Game #11 Preview: BU vs. Northeastern

After being tripped up at UMass Friday night, BU had Saturday night off to rest and take a look back at what happened.  The journey doesn’t get any easier with #7 Northeastern visiting Agganis Arena.  Currently the top team in Hockey East, the Huskies are owners of a two game winning streak, most recently defeating Vermont on Friday night.  Now is not the time for BU to continue licking its wounds, but rather to go out and make a statement and defend their position as one of the top teams in the nation.

Statistically, the teams are quite similar.  BU does average more goals per game (4.25 to 3.4), but Northeastern is no slouch offensively.  Also Northeastern holds the ever important edge in goaltending statistics, with excellent play from junior Brad Thiessen.  Another scary fact is that the only team to hand Northeastern a loss this year is New Hampshire, which also defeated BU earlier this season.  On special teams, BU again holds the edge on the offensive, converting at a higher percentage on the PP, but Northeastern holds the edge on the PK, killing at over 90%.

Who to Watch out For

Brad Thiessen - The Junior goaltender has again and again proved that he is one of the most solid goalies in Hockey East.  He currently boasts a 1.67 GAA and .945 save percentage, having allowed just 17 goals in 10 games.  Northeastern will look to play strong in front of Thiessen, knowing that he will likely stop most of the shots he sees.

Joe Vitale - Labeled by Coach Greg Cronin as one of the most dynamic players in the conference, the Captain is currently second on the the team with 8 points.  He’s also not afraid to throw his weight around, having drawn 11 penalties in the first 10 games.

Tyler McNeely - After a 20+ point freshman year, the forward looks to pick up this year right where he left off.  With 9 points already, he is one of the top scorers on the team, and a difference maker with a +5 rating.

Other Considerations

This is the first time this year that the Terriers will need to play a game after getting blown out.  With a hot goaltender in Thiessen, this will likely be a difficult game.  BU will need to apply pressure early and often to get to Thiessen, and put NU on it’s heels.  They cannot allow Northeastern to capitalize on defensive lapses.  It’s cliche, but BU needs to focus on the basics… getting tape to tape passes, and playing smart, things they lacked against Massachusetts on Friday night.

Game time is set for 7pm @ Agganis Arena.  You can catch the BU broadcast online from BU’s official website or on AM 1510.  Northeastern’s broadcast is on AM 890.

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Game #10 Preview: BU @ Massachusetts

This is a huge weekend for the newly minted #1 team in the nation.  While this is cause for some excitement in Terrier nation, it’s also not time to get too ahead of themselves.  Jack Parker was sure to note this, saying:

“I don’t think it means anything, to tell you the truth,” he says. “People knew that we had a pretty good team this year. We were voted fairly highly in the preseason polls in our league and in the nation.”

“This doesn’t mean much to us except that we’ll have a little bit bigger target on our backs.”

And Massachusetts will definitely be aiming for that target.  With convincing wins just a couple of weeks ago over Providence before a tough loss to Merrimack, this is not a UMass team that will roll over and let BU steamroll them.  There is some fight in these Minutemen, and some have really hot hands right now.

The Minutemen come into this game with a 2-1-1 record in conference, 4-2-1 overall.  They also have an excellent penalty kill, which will be challenged by BU’s PP machine.  UMass has allowed just two goals on the PK this season.

Who to Look out For

James Marcou - The sophomore forward has 11 points in 7 games, including a five point outburst against Providence on 10/31/08.  His speed and puckhandling ability will need to be held in check by the defense.

Cory Quirk - The senior forward has been a mainstay on the Minutemen offense, look for him to play the defense tough and work the transition game.

Other Considerations

UMass has been using both of their goaltenders this season, with Junior Dan Meyers getting a majority of the time.  It’ll be interesting to see who Coach Cahoon decides to use against the Terriers.  Both of Minutemen goaltenders have solid numbers, though sophomore Paul Dainton leads, albeit with less appearances.  Meyers was impressive in the Ice Breaker Invitational against offensive power North Dakota.  A difficult choice for Toot.

UMass has also proved that they can score, and this is something that the Terriers need to be very careful about.  BU’s high pressure offense, and offensively minded defensemen can leave the Terriers open for some breakaways.  As the rotation stands, Rollheiser will have to be alert and ready for this.

Game time for BU @ Massachusetts is set for 7pm @ the Mullins Center.  You can hear the Terriers broadcast on AM 1510, the Minutemen Broadcast on 100.9 FM.

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