Quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity.
In the weeks leading up to opening night, The Boston Hockey Blog got to sit down with Nadia Mattivi and Domenick Fensore — the captains of the women’s and men’s hockey teams — to discuss goals for the season, leadership styles and their journey to Comm. Ave. The complete interviews can be listened to on “Terrier Hockey Talk,” wherever you get your podcasts.
NADIA MATTIVI
Captain of the women’s hockey team
Senior defenseman
Q : What’s your hockey origin story? How did you get into the sport?
A : I’m originally from Italy. People might not know we have ice hockey there, but grew up in the Italian Alps which is in the very Northern part. My brother, he’s five years older than me, he started playing hockey so I wanted to start too. When I was four, I put the skates on and never really played any other sports, just hockey. grew up playing boys’ hockey — women’s hockey is not really a thing, we have like five teams in the whole nation. Then I joined one of the girls’ teams. They played in the European League so I started traveling around the age of 15.
I didn’t know what college hockey was. I didn’t know people had this opportunity. But then went to Sweden to play professional hockey there and study abroad and learn a little bit of English.
I also started playing with the national team, the Italian national team, when I was like 16. So, maybe some college hockey coaches recruited me at Worlds or something. don’t really know, but started getting some emails.
Q : Was it common for a lot of people on the Italian national team or just people playing hockey in Italy at large, to come to the U.S. to go to school and play college hockey?
A : was actually the second Italian that ever came to the U.S. to play NCAA Division 1 hockey ... I think that even younger people at home [are] starting to understand that there are options ... Being an inspiration for younger girls is really cool. Especially because we have like 400 people that play hockey, like girls’ hockey, in Italy.
Q : What were some of your biggest takeaways from last year and then translating that into this upcoming season?
A : Last year we finally started playing hockey again after COVID which was a big adjustment. BU hockey is pretty big and last year we didn’t really perform as we wanted. We definitely want to be a top-ranked team this year. We’re practicing and working really hard. We want to win from the beginning — we want to be top 10 from the beginning and stay there. We want to win Hockey East, Beanpot, everything. We’re very motivated, very determined.
Q : What are your main goals personally as a leader, but also for the team?
A : As a leadership group we’ve talked a lot about being there for our teammates. It’s hard being a Division 1 athlete –– you have
school on top of hockey, you have family, friends, relationships, so being there for each other is a big thing. And also just being mature. It’s more common than you think [to have] conflict with a teammate ... We’re emphasizing the fact of being able to have that hard conversation and if you can’t have that by yourself, come to us. So definitely being there for people, being a resource, and also leading by example. Giving your 100% every day.
Q : Can you talk a little bit about playing for the national team and in the IIHF? You won medals, and Best Defender and all these awesome accolades — so what does it really mean to you and how do you think you can translate that back here?
A : The goal with the national team is going back home and playing with your teammates for your nation — it’s just such an honor. Again, it’s not as competitive back home, but I feel like going back and bringing the experience that I’ve gained here in the U.S. always helps ... I’ve gained so many hockey related skills here that I can bring back to my national team so I think it’s a two-way street. It’s definitely been a journey. I’m excited to go back every April and play Worlds. It’s always a great experience; you travel the world, you see your best friends, you play hockey and that’s it.
DOMENICK FENSORE Captain of men’s hockey team Senior defenseman
Q: To start off, we’re going to get into a little bit more about your hockey origin story, how you started playing, and how that’s led you to BU.
A: I started playing early. My dad started me young when I was 4 years old. I don’t really remember much but he said I used to never come off the ice so I’m so glad he did because I love this game. From there I just played youth hockey growing up and once I got to U14
I played in Fairfield with Trevor Zegras, Spencer Knight –– all those guys. Then I played U16 Islanders in Long Island. I didn’t go the prep school route because I just kind of wanted to play more games and stay on the ice a little more because prep school hockey played less games,
like 30 games or something like that.
Then I was fortunate enough to make the U.S. program which was awesome, [to be] surrounded by a lot of great people and great players ... I was actually committed to Quinnipiac University before I chose BU. I was pretty young. was 14 when committed there. I don’t even know what I was thinking. I was really young, I kind of just rushed it so decided to decommit when I was 17 and then opened up my options. When BU came knocking on the door it was a pretty easy decision for me.
Q: In maybe the last 10 years at BU, you’ve had guys who had the option to leave early to go play in the AHL or in the NHL and they left after sophomore, junior year. But there’s a lot of guys this year who opted to stay. What does that mean for the group and what you guys are trying to build here?
A: I think it just shows how committed this group of guys is. [With] the conversations we had at the end of the year last year, I don’t think anyone was leaving, coaching change or not coaching change. Everyone was staying because we knew we had something special this year with the guys coming in and all of us returning. That was kind of our goal and our mindset. We want to bring BU back on top and we feel that we have the right guys to do it and the coaching staff to do it. ...
The people that came before us, we owe it to them to put this program back where it’s supposed to be.
Q: What are you anticipating out of the group this coming year given the fact that there are so many veterans?
A: Just have passion I think. Showing up to the rink everyday and working hard. If you’re not feeling it that day, you’ve got to find your B game — everyday is an opportunity to get better and get your teammates better and that’s how we see it … The number one value for our team is compete and we’ve been competing every single day. It’s showing. A lot of guys getting better already and you can see it. It’s going to be challenging.
We have a lot of great guys on our team and it’s just exciting for the whole program.
Q: Can you walk us through the last five minutes of the Beanpot championship game?
A: I remember it actually very well. We obviously scored with like 2:45 left or something. Then I went back out there and actually hurt my shoulder and had to go down the tunnel with like a minute left. I was telling our trainer, “I can’t miss this. I’m going back out there.” I just sat on the bench with so much pain, but that last 20 seconds was nuts. We got down ice and then we didn’t clear it again … and then we got the job done. All I remember is just hugging the first guy I saw and it was awesome. We had a fun night.
It just showed how when we play the right way, there’s not a team that can play with us. We’ve got a commitment to winning and that means blocking shots, sacrificing your body, doing the little things to win. We kind of figured that out leading up to the Beanpot and we woke up that day and we were like, “we’re not losing this game.”
As the clock ticked down in the championship game, the numbers 23, 12 and 13 were all the Terriers needed to bring the Beanpot back to the BU campus. The 69th annual men’s Beanpot Tournament took place in TD Garden in front of fans, bands, and media members on Feb. 14, 2022.
After taking down Harvard University one week prior, the Boston University men’s hockey team matched up against cross-town rivals Northeastern University on one of the biggest stages in college hockey.
