Feature stories
They got so close to the Frozen Four last year that they could taste it, Miami RedHawks’ forward Justin Mercier has been telling anyone who’ll listen these last few weeks. The taste now that Miami practically had one hand on the national championship trophy, only to have it snatched away by a gritty Boston University … Read more
Secret Revealed All season long, Boston University sported t-shirts bearing the phrase “Burn the Boats.” The team swore itself to utter secrecy, only promising to divulge the meaning and origin of the slogan after the season ended. Well, the season ended, all right. “Coach (Jack Parker) read us a story at the beginning of the … Read more
On a team with this year’s Hobey Baker winner Matt Gilroy and another Hobey finalist, Colin Wilson, Boston University sophomore defenseman Colby Cohen seemed an unlikely candidate to score a game-winning goal for a national championship. In his first season last year, Cohen had three goals and 13 assists, putting him 10th among BU’s scorers. … Read more
When people talk about Boston University’s superior talent, the objects of their affection are the same names over and over. Colin Wilson and Matt Gilroy, the Hobey Baker Hat Trick Duo. Wilson and Nick Bonino, the two dominant centers and leading scorers who anchor the Terriers’ “two number-one lines.” Kieran Millan, the freshman goaltender who … Read more
Brent Brekke joined the Miami staff last offseason knowing the challenge that lay before him. He would be working with four freshman defensemen on a team that lost plenty on that side of the ice, and would be charged with keeping the RedHawks’ identity intact. That Miami will play for the national championship on Saturday … Read more
He’s considered one of the deans in a game filled with legendary coaches. Even Jack Parker’s counterpart in Saturday’s national-title game jokes about the elder coach’s age. “A couple of guys asked me how old [Parker] was,” said Miami coach Enrico Blasi, himself 37 years young. “I said somewhere between 80 and 100.” Truth be … Read more
For a Bemidji State fan in the nation’s capital, the sights and sounds must have been awe-inspiring. Said to a fan wearing an Alaska Anchorage jersey and a North Dakota hat: “Hey WCHA! Root for the Beavers!” A sign near the Bemidji State student section: “SIOUX FOR BEAVERS” The George Mason pep band adopted Bemidji … Read more
Boston’s National Team Crosstown rival Northeastern’s head coach, Greg Cronin, recently called BU “the best professional team playing college hockey.” Professional? Try national. The Terriers boast seven players who were recruited out of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., including standouts Colin Wilson, Jason Lawrence and Brian Strait. Strait captained the … Read more
There is always a lot of noise about “experience” every postseason. No matter the sport, fans, coaches and players alike can’t get enough of it. Who’s got it, who needs it, where it came from. What it means, what it’s worth, what it fosters on the ice. Cody Reichard proves that pundits can posit what … Read more
Colors Both games, for all intents and purposes, feature teams with the same color schemes (green for Bemidji and Vermont, red for Miami and Boston University. Fours This game marked the first time two number four seeds met in the Frozen Four. The only other four seed to make the Frozen Four was Notre Dame. … Read more
Vermont’s Drew MacKenzie went from the heights to the depths during the third period of their game against BU in the Frozen Four.
In the growing tale of how Bemidji State got here to be the darlings of the Frozen Four, don’t forget how close the Beavers got to having their season end. In the CHA tournament’s championship game, Robert Morris took the Beavers to overtime before succumbing on Matt Read’s second goal of the night. One bad … Read more
A 22-win season and a trip to the Frozen Four are a long way from where the Vermont Catamounts’ program was when Kevin Sneddon arrived. In his first season, Vermont posted a dismal 9-22-4 mark in the ECAC. Adding strife was the fact that the club was just four years removed from a hazing scandal … Read more
They’re loose as a goose. Or more properly said, as geese. The Boston University Terriers looked by far like the loosest, most relaxed team at practice on Wednesday. Things were going so well that head coach Jack Parker decided to cut short practice and let his team relax. “We liked what we saw out there,” … Read more
Who’s Going in Goal? Miami coach Enrico Blasi was non-committal about his starting goaltender for Thursday’s semifinal against Bemidji State, saying he would meet with his staff later Wednesday to discuss the plan. That’s what comes with a goaltending rotation. Cody Reichard won both games at the West Regional, but he and fellow freshman Connor … Read more
Miami vs. Bemidji State Thursday, 5 p.m. ET, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. Miami RedHawks Record: 22-12-5, 17-7-4-2 CCHA (t-second) Seed: No. 13 overall, No. 4 West Road to Frozen Four: Beat Denver 4-2, beat Minnesota Duluth 2-1 2008 NCAA tournament: Lost in Northeast Regional final A month ago, the Miami RedHawks were reluctant spectators. Having … Read more
Boston University vs. Vermont Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. Boston University Terriers Record: 33-6-4, 18-5-4 Hockey East (first) Seed: No. 1 overall, No. 1 Northeast Road to Frozen Four: Beat Ohio State 8-3, beat New Hampshire 2-1 2008 NCAA tournament: none Boston University’s resume reads like a number one overall seed and … Read more
The end of the line came for Ohio State Saturday night. However, for the Buckeyes, it is just the beginning. The Buckeyes are loaded with young talent and a year like this one is exactly what the young Bucks needed to take the next step as a hockey program. Look at BU. The Terriers didn’t … Read more
More Than a Win Despite what had to be a crushing defeat, being so close to a Frozen Four berth and coming up empty-handed, Cornell head coach Mike Schafer saw more significance to Bemidji State’s triumph than just a ticket to Washington, D.C. “A big congratulations to Bemidji and Tom Serratore and their whole team,” … Read more
When Terrier senior Jason Lawrence tells his grandchildren about the goal he scored to send Boston University to its first Frozen Four since 1997, he agreed that he “absolutely” would report it to be a pinpoint snipe of a top corner. The reality was that the goal wasn’t as pretty as one might have hoped … Read more