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The Men Who Would Be Reasoner

If you think you’re going to read about network journalist Harry Reasoner, you need to watch less TV and more hockey.

The Reasoner is Marty Reasoner, Boston College’s slick playmaker. Reasoner, Marty that is, garnered last year’s Hockey East Rookie of the Year award and should be one of the league’s top forwards this year.

Who will be this year’s Marty Reasoner?

Unlike Hockey East we’ll pick our pre-season rookie team and keep going for three lines, three pair of defensemen, and three goaltenders. Now admittedly this exercise is nothing short of journalistic Russian roulette will most of the barrels full, but at the very least you’ll find our picks entertaining.

GOALTENDERS

Our third string netminder is Marc Robitaille, one of Northeastern’s two freshmen goalies. Robitaille, 20, played last year for the Gloucester Rangers in Ontario’s Central Junior Hockey League where he racked up a 2.94 GAA in 35 games.

Robitaille is competing for Huskie netminding duties with fellow frosh Judd Brackett from the Junior Whalers and seldom-used senior Kevin Noke. According to head coach Bruce Crowder, “Marc has separated himself from the rest of the pack. Of course, there’s a lot left to be seen, but at this point he’s out in front.”

Robitaille won’t duplicate his 2.94 GAA for the rebuilding Huskies, but that shouldn’t stop him from being one of only three league netminders this year to establish himself as a number one goaltender in his inaugural season.

UNH’s Sean Matile nails down the second string spot. Matile played major junior hockey which forced him to miss last year as well as the first ten games of this year. Wildcat fans hope that he’ll be worth the wait.

Coach Dick Umile has tried to rein in runaway expectations, but has also indicated that Matile could contend for Rookie of the Year honors. “When Sean comes back,” he said, “we think that we’ll be real solid in our goaltending.”

Matile, a big boy at 6-3, 220, last played in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) for the Vernon Lakers. He compiled a 4.32 GAA and .892 save percentage in his last year there. Although mediocre at best, those statistics were reportedly more a measure of the weak team he played for than his own puckstopping ability.

Since then he has drawn raves from everyone from Maine’s top recruiter Grant Standbrook to teammates who practiced with him last year to fans who eyeballed his performance during Wildcat Midnight Madness.

Maine’s Alfie Michaud takes our top spot with a bullet. The more we hear about him, the more we like his chances. Michaud posted a spectacular .920 save percentage and 2.68 GAA last year while going 25-16-2, earning him a unanimous Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League All-Star selection.

Maine preseason press releases termed Michaud’s backups, Javier Gorriti and Ed Washuk, “walk-ons in the truest sense of the word.” As a result, Michaud, who played in 49 games last year, should get the call as long as he can stand. And if someone can prop up his exhausted body, that’ll be considered standing.

Although he looks to be the runaway winner among rookie dufflebags in games played, Michaud’s first-team status reflects more than mere endurance. Teammates who have practiced against him, as well as fans who watched him in Maine’s traditional Blue-White game, are convinced that the kid can flat-out play. They compare him to BC’s Greg Taylor, with the footnote that opponents had better beat him on the second or third shot, because they’ll rarely get the first one past him.

Michaud compares himself to NHL goalie Felix Potvin. “I like to come out and challenge. I have a lot of speed and I try to use it to my advantage,” said Michaud in an article by Larry Mahoney in the Bangor Daily News. In the same article head recruiter and goalie coach Grant Standbrook commented, “Alfie was the best goalie I saw in North America last year.”

Michaud could seriously challenge for Rookie of the Year, especially considering how vital he will be to Black Bear fortunes. All of Maine’s netminding eggs are in Michaud’s basket, so his performances alone could dictate whether Maine will once again be among the top teams in the league or whether they will fall back to also-ran status.

Seven of the last nine years Maine goaltenders have earned All-Hockey East honors. Michaud should eventually carry on that Black Bear tradition.

DEFENSEMEN

Our number five and six defensemen are Providence’s Josh MacNevin and UNH’s Dan Enders.

Enders is only 5-10, 178, but that didn’t stop him from being named a USHL second-team All-Star last year. Playing for the league champion Green Bay Gamblers, Enders tallied a 7-19–26 stat line while proving that size is no measure of toughness; he totaled 153 penalty minutes in 45 games.

