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.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!