 27 non-winning games which would be the most since 1963, and probably the most ever. the team is on track to win only 8 games, something that has not happened since 1963. and this team won 21 games last year. hmmm….. someone isn’t doing their job. and stop all this nonsense about recruiting, the future, etc…. bu has a lot of freshmen. so does northeastern (I believe northeastern has one more than we do), and they are #9 in the u.s. we used to dominate? sure, twenty years ago. bc has clearly figured out the recruiting, and the cycling through of players to the nhl much better than bu has. just about everyone has — Minnesota would be another good example. it is hard to watch this, knowing that George gwozdecky sits on the sidelines, would almost certainly love to be the head coach of a college hockey team, and knowing that in one year he’d turn this around, and that in ten years he’d have bu re-established.