Enders has reportedly looked good in practices, but played little in New Hampshire’s exhibition game against Ottawa. However, coach Dick Umile had the confidence to use him during a key 4-on-4 late in the game, so we’re gambling that Enders will force his way into the rotation and make an impression once he’s there.

MacNevin, a fourth round NHL draft choice, is an offense-minded blueliner who played last year for the Junior A national champion Vernon Vipers (BCJHL). A second-team league all-star, he tallied 13 goals and 45 assists for 58 points in 51 games. He was also named Vernon’s top defenseman and Rookie of the Year.

MacNevin should have plenty of opportunity to show his stuff. Paul Pooley’s Friars graduated five senior defensemen last year. MacNevin should not lack for ice time.

Our second-team defensemen are Merrimack’s Andrew Fox and New Hampshire’s Jayme Filipowicz. Fox (13-31–44 in 64 games) was selected to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League All-Star squad. He also won team awards for MVP, Outstanding Ability and Gentlemanly Conduct, and Most Popular Player.

Coach Ron Anderson commented that Fox — along with fellow freshmen Sandy Cohen, Chris Halecki, and Drew Hale — “has looked very good and [is] ahead of where I thought [he’d] be. We’ve only been on the ice for four or five days. Give [him] another week and I think we’ll be real pleased.”

If Fox (6-1, 200) lives up to his billing, he could become the third Warrior defenseman and fourth Merrimack player overall in the last four years to earn a berth on the league’s All-Rookie team. He would join fellow blueliners John Jakopin and Darrel Scoville, as well as forward Casey Kesselring.

Filipowicz (6-3, 215) will make an immediate impact on the UNH blueline. He was reportedly the top scoring defenseman (7-29–36) in the USHL last year, and Dick Umile is already showcasing those talents.

Umile paired Filipowicz with Jason Krog on the points on each power play in New Hampshire’s exhibition game against Ottawa. He displayed poise and an ability to find the open man, rather than contributing with booming slapshots.

UNH’s defense struggled last year. If Filipowicz continues his fine blueline play against tougher competition, it will go a long way to catapulting the Wildcats to the top of Hockey East.

BU’s Tom Poti and BC’s Mike Mottau comprise our top pair of blueliners. The two New England prep stars ranked in virtually everyone’s list of Top Five incoming freshmen.

Mottau (6-20–26 in 31 games) hails from Thayer Academy. The New England Hockey Report says, “… Mottau has tremendous talent. He’s highly mobile. He has great hands. He’s an excellent stickhandler…. He also has a highly accurate shot — both wrister and slapper.”

Don’t look to find Mottau (6-1, 180) in the BC sin bin very often, though. He totaled a mere 14 PIMs in 31 games.

Poti, a similarly gifted offensive force, has already caught Coach Jack Parker’s eye. Out of BU’s five freshmen, Parker says, “Tom Poti probably looks the best. [He looks] very, very comfortable and [is] a very talented kid…. I consider him the best incoming freshman defenseman [in the league].”

Chris O’Sullivan’s departure leaves an opening (among others) on one point of the Terrier power play. Poti will be a leading candidate to fill that role.

Since Brian Leetch swept not only Rookie of the Year but also Player of the Year honors in 1986-87, BC’s Ian Moran has been the lone blueline winner of the top freshman prize. Poti could be primed to repeat that feat.

FORWARDS

Maine’s Cory Larose, UMass-Lowell’s Greg Koehler, and Northeastern’s Billy Newson comprise our third line.

Newson comes to the Huskies from the Hartford Jr. Whalers. Although his scoring statistics were not available, another Newson stat leaps out. He stands a mere 5-8, 165 pounds. Talent, however, often comes in small packages. Such appears to be the case with Newson.

Coach Bruce Crowder likes what he sees in the roadrunner. “He’s got great speed and he sees the ice really well. He’s also a great competitor.”

The Huskies finished last in league scoring last year and then graduated about half of its offense. Newson should be one of the solutions to that problem for Crowder, especially on Northeastern’s large ice surface where he seems destined to blast past opposing defensemen.

Lowell’s Koehler has already gained a measure of fame for his part in Ken Dryden’s Home Game documentary. Koehler (6-2, 195), a twenty-one year old from the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League, tallied 33-64–97 numbers in 49 games last year.

He begins this season centering an all-rookie line with Mario Leblanc and John Campbell on the wings. The line impressed in Lowell’s exhibition opener against Concordia. UML coach Tim Whitehead said of the three, “We are really pleased with how our freshmen [forwards] have come in and played at a higher level.”