With just over two minutes to go, number 23 now-senior forward Domenick Fensore knocked the puck out of the defensive zone and onto the stick of number 12 now-senior forward Jamie Armstrong. Number 13 now-junior forward Dylan Peterson joined the rush and met Armstrong’s crossice pass to center the puck past Northeastern’s freshman goaltender TJ Semptimphelter.
A one goal game to bring home the trophy.
“The celebration … I saw red,” Peterson said in the postgame presser. “I just wanted to go celebrate with my teammates, so I headed to the bench. It was a pretty special moment.”
While the Terriers came out of a Beanpot drought, the trophy is no stranger to the Charles River Campus. The 2022 game earned BU its 31st trophy in the nearly 70 years of the tournament, and its first since 2015.
The competition for Boston bragging rights dates back to 1952 and is the quintessential representation of Massachusetts college hockey. Between BU, Boston College, Northeastern and Harvard, thousands of students, alumni and hockey fans flock year after year to TD Garden for the game.
In the early years of the series, the BC Eagles dominated. BU’s main rivals won eight of the first 13 tournaments and saw a second resurgence in the 2010s, winning six in seven years. While BU is a Beanpot powerhouse, their Green Line rivals sit right
behind them with 20 total wins, and every championship game has featured either BU or BC.
Next in the win column is the Harvard Crimson. Like BC, the Crimson saw most of their success in the first decade of the tournament, but they ended a 24-year drought in 2017 when they brought home the Beanpot for the 11th time.
The most threatening team in recent years has been Northeastern. As the only team in the tournament to have never hosted the NCAA trophy, the Huskies started to make their presence known in 2011. Starting that year, the Huskies went to the finals four times in five years, but either fell to the Terriers or the Eagles. In 2018, they won their fifth Beanpot and went on to win the following two tournaments, furthering their total to seven.
Throughout the history of the competition, BU has always held the reins, so much so that fans started to call the contest the “BU Invitational.” In terms of championships, BU has won about 45% of total Beanpots and
made the finals nearly 80% of the time.
The mastermind behind Terrier Hockey’s success in the Beanpot comes down to 40-year legendary coach Jack Parker. As a player, he won in each of the three years he played in a scarlet and white jersey and went on to raise the coveted trophy 21 times as head coach.
Despite BU’s dominance, the Terriers had not won since 2015, when current Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelyck scored an overtime goal to win. This put extra emphasis on the 2022 series to be something special for the fans as the first truly “normal” Beanpot postpandemic.
“I’m just excited we won the hockey game,” then-head coach Albie O’Connell said after the victory. “I’m excited for the fans. I’m excited for the band who was banging hard up there tonight. So I’m happy for the guys.”
The 2021-22 Terrier roster featured three seniors in captain Logan Cockerill, assistant captain Ty Amonte, and transfer
Joseph Campolieto, as well as one graduate student in assistant captain Max Kaufman. Cockerill and Amonte were on the 201718 Terrier squad that won the Hockey East Championship, but the two have not seen much hardware otherwise.
That emphasized winning the Beanpot as a representation of four years of hard work.
“They deserve it more than anybody,” Peterson, the Beanpot MVP, said of his captains. “They’ve been great [at] leading by example and the rest was kind of following in their footsteps … I’m happy for those guys.”
With a midseason tournament at the Desert Hockey Classic in early January and the Beanpot over a month later, the 101st season of Terrier Hockey will be key as the team looks to reinstate itself as the powerhouse at the yearly “BU invitational”.
As 2022 captain Domenick Fensore said, “You’ve gotta watch out for those Terriers this year, that’s all I’ve got to say.”
Senior defenseman Nadia Mattivi, captain of the Boston University women’s hockey team. As an international student from Italy, a collegiate hockey career wasn’t the expected path for Mattivi. COURTESY OF RICH GAGNON VIA BU ATHLETICS Senior defenseman Domenick Fensore. Drafted to the Carolina Hurricanes, Fensore is the new captain of the Terriers. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Terriers rejoice on the ice at TD Garden after winning the 69th Beanpot tournament. After a two year hiatus, the college hockey classic returned to the big stage. MOHAN GE/DFP FILE Sean Driscoll Wilmer embrace after Beanpot win. gameThe 101st Boston University men’s hockey season opens up on Oct. 1 at Agganis Arena when the Terriers face Bentley University. Following this matchup, the schedule features some high-quality and non-traditional games in coach Jay Pandolfo’s first year at the helm.
In the third weekend of the season, the Terriers will head to Ann Arbor, Michigan for two games against a perennial powerhouse in college hockey. The Michigan Wolverines won the Big Ten and were a Frozen Four team last year. With interim head coach Brandon Naurato behind the bench for the Maize and Blue, the mid-October series will be a tough test for BU.
As you prepare your Thanksgiving turkey, the University of Notre Dame team will come to Agganis Arena. Coming off of a 28-12 season last year, the Fighting Irish also won a game in the NCAA tournament. Coach Jeff Jackson’s team will spend the holiday in Boston as they will play Boston College on Black Friday.
The Terriers are scheduled to play archrival Boston College three times throughout the season. BU will travel to Chestnut Hill on Dec. 9 and Jan. 28 and the Eagles will come to Agganis Arena on Jan. 27. Coach Greg Brown replacing the legendary coach Jerry York begins a new era of rivalry, because for the first time in decades, neither York nor Jack Parker will be playing or coaching in the Battle of Comm Ave.
During winter break, BU will head to Arizona to play in the Desert Hockey Classic. The first game in the classic will be against the United States Air Force Academy. The Terriers will then play either Arizona State University or Michigan Technological University. Should BU play Arizona State, former Terrier Robert Mastrosimone will be on the ice facing his old squad in Tempe.
On Jan. 14, BU will host Cornell University at Agganis Arena with the Big Red return of Ben Berard, their leading scorer from last year. While there’s no Red Hot Hockey this season, the two teams will still get the chance to face off.
The BU women’s hockey season begins on Oct. 7 against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The exciting dates for the team start almost immediately off the bat.
As a ninth-round draft pick, not much was going to be handed to Mike Grier.
Just two months after being selected in a round so late it no longer exists, Grier’s journey would pass through Commonwealth Avenue. Upon his departure just three seasons later, Grier had left a National Champion and all-time great Terrier poised to jump into the professional ranks.
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BU will attempt to defend its title in the Beanpot starting on Feb. 6. In the 70th Beanpot, the Terriers face Northeastern at the TD Garden. Depending on the result, they will play either Harvard or Boston College in the next round, hoping to add another trophy to the shelves.
In the third weekend of the season, the Terriers will have a home-and-home series with the Boston College Eagles. Coach Brian Durocher’s team will travel to Chestnut Hill on Friday, Oct. 21. The Eagles will visit Walter Brown Arena the next day to continue the Battle of Comm. Ave.
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Over the Thanksgiving break, BU will head to Nevada for the Vegas Showcase. On Nov. 25, the team will face Yale. Depending on the result, the Terriers will next play either Penn State or Minnesota — some big out-of-league games to test their depth two months into the season.
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On a date around Jan. 6 — the official game day has yet to be announced — BU will travel down the road to Fenway Park for an outdoor matchup with the Holy Cross Crusaders in the return of Frozen Fenway. The outdoor competition will no doubt be a highlight of the 2022-2023 campaign.
TBD
The Terriers are set to play the Northeastern Huskies four times this season. BU will play against the local foe for the first time on Jan. 8 at Matthews Arena. Northeastern is a favorite to win Hockey East and compete for a national championship.
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Then, about one month later, the Terriers will play rival Northeastern in the first round of the 44th Women’s Beanpot. BU closes out its schedule with a home-and-home with Northeastern on the weekend of Feb. 17.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY Make sure to follow all the Terrier action with us this season on Twitter (@ BOShockeyblog) and Instagram (@ boston.hockey.blog). TBD
After over 1,000 games and 14 years in the NHL, Grier found his journey reaching historical levels, a long way from his days in Beantown. The ongoing journey that saw Grier pass through Comm. Ave. reached its latest stop: the first Black general manager in NHL history.
“I am extremely proud and grateful to be given the opportunity to be the general manager of the San Jose Sharks,” said Grier in an introductory statement. “Along with my staff, I look forward to the challenge of building a fast, competitive, and hardworking team that Sharks fans will enjoy watching and be proud of.”
With much overhaul on and off the ice in San Jose, much was left for Grier to chart the course for the next era of Sharks hockey.
Grier’s busy summer of hirings and signings was headlined at the head coaching position, where a Boston University connection was brought to the Bay Area with the hiring of David Quinn.
For most, the benefits of a strong alumni network rarely reap such results. For Quinn, though, a call from Grier allowed him to continue to reap the benefits of his combined
nine years as a player and coach of the Terriers.
After an entire season of waiting for his shot to return to the NHL’s coaching ranks, Quinn had finally received the call he had been waiting for.
“Did you go to BU? I didn’t even know that,” Quinn said jokingly to Grier when asked about their BU connection.
Even though their paths never crossed as players or coaches on Comm. Ave., the two found many common threads between their separate stints as Terriers. Of those,
the strongest thread that united them came from none other than former head coach Jack Parker.
“I think Jack Parker is the kind of the tie that binds us all together,” Grier said. “The program has got a lot of history and we all enjoyed playing there.”
Parker’s strong tie helped bridge the gap of almost a decade that separated Quinn and Grier’s enrollment, allowing the two to cultivate a professional relationship long before Quinn’s hiring.
“When Quinny was coaching there, I needed to get out of the
house sometimes and get a workout in,” Grier said. “He was kind enough to talk hockey with me and let me pick his brain.”
Many other Terrier connections can be found littered throughout the Sharks organization, from player personnel to the coaching staff. Former Terriers Nick Bonino and Matt Nieto, who played in the early 2010s, will be entering their contract years with the Sharks.
With much work to do in the Bay Area to return the Sharks to their former levels of success, some of the Terriers will be a larger part of the
future than others, namely Quinn and Grier.
Both fit into a very small hockey world, one in which the influence of BU hockey has not been lost, even as the program searches to recapture the standard that elevated Quinn and Grier to the positions they are in today.
“The BU community is very tight,” Grier said. “We all love the school and are proud of the program. I think that just leads to everyone having good relationships together.”
The past few winters on Commonwealth Avenue have looked different for Boston University’s primary athletic draw — hockey. The COVID-19 pandemic halted the 2019-2020 season ahead of the Hockey East Tournament, and the 2020-2021 campaign barred in-person fan attendance. Last winter, however, saw the 100th anniversary season of the men’s hockey program, and the start of a return to normalcy.
Although Terrier hockey has a long and storied history, including five national championships, 22 Frozen Four appearances, nine Hockey East championships, and 31 Beanpot titles, the notion of BU as a hockey school has been lost in translation.
At the forefront of promoting BU athletics and the hockey school culture is the student section, the Dog Pound.
According to Rafael Perron, the group’s president and a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, if “you’re a
student and you’re part of the crowd at any game, you’re part of the Dog Pound.”
At games, the group is known for their chants, posters and goalie taunts erupting from sections 108 and 118. Behind the scenes, the group plans events and develops content for their social media channels to get the Terrier fanbase excited and engaged throughout the season.
This fall, however, only the senior class remembers what pre-pandemic BU hockey was like.
“What ended up happening is you have two generations of fans,” said Perron about the state of the fanbase prior to last season. “One [generation is] my freshman year, who watched an entire regular season that got cut off during the playoffs. Then you have another generation that did a year of school, but they never watched hockey. Then you have the incoming freshman.” These past few years have shown an energy shift, both in the level of play on the ice and the fan engagement off of
it. The pandemic slowed the momentum and excitement building around the hockey teams, especially considering a season with no fans allowed.
“Empty buildings and partially empty buildings, it just doesn’t feel right,” said Perron.
Now, as the Terriers prepare for the start of their new seasons without COVID-19 restrictions, the Dog Pound is gearing up for the full comeback. This year, the Dog Pound won’t be made up of “three years of people trying to recoup, trying to figure out what’s going on,” according to Perron. Instead, more returning students have become Agganis regulars and have grown accustomed to sporting their jerseys and screaming the BC chant at the top of their lungs.
Gaining exposure to the student body at events, such as the Terrier Tailgate, SPLASH, and early exhibition games, the Dog Pound has gained exposure and ramped up support ahead of the men’s home opener versus Bentley on Oct. 1.
Together, the Dog Pound and the Terrier hockey teams are fostering an experience and culture that is synonymous with teamwork, dedication and success.
“At the end of the day, it is an entertainment thing,” said Perron. “[The teams are] there to win. That’s their job and that’s the entertainment they provide. But the entertainment we provide is completely different.”
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For the Dog Pound, the 20222023 campaign is all about planting the seeds for the future of the Terrier hockey fandom.
“We cannot change BU culture, the entirety, ourselves,” Perron said. “If you hear little things around campus, that means the word is spreading.”