Larose, 21, was named BCJHL Playoff MVP for his efforts in leading his Langley squad to the league championship finals. He also posted 28-46–74 numbers in 54 regular season games.

Larose (6-0, 180) opens the season centering what will probably be the Black Bears’ top line. Flanking him will be top goal scorer Shawn Wansborough and a reportedly much improved Steve Kariya, himself a league All-Rookie selection last year. He will also man one of the points during Maine power plays.

Merrimack’s Sandy Cohen, BU’s Chris Heron, and Lowell’s Mario Leblanc form our second line.

Cohen led the Sioux City Musketeers with 27-27–54 numbers during the regular season. He then elevated his game during the playoffs, carrying a sub-.500 team to the semifinals on the shoulders of his ten goals and ten assists in nine games.

He then upped the ante in the US Junior A Hockey National Championship Tournament when he netted seven goals and five assists in three games.

Smart alecks might opine that Cohen will be a “money player” who never gets to play in a “money game” at Merrimack. But Cohen could be just what the Warriors need to get into money games. Merrimack has needed the sniper that could win for them their fair share of the close games and give them a shot at big time games in March. Based on his performance last year, Cohen is the man.

Perhaps we’re nuts to select seventeen-year old Chris Heron (5-10, 168) for our second line. But perhaps we’d be nuts to leave him off. Playing for the Bramalea Blues in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, Heron piled up 48-59–107 numbers. Stats like that make one look past the peach fuzz that may or may not be on Heron’s cheeks.

Other, deeper Terrier teams might have had the luxury of redshirting Heron or playing him sparingly while he matured. This Terrier team, however, will look to get an immediate contribution from the highly sought after recruit. It says here they’ll get it.

UMass-Lowell’s Mario Leblanc (17-25–42 in 25 games) played in the second-line shadows while prepping at Cushing Academy. The unstoppable first line of Jason Philbin, Ryan Moynihan, and Nick Gillis, not to mention blue chip blueliner Tom Poti, grabbed most of the headlines. However, at Lowell he is already emerging from his former teammates’ shadows.

As noted previously, he is now paired with our third line selection Greg Koehler and John Campbell to form an impressive All-Frosh line. Since there are only four returning forwards with any scoring totals of significance, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Leblanc, Koehler, and perhaps Campbell manning Lowell’s second powerplay unit.

The New England Hockey Report says that Leblanc (5-11, 190), “has a very good shot and moves the puck well. A strong forechecker, he can hit and take a hit — he has a nasty streak too.”

Our top line can do it all. BC’s Jeff Farkas, BU’s Dan Lacouture, and Providence’s Fernando Pisani provide a mix of playmaking, sniping, and physical play in the corners.

Pisani (6-1, 185), ranked by The Hockey News as the number eight recruit overall, led his St. Albert Saints to an Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) title. An eighth round NHL draft choice, Pisani (6-1, 180) topped the AJHL with a 40-63–103 stat line in 60 games. He also piled up 134 PIMs.

Coach Paul Pooley has begun the season playing Pisani with Russ Guzior and Mike Omicioli, a line that should top any of the Friars’ lines last year.

Lacouture totaled 24-35–59 in 29 games for the Junior Whalers in the East Coast Junior Hockey League. A power forward at 6-3, 193, he was an early second round NHL pick. Lacouture cannot fill the physical void left in the wake of Mike Grier’s departure; only Grier could do that. However, Lacouture could develop into the Mike Pomichter of the late 90’s for BU. In the meantime, he will be the top power forward among league freshmen.

The Hockey News proclaimed that Farkas was the number one recruit in the country. Farkas (5-11, 175) piled up 36-64–100 numbers for the Niagara Falls Scenics out of the Metro Toronto Junior Hockey League. He has not only played on the national Select 16 and 17 teams, he also played in last year’s World Junior tournament and this summer’s Under-20 competition.

Farkas, the latest in a recent parade of blue-chippers to BC, also doubles as our Rookie of the Year selection. He becomes our “Man Who Would Be Reasoner”, a fitting title since they’ll be celebrating wins out of the same Boston College locker room this year.