MADDIE MALHOTRA DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF The Boston University student section at Agganis Arena, otherwise known as the Dog Pound. The group brings energy and cheers to every Terrier hockey competition. COURTESY OF NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Mike Grier playing for the Buffalo Sabers. Grier played for Boston University from 1993 to 1996 and is currently the general manager of the San Jose Sharks in the National Hockey League.Luke Tuch
Matt Brown
Domenick Fensore Lane Hutson
Cade Webber
Jack Page
Sean Driscoll
Drew Commesso
Vinny Duplessis
Patrick Schena
Ty Gallagher
Case McCarthy
Thomas Jarman
John Copeland Lachlan Getz
Jeremy Wilmer
Brian Carrabes
Jamie Armstrong
Jay O’Brien
Wilmer Skoog
Ryan Greene
Sam Stevens
Nick Zabaneh
Ethan Phillips
Dylan Peterson
Devin Kaplan
Tristan Amonte
Quinn Hutson
With the Jay Pandolfo era underway on Commonwealth Avenue, the Terrier hockey program finds itself in a unique position as a group with a “winnow” mindset — while also in a transitional period.
A Terriers squad, heavy on juniors and seniors, is also welcoming some talented freshmen to the mix. Those freshmen will undoubtedly be part of a very different-looking group on Comm. Ave. in the years to come.
With a generational talent like Macklin Celebrini waiting in the wings, a bright future lies ahead at BU. Until that time comes, though, the final recruiting class of former head coach Albie O’Connell will take the ice for Pandolfo in just a few days with much to prove about the present and future.
“BU Hockey [is] just about character kids that love to play hockey and get better,” associate coach Joe Pereira said. “We wanted to be a program where we’re going to be hard to play against, we’re going to be fast and it’s going to be 60 minutes of hell. We want to suffocate teams, and that’s what we’re going to look to recruit.”
Here’s a brief look at some of the freshmen who will be taking the ice for the first time in-game action this weekend as Terriers:
Lane Hutson
The 62nd overall selection by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2022 draft possesses high-end
offensive ability, starting with his ability to move the puck up the ice quickly. The 18-year-old undersized defenseman racked up 95 points last season with the U.S. National Development Program.
“[Hutson] might be one of the better, smaller defenseman we’ve had in this program in a long, long time,” said Pereira. “I think he can really leave his mark.”
The 5’8” left-shot defenseman has garnered early comparisons to his teammate and captain, Domenick Fensore, for their shared high-end breakout ability. Both Hutson and Fensore can quarterback an
offense from the backend. “They are very similar, but they are somewhat different too,” Pereira said. “One wants to push the pace so much and the other guy wants to move it and go.”
Like David Farrance before him, Fensore will be able to use his heightened leadership position to bring Hutson along for his first season of college hockey.
“From the beginning of this year, Lane just came out and showed why he is what he is,” Fensore said. “It’s pretty easy to talk to him and tell him what to do because he listens and he’s a hard worker.”
With the offseason departure of Alex Vlasic to the Chicago Blackhawks, an opportunity awaits for Hutson to round out BU’s top four on the left side – likely next to either Ty Gallagher or Case McCarthy.
Ryan Greene
After an almost point-pergame stint last season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, Greene received his draft call just a few spots above Hutson at 57th overall to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 6’1” center hailing from Newfoundland, Canada has impressed early on with a solid two-way game that can add depth to the Terriers’ forward
corps.
“Greenie skates really well,” said Pereira. “He’s long. Really good two-way center.”
Greene will have to navigate his way through a crowded group of forwards this year.
Greene’s skill will only add to a club with more than enough to go around, especially up front.
Devin Kaplan
The final selection in last summer’s draft went 69th overall to the Philadelphia Flyers. A mix of grit and skill for Kaplan, along with his solid size, will go a long way for the freshman who, in the eyes of Pereira, has a bright future ahead.
“Kaplan is a kid that I think is only going to get better and better,” said Pereira.
“He brings some size, some grittiness, [and] he’s got great skills. I really think he has a bright future here and at the next level.”
A teammate of Lane Hutson’s last year on both the USNTDP and National U18 teams, Kaplan tallied a total of 56 points, along with a strong showing at the U18 World Championships, where he scored a point each game.
It is unclear exactly where Kaplan will slot in with multiple right-shot wingers like Ethan Phillips and Dylan Peterson.
Jeremy Wilmer, Lachlan Getz, and Quinn Hutson will also figure into this year’s Terriers squad. These freshmen, alongside the rest of the group, will face off against Bentley on Saturday, where the first chapter for some will be the last first chapter for others.
Julia Nearis
Liv Haag Haylee Blinkhorn
Jesse DeVito
Nadia Mattivi Madison Cardaci Maeve Kelly
Lacey Martin
Catherine Foulem
Clara Yuhn
Brooke Ersoy
Sydney Healey
Ani Fitzgerald Christina Vote
Kylie Roberts
Callie Shanahan
Andrea Brändli
Allie Cuellar
Brooke Disher
Andi Calderone
Alex Allan
Maggie Hanzel
Position: Defense Height: 5’6”
Hometown: Fort St. John, B.C.
High School: George Elliot
Secondary School
Born: July 14, 2004 School: Questrom School of Business Number: #27
Quick Questions: If not a hockey player, as a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? “A fashion model”
Favorite spot on campus? “1019 [Commonwealth Avenue] with my roommates. We just have a really good group in my room.”
Favorite class so far? “My writing class. It’s all about football. We just have to watch the NFL.”
Favorite dining hall? “West Campus is like the only one I go to.”
Favorite place to go in Boston? “We went to Gloucester and went sailing as a team and that was my first time outside of the city, but still in Mass. We also went to the North End for a team meal and it was super cute down there.”
One of the most prominent newcomers to the Boston University women’s ice hockey team for the 2022-2023 season is freshman defender Brooke Disher. The Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada native comes to Commonwealth
Avenue with an impressive hockey background.
Growing up in Northern Canada, hockey was a family affair. Both of Disher’s parents and her brother played hockey. Her father, Jody, spent time in the BCHL with the Quesnel Millionaires and the Merritt Centennials. Her brother, Quinn, will play for Michigan Tech in 2023.
“We were just a hockey family, many sticks in the basement, everyday kind of thing,” Disher said of her memories growing up in a hockey focused environment.
“When I was 10, we moved away from my hometown so that my brother and I could play on a better team.”
In her previous playing experience, Disher totaled 12 goals and 24 assists with Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna. She also spent three seasons with the Okanagan Hockey Academy where she scored 27 goals and had 26 assists through 73 games.
Around age 14, Disher started exploring NCAA schools and what the opportunity to play collegiately in the U.S. might look like.
“BU was one of the first schools that I toured, and I just loved it so much,” Disher said. “I did commit here, and I’m so happy to be here now.”
Heading into her freshman year, Disher had a full schedule of summer hockey. Most notably, she served as the captain of the gold medal-winning Canadian U18 team at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championships in Madison, Wisconsin in June. Disher also spent three weeks at Canadian National Camp in August.
The experience of playing for the Canadian National Team was “incredible,” Disher said. “I feel like we were a little bit underdogs to Team USA going into the tournament, and even in there, pulling off [the gold medal win] was super, super fun.”
The Women’s Worlds showcases the best of the best hockey talent in the world every year. Many of these players wind up in the NCAA competing in Hockey East.
“Now we’re all playing in the same league this year. It prepared us really well, especially because that’s the kind of people that are going to be the top freshman in the league,” she said.
In 2021, the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This year, it was on, and then it was canceled. Then, they postponed it to June. It was nice that it was so close because everyone’s like ‘I haven’t played since February and March’ and well, I just played in June,” Disher said.
As she transitions to BU, Disher plans to stay true to herself and carry her lessons in leadership from her international experience forward to her new Terrier team.
Disher’s biggest advice in leadership is to “just be yourself.”
“I’m not a super vocal person … Just knowing what you bring to the table, and not feeling like you have to change because of a certain role or something somebody says. Just be who you are and stay true to that,” she said.
Now in her role as a freshman defender, Disher is learning from upperclassmen leaders like senior captain Nadia Mattivi and senior forward Julia Nearis who bring a supportive, high-energy dynamic to Walter Brown Arena every day.
The Terriers have an exciting schedule lined up this season including highlights like a Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Vegas Showcase, Frozen Fenway versus Holy Cross in January, and the 44th Annual Women’s Beanpot Tournament. Even considering the challenge of navigating college classes and being far from home, “It’s been great being here,” Disher said. “I feel like [the team has] a really good culture. Everyone’s been so nice and welcoming.”
“The BU Hockey program isn’t broken,” said new bench boss Jay Pandolfo, 1996 Boston University graduate, in his inaugural press conference to media, fans, and players on May 9. “What we need to do is everything just a little bit better.”
The Boston University Men’s Ice Hockey team will turn over a new leaf as they enter into the 101st season with a new head coach. The 13th person to hold that title in over 100 years, the Terrier alum will bring valuable perspective and experience to a program that is looking to restore itself to what it once was.
After an underwhelming 1913-3 record to cap off the 202122 season, Director of Athletics Drew Marrochello commented on the prestigious nature of the program and the lackluster results of recent years.
“Being on the outside of the NCAA Tournament is simply not good enough for us. Losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament is not good enough for us,” Marrochello announced during a press conference. “This is a program that’s defined by Frozen Four appearances and National Championships. That continues to be our goal.”
Pandolfo will join an impressive list of former leaders of the program headed by 40-year BU head coach Jack Parker. Parker is the winningest coach in BU history and holds the record for most wins with
one university. His record of 897-472-115 includes 21 Beanpot titles, 11 Conference wins, and three national championships.
Following Parker’s retirement, David Quinn took the reins as head coach for just five years, during which he led the Terriers to the NCAA tournament four times.
In 2018, Quinn was offered a position in the New York Rangers organization, and took the head coaching role in the NHL. After being relieved from the Rangers, Quinn was named the eleventh coach of the San Jose Sharks, alongside current general manager and former Terrier Mike Grier.
Most recently, BU had been led by Albie O’Connell. A native of Watertown, Massachusetts, he coached the Terriers to the NCAA Regional Semifinal once in 2021 and had a 58-49-16 record. While O’Connell’s coaching record surpassed the .500 winning percentage mark, the standard for BU Hockey remains higher than the results delivered.
By March 30, the Athletics Department concluded that in order for the program to achieve its goals, new leadership would be required.
“After the conclusion of our regular year-end assessment, we believe that a new direction is needed for our program to achieve our goals,” Marrochello remarked.
When it came time to pick a new leader of the program, Marrochello and the hiring committee spoke with former
coaches, players, and the team’s current leadership group captained by senior Domenick Fensore. Throughout the process, Marrochello heard common themes of integrity, consistency, and character when it came to Pandolfo.
A native of Burlington, Massachusetts, Pandolfo is no stranger to BU Hockey.
During his four years in the Terrier jersey he totaled 169 points, finished as runnerup for the 1996 Hobey Baker Award for top NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey player, was a 1996 AHCA First-Team AllAmerican, and in 2001 was inducted into the BU Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition to the individual accolades, Pandolfo helped lead the Terriers to four Frozen Fours, two Beanpot Championships, two Hockey East Titles, and the 1995 National Championship.
Following his success at BU, Pandolfo went on to play professionally for 15 years, spending 13 with the New Jersey Devils and winning two Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003.
During his tenure in the pros, Pandolfo was named a finalist for the Selke Trophy awarded annually to the top NHL forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game.
Pandolfo’s time with the Devils was appreciated by fans and players alike.
“We won two Stanley Cups because of guys like him,” Marrochello said. “Great character and a team first mentality. He understands the
roles of all team members, and respects what all players can do, not just superstars.”
In 2010, the Devils placed Pandolfo on waivers and bought out his contract. He spent the 2011 season with the New York Islanders and then spent the last year of his career with the hometown Boston Bruins before announcing his retirement in 2014.
Once retired, Pandolfo joined the Bruins staff as an assistant coach. He spent five years behind the bench and led the team to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs four years in a row, including a trip to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019.
In addition to his assistant coaching career, Pandolfo worked as a player development coach for the Bruins alongside new Terrier assistant coach Kim Brandvold. Brandvold, who worked as the skating and skills coach with the Bruins, helped develop former BU defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelyck at the professional level and will translate those skills in his transition from Warrior Ice Arena to Agganis Arena this season.
“Kim and I have just had a good relationship,” the head coach said of his colleague.
“I went to see if he’d want to come here and help us here, and I think for him it’s a new challenge and I think he’s obviously excited about it and I’m obviously really lucky to have him.”
With Brandvold, Pandolfo also brought back former
Terrier and national champion Joe Pereira, a 2011 graduate, as associate head coach. Pereira spent the past nine seasons at the University of Connecticut in the same role and will join Pandolfo as part of the 2022 coaching staff.
“Joe was obviously the first guy I went to go get,” Pandolfo noted. “He’s a former captain at Boston University. He knows what the expectations are here. He won a national championship here. So he checked a lot of boxes, and he really does have a passion for BU Hockey, so I couldn’t be luckier to have these guys here with me.”
In addition to Pereira, Pandolfo is continuing the BU and Boston Bruins pipeline by introducing Kim Brandvold as an assistant coach. Brandvold worked as a skating and skills coach with the Bruins.
With both Pereira and Brandvold joining the leadership group, it’s clear that Pandolfo is taking the team in a new direction.
“BU hockey to me, it’s about commitment,” Pandolfo said. “It’s about attitude, attention to detail, holding ourselves and each other accountable. On and off the ice. We’re going to have high expectations. So we have to have high standards.”
Once one of the top programs in college hockey, the Terriers have struggled with their identity in recent years. Pandolfo is a Terrier through and through and is raising the expectations for BU Men’s Hockey once again.
Whether he’s recording stats, picking up pizza at T. Anthony’s, perfecting the warm-up mix, or suiting up and stepping in, graduate goaltender Patrick Schena has done it all. While most Terriers have followed a pretty traditional path to the locker room at Agganis Arena, Schena’s was anything but ordinary.
Despite being a Massachusetts native, Schena started his hockey career while he was living in New Jersey and spent his early years playing for youth local teams. After a few years in New Jersey, he and his family moved back to Massachusetts, where the goaltender began to take his hockey future more seriously. Schena played at Andover High School and Central Catholic High School before tacking on a postgraduate year at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.
While at Exeter, Schena was recruited to play football at Stevenson University. After a year at Stevenson, he transferred to Wesleyan University where he played both football and hockey.
“Eighth grade was my first year playing football,” the graduate student said. “I honestly just did it to get in shape for hockey.”
From Wesleyan, Schena continued his move up north to the University of New England where he found his home at the rink.
Schena spent his junior and senior years playing for the Nor’easters in the midst of a pandemic and knew he wanted to play another year. Thanks to the NCAA COVID eligibility rule, he could.
“My senior year was kind of a wash,” Schena said. “I wanted to get another good year of hockey in before I called it quits or until the game told me I had to stop playing.”
For Schena, longtime goalie coach and mentor Brian Daccord was the key to that extra year of playing. Daccord, President of Stop It Goaltending, has a long
history of goalie coaching. He worked in goaltending operations, scouting and development and coaching for several NHL squads including the Arizona Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. Most recently, he began working as the goaltending coach of BU men’s hockey.
Daccord, who had coached Schena for 13 years, was quick to offer him a position in the Terrier locker room.
“He knew I wanted to keep playing and he ended up getting one of the coaching jobs here at BU that summer,” Schena explained. “He asked me if I’d
When the 2021-22 season began, Schena would travel to away games with the team to help with all goalie-related statistics.
In his analytics role, he was responsible for recording scoring chances, shot types, goals against and goal expectancy. From there, he compiled the end-of-year report, something that he believes takes the subjectivity out of the game.
“You can make judgments and the numbers can back it up,” Schena said. “Or if you thought something and the numbers suggested otherwise, it’s like, these numbers don’t lie. This is
though, was a season-ending injury for teammate Ashton Abel. Because the NCAA expects teams to dress three goaltenders in each game, Schena was called in to fill the role as the third goalie at practice. He then found a consistent spot in the locker room in early 2022 thanks to lots of international play for junior and starting goaltender Drew Commesso.
“When Drew (Commesso) left for the World Juniors last year, there was a good two week’s span where I was practicing with the team a lot,” he recalled. “Then he went to the Olympics — really
His time on the ice did not just end there. In May, the stars aligned when the coaching staff reached out to Schena to tell him that he still had an extra year of eligibility and that there was an open spot on the roster. In a quick turnaround, Schena sorted out his medical eligibility and was able to officially join the team for the 2022-23 season.
Schena has worn a lot of hats when it comes to Terrier Hockey, but the rostered goalie helmet is the one he’s most excited to put on.
“There are a lot of great changes that have been made,” Schena said. “We have pretty high expectations for ourselves, and I’m excited to see what we
Jan. 21, 2022 at Agganis Arena had a different feel to it. The Boston University men’s hockey team skated out to center ice for puck drop against the University of Vermont but something was missing –– where was the trumpeting sound of “Shipping up to Boston”? The Terriers’ late first period goal was celebrated with spotty claps, but where was the energy? We all turned to each other in the press box with a certain sadness and asked “Where is the BU Band?”
In their absence, it was strikingly clear how much the BU Band means to the sports community and the spirit of a Terrier hockey game. It’s no wonder they’re described as the hardest working pep band in all of college athletics. The action on the ice is amplified by the musicians in the stands. This year, the BU Band is celebrating 100 years of bringing unity and school pride to Commonwealth Avenue.
Victoria Paspalas, four-year member and now second-year graduate assistant for the band, has grown into her role of conductor at a majority of the BU hockey games this past season.
In a way, she not only leads her instrumentalists, but leads the fans in the crowd and the players on the ice as well as a momentum shifting force.
ourselves as the soundtrack to game day,” Paspalas said. “We really try to collaborate with the Dog Pound and try to create a culture and atmosphere that not only is exciting for the fans in attendance and the players on the ice, but that makes people want to come back and makes them want to be involved.”
This sentiment has held true since the band’s start in 1920. The group’s centennial celebration has been delayed two years due to COVID-19, but they’re looking forward to this fall’s festivities that will honor the past, present and future of the band.
Trevor Powell, a senior co-
been involved in all capacities of the group since his freshman year as a clarinet section leader, office assistant and recruitment manager. His commitment is rooted in the important purpose of the band, he said.
“The band really exists as such a positive force for everyone involved whether it’s the members or the audience,” Powell said. “Everything we do is to benefit both of those parties.”
With over 200 members and 11 ensembles, the band is dedicated to being the Terriers’ number one supporter at all competitions, whether at home or away. This effort is recognized
and appreciated by the Terrier faithful, especially those in the student section.
“They play a really big role in the team spirit and it really brings BU together as a community to support the team,” said Noelle Falangan, a junior in the College of Engineering. “All the chants and all of the great songs they play during the games are really an important part of how the Terriers play –– we should definitely celebrate that.”
This season’s 100 year milestone offered the BU Band a time to reflect on their accomplishments and think about their hopes for the future. Paspalas said one thing that
stands out from her experience with the group is the tight knit relationships they’ve created with everyone at athletics.
“For our women’s hockey team especially, we’ve been at their games since day one,” she said.
“It’s a much smaller rink, we’re closer in proximity to the ice so we’re a little more tangible to them. They are really great about showing their appreciation to us.”
Following two years filled with health restrictions and limited performances due to COVID-19, Powell said the centennial events are also honoring the perseverance of the BU Band throughout those challenging circumstances.
“It’s really special to be here during this time,” he said. “This year is really marking [that] we’re back in full strength.”
The BU Band will kick off their celebratory weekend on Oct. 21 at the men’s game with an onice performance, followed by an afternoon concert and ticketed banquet dinner on Oct. 22. The squad’s alumni network will also host a Sunday brunch on Oct. 23 to wrap up the centennial events. Anyone can register now to be part of the historic weekend on the Boston University Bands website.
Whether it’s a Beanpot championship win or a midNovember afternoon matchup, the BU Band will continue to be there for all the Terrier moments big and small –– and you can bet the fight song will be echoing through the arena too.
CAROLINE FERNANDEZ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF Graduate student Pat Schena has been elevated from the practice squad for the 2022-23 season. He has played for Wesleyan University and the University of New England before coming to Boston University. MOHAN BandThe
had the right pieces to do it, just an incredible coaching staff to guide us.”
, Caroline Fernandez, Co-Director James Garrison, Writer Editor INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY Monet Ota, Sports Associate Editor
Mark Fraenkel Writer
Gillian McMahon Writer
BY JAMES GARRISON & MARK FRAENKEL Writers
Boston University men’s hockey announcer Bernie Corbett went to his first hockey game 55 years ago.
From that point on, he was hooked.
The Stoneham, Massachusetts native’s life has been dedicated to BU Hockey. Corbett served as a student manager under the legendary coach Jack Parker while an undergraduate on Commonwealth Avenue.
On game days, Corbett is seated in the press box of Agganis Arena.
For the past four decades, he’s had an all-access view to the triumphs and tribulations of Terrier Hockey – two national championships and 20 Beanpot championships to name a few.
“I saw my first college hockey game in 1967,” Corbett said. “My mother, father they went to all the games, we got season tickets when they opened the rink.”
Following his graduation with a degree in political science, Corbett first started announcing games on the radio in 1983 and later on into the simulcasts of BU men’s hockey games. Once again, Corbett will be along for the ride as college hockey enters the ESPN+ streaming world this upcoming season.
The transition to ESPN+ represents the significant strides that college hockey has taken in
recent years relative to the rest of the hockey world. For Corbett, a front seat to the game that he has been infatuated with from an early age has allowed him to see much more than just changes to the media side of things.
“I think an important and fundamental distinction to make is the influence of the pro game on college hockey,” Corbett said. “Of course that in conjunction with the expansion of the National Hockey League. In 1967, they doubled the size of the league so all of a sudden you get twice as many jobs at the NHL level.”
With another 20 teams and around 500 new jobs in the NHL since that era, the effect of expansion has only continued to bring collegiate players to the professional ranks. The continued growth of college hockey, as well as the game of hockey overall in the United States, has caused a trickle-down effect, impacting high school as well as junior hockey.
“Say a guy played at Melrose High School and then he went to Phillips Andover for a year and then he came to college. He was a year older, it’s like, ‘Oh wow, he’s a year older — he’s 19,’” Corbett said.
“Guys now are playing two, three years of junior hockey, and they’re going to college hockey, they’re 20and 21-year-old freshmen.”
The combined impact of the
growth of the college game and USA Hockey over the past 20 years has given rise to high-level American junior leagues. Top leagues like the USHL and the NAHL, as well as lower-level leagues like the USPHL and EHL have all contributed to the development of collegiate hockey players.
Such leagues have allowed for longer development periods, giving rise to the aforementioned “21 yearold freshman.” Through Corbett’s eyes, a dynamic has been created in which a fine line has been drawn for players.
“Having 32 NHL teams has affected the college game,” Corbett said. “We still lose guys who play major junior and decide to not have college as an option…It’s led to a situation where, and you know, you live in it in BU. In terms of always walking the line of recruiting guys that are going to be one and done.”
In recent history, that line has not always been walked carefully enough for a program that has seen top players like Jack Eichel, Trevor Zegras, and Joel Farabee make Comm. Ave. a one-stop shop en route to an NHL roster spot.
This season though, a highly motivated Terriers squad under new leadership has bucked that trend with ten seniors (four of whom are drafted), seemingly locked in for a “prove-it” final season. A mix of
high-end skill, solid leadership, and high-energy players is essential for a team’s success in the eyes of the man who’s been a Terrier at heart for 55 years.
“The best team is going to win the national championship,” Corbett said. “That’s going to be teams that have discovered that formula to have that blend of blue chip guys,
elite guys, a couple of those guys… You’re going to have something pretty special.”
Whether or not the 101st collection of Terrier hockey players possess that formula will be put to its first test on Oct. 1 when the season opens against Bentley University.
Marie-Philip Poulin has been a force to be reckoned with since lacing up her hockey skates for the first time at 5 years old. The Beauceville, Quebec native made a prominent mark in Terrier history while playing for the Boston University women’s hockey team from 2010 to 2015. She has also exhibited her first-class talent at every level of the sport since leaving Commonwealth Avenue, taking significant strides in the effort to grow the women’s game. During her time at Walter Brown Arena, Poulin brought the BU program to new heights. Serving as assistant captain her sophomore year, co-captain her junior year and captain her senior year, Poulin led the scarlet and white to four consecutive Hockey East championship titles and two NCAA final appearances. By the end of her BU career she topped the charts as the team’s all-time leader in points with 181, in goals with 81 and in assists with 100.
Poulin’s work ethic strengthened her success after college as she continued to be an integral part of the Canadian national team, which she originally joined at 16 years old. She scored in three consecutive Olympic final games, two of which team Canada brought home the gold. Most notably, Poulin wore the hero’s cape in the 2014 Sochi games when the captain scored the last-minute game-tying goal as well as the game-winning overtime tally to secure team Canada’s fourth straight gold medal. The tried and true competitor also racked up two IIHF world championship gold medals and
two Clarkson Cups in the CWHL with the Montreal Canadiennes.
Poulin has earned a spot atop the list of best women hockey players due to her high level of leadership on each and every roster she has skated for. Now 31 years old, she has elongated a career in a sport that has far fewer options for their female talents than male –– and she’s not going anywhere.
In June 2022, the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens added Poulin to their staff as a player development consultant. The role entails a detail-oriented focus on skill-improvement for both individual players and the team in general. Poulin will work on the
ice and in video sessions with the Habs while still pursuing her own playing career.
Poulin broke into a league that has long been a boys club and proved that there’s more than enough room for women in the professional game. Her hire has come during a time where the NHL is beginning to recognize the lack of diversity — in all forms –– in their organization and is adding female staff to different levels of team organizations.
In October 2021, Katie Guay broke the boundaries as the first woman referee in the AHL, the NHL’s primary developmental league. As with female players,
female officials have to look for opportunities outside of the major men’s leagues. Guay has paved a new path for change as she dropped the puck for one of the top hockey associations in the country.
Women have continued to push the envelope beyond officiating.
The Vancouver Canucks named Emilie Castonguay assistant general manager in January 2022 –– the first time in franchise history a woman has held this position. In July 2022, Kate Madigan was promoted to assistant general manager of the New Jersey Devils following her work in their hockey operations
since 2017.
Poulin’s new role fuels the fight for representation in hockey, but it is just the beginning. In March 2022, the NHL estimated that there were about 100 women in hockey operations across the league –– and that is just behind the scenes, not on the ice. If women hockey players want to continue their skating careers in the United States, they have two “premiere” options: the Premiere Hockey Federation or the Professional Women’s Hockey Player Association. The separated format of the leagues presents challenges in pulling in fan engagement and revenue.
Additionally, the NHL has a very detached relationship with both leagues as opposed to sports like basketball, where the NBA and WNBA work handin-hand in an attempt to elevate their female athletes. Someone of Poulin’s accolades in the NHL –– say, Sidney Crosby –– has tens of millions of dollars in the bank, sponsorships and endless open doors after retirement in the hockey world. Meanwhile, Poulin does not have that same level of luxury.
Despite the discrepancies between the women’s and men’s game, Poulin has excelled in all facets of the sport and will no doubt be a force for change as she enters this next stage of her journey. Through her hard work, young girls can recognize their power and set their goals higher than before. It was evident to all who watched Poulin in a BU jersey that she was something special –– the Terrier legend left an expectation for excellence in her wake.
The Boston University men’s hockey team is coming into the 2022-2023 season with a veteran squad hungry for trophies. This year’s roster boasts 10 seniors, all of whom have become an integral part of the Terrier identity as they head into their fourth year of collegiate hockey. In their final run in scarlet and white, these senior players have the opportunity to make it count.
“We’ve had some success, we’ve had some failure and now it’s our last kick at the can at it as a group,” senior forward Ethan Phillips said. “Especially as the seniors, we’re tight, so it’s very exciting and we’re happy to have everybody here.”
Let’s list them all out: Domenick Fensore, Jay O’Brien, Case McCarthy, Ethan Phillips, Matt Brown, John Copeland, Sean Driscoll, Sam Stevens, Jamie Armstrong and Wilmer Skoog. A lot of names, right? The group makes up 35% of the team’s active roster and has been responsible for much of the past season’s successes.
In the 2021-2022 campaign, BU’s top six players in points were all members of this year’s senior class. Guys like Fensore, O’Brien, Phillips, Brown and Skoog grew up last season and became reliable leaders on the ice with growing confidence and experience to add to their resumes. Now it’s time to take it up a notch.
“Winning the Beanpot was great, but we’ve got way more to prove,” senior forward O’Brien said. “We knew we
BU, and college hockey in general, has been witness to the much-discussed storyline of the “one and done” player since the NHL has become increasingly young. For example, Trevor Zegras left Comm. Ave. after his freshman season with the Terriers to find stardom in the big leagues with the Anaheim Ducks.
While an NHL lineup spot is the ultimate goal for these athletes, a four-year collegiate career offers invaluable development — both physically and mentally — for the budding professionals.
Following last season’s conclusion, there were questions around the then-junior class’ next stop. A majority of these guys could’ve gone pro and taken the leap to either the AHL or NHL after their junior year — but none of them did. This holds tremendous weight for the mood inside the BU locker room.
“It speaks to how much we care about this program, how much we care about this university,” O’Brien said. “A bunch of us sat down at the end of the year and felt like we had a lot of unfinished business here at BU, and the bottom line is we just weren’t done yet. We want to make a mark here.”
The veteran Terriers sent a message to not only their teammates, but to the BU faithful as well: they’re not going anywhere. Their unwavering commitment to the program — paired with the coaching change — brings a new energy to the squad and shows dedication to excellence
in representing this historic organization. The last time BU had close to as many seniors as this year’s roster was in 20072008 with nine. The 10 seniors are here for a reason.
It’s undisputed that the 2022 Beanpot Championship
“Obviously, we have goals for trophies, we want to win Hockey East, we want to win the Beanpot, we want to be national champions — that’s a goal that we’ve had since freshman year and we feel like we’re so close to it,” Phillips
BU also has strength in their younger guys and recently gave letters to Drew Commesso and Luke Tuch as assistant captains. Pulling junior players into the core leadership crew will hopefully ease the transition and give a louder voice to the next class of Terriers to guide the team.
Apart from the assigned leadership roles, BU has talent up and down the ice. Junior forward Dylan Peterson and sophomore defenseman Ty Gallagher both showed notable seasons last year, stepping up in big moments when, at times, the veterans couldn’t. Peterson was the last minute hero in the Beanpot title game and Gallagher was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.
title win will forever be part of BU hockey history. That lineup made its mark, and the Terriers showed they were true competitors. But there’s more to win given this team’s capabilities. BU has been booted from the first round of the Hockey East playoffs for two consecutive years and had a quick exit in the 2020-2021 NCAA tournament, while not receiving a bid last season.
Conference and national titles remain a goal, and somewhat of an expectation, for Terrier hockey. This senior group will have one last go at making those hopes a reality. The 2022-2023 team is the fullest-form, most competitive group BU has had since prepandemic.
said. “But also one of our goals is to leave the program better than how we found it.”
What also comes with a veteran team is having to bid farewell to some standout Terriers come May. This will be the largest class BU has had graduate in over 10 years, leaving a lot of shoes — or skates — to fill. While last year’s departures of Logan Cockerill, Ty Amonte, Joseph Campolieto and graduate student Max Kaufman were an adjustment, they didn’t punch as drastic of a hole in the squad’s upcoming roster.
It’s the reality, and also the beauty, of college hockey. These athletes get four years to either strive for or reach greatness, and then it’s done.
“Everybody on this team can lead in their own ways whether you’re a 19-year-old or you’re the oldest guy on the team at 23,” O’Brien said. “Everybody has their different ways of doing that and I think that’s what makes this team unique.”
Focusing in on the 36 games that lay ahead, a redemption season is somewhat forming.
The Terriers found their groove just a little too late last year to reach the heights every college hockey player dreams of. Their legitimacy was questioned throughout the 2021-2022 campaign, and now, with a clean slate and 10 seniors, it’s time to rewrite the narrative.
“We all love this place so much, and we want to win here and make our mark here and be remembered here forever,” O’Brien said. “That’s why we stayed, that’s what we’re here to do and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
THE Clare Haley Brendan Senior COURTESY OF BERNIE CORBETT (Left to right) Bernie Corbett and Jack Parker standing with the NCAA cham pionship trophy. Hockey announcer Corbett went to his first hockey game 55 years ago –– from that point on, he was hooked. STEVE MCLAUGHLIN DAILY FREE PRESS FILE Women’s hockey forward Marie-Philip Poulin. After her time on Comm. Ave., Poulin was successful at every level of the game and has now entered NHL operations for the Montreal Canadiens.“The bottom line is, we just weren’t done yet. We want to make a mark here.”
10 11 senior Jay O’Brien