USCHO All-Hockey East Rookie Team

First Team
Forward: Jeff Farkas, Boston College
Forward: Dan Lacouture, Boston University
Forward: Fernando Pisani, Providence College
Defense: Tom Poti, Boston University
Defense: Mike Mottau, Boston College
Goaltender: Alfie Michaud, Maine

Second Team
Forward: Sandy Cohen, Merrimack
Forward: Chris Herron, Boston University
Forward: Mario Leblanc, UMass-Lowell
Defense: Jayme Filipowicz, New Hampshire
Defense: Andrew Fox, Merrimack
Goaltender: Sean Matile, New Hampshire

Third Team
Forward: Billy Newson, Northeastern
Forward: Cory Larose, Maine
Forward: Greg Koehler, UMass-Lowell
Defense: Josh MacNevin, Providence College
Defense: Dan Enders, New Hampshire
Goaltender: Marc Robitaille, Northeastern

Hockey East Medley

USCHO All-Hockey East Preseason Team and Award Winners

Goaltender              Dan Dennis              Providence College
Goaltender Martin Legault Merrimack

Defenseman Jon Coleman Boston University
Defenseman Darrel Scoville Merrimack
Defenseman Mike Nicholishin Mass Lowell
Defenseman Ken Hemenway Boston College

Forward Chris Drury Boston University
Forward Marty Reasoner Boston College
Forward Mark Mowers New Hampshire
Forward Shawn Bates Boston University
Forward Eric Boguniecki New Hampshire
Forward Dan Shermerhorn Maine

Player of the Year Chris Drury Boston University
Rookie of the Year Jeff Farkas Boston College
Coach of the Year Jerry York (tie) Boston College
Ron Anderson Merrimack
Len Ceglarski Award Derek Bekar New Hampshire

USCHO Hockey East All-Nickname Team

Northeastern Sports Information Director Bill Doherty is college hockey’s founding father of player nicknames. His top two from last year were the priceless Mike (Bud) Veisor and Dan (Hobey Dobey) McGillis. Here is USCHO’s list of Hockey East nicknames, some original and some that have floated around Hockey East in recent years. Regretfully, Marc (Nachos) Grande was pulled from this list because he was a late roster scratch from Doherty’s own Huskies.

Boston College
Peter Masters (and Johnson)
Mike (Hockey Is My) Correia
Brian Callahan (Tunnel)

Boston University
Michel (Bunny) Larocque
Tom (Barnes &) Noble
Peter (Ninja Turtle) Donatelli
Brendan (90210) Walsh
Matt (You May Be Wrong, I May Be) Wright

Maine
Dan Shermerhorn (Of Plenty)
Reg (Stanford) Cardinal
Chris (Oakland) Roeder

UMass-Amherst
(Tony the) Tiger Holland
Tom Perry (and the Heartbreakers)
Dan (Hey) Juden
Chris (Leaky) Fawcett
Joe (Leon) Trosky
Rob (U2) Bonneau

UMass-Lowell
Mike (First Tee) Mulligan
Anthony (Gino) Cappelletti
Ryan (All That Glitters Is Not) Golden

Merrimack
Martin Legault (My Eggo)
Claudio (Wood) Peca
Jason (Touch and) Feeley

New Hampshire
Eric (Hole-In-One) Nickulas

Northeastern
Arttu (D2) Kayhko
Jeff (Mo) Vaughan
Jonathan (Prank) Calla

Providence
Dennis Sousa (Phone)
Jon Rowe (Row Row Your Boat)
Dan Dennis (The Menace)


The Greatest Hits of Hockey East

“I Got You, Babe” – Northeastern and new head coach Bruce Crowder. They say our love won’t pay the rent… may be all too true as last year’s Coach of the Year deals with a roster bereft of talent.

“I Feel So Lonely, I Could Cry” – PC’s Hal Gill, the only returning Friar defenseman from last year’s top six.

“Bat Out Of Hell” – Chris Drury on a breakaway.

“The Fool On The Hill” – who else, but the NCAA? Their ethically bankrupt decision to effectively strip a UNH women’s recruit of her scholarship because she took an advanced English course instead of one with “75% grammar” typifies an organization frequently in need of both brain and heart transplants.

“Bridge Over Troubled Waters” – Jerry York. He inherited a cesspool from Steve Cedorchuk and has resurrected the Eagles as a recruiting machine and emerging Hockey East power.

“Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” – UMass-Lowell, where three goalies were one too many in 1994-95. Scott Fankhouser returns from a year in the juniors to reunite The Swiss Cheese Trio. After a strong year from Fillion last year, however, there will be no trio nor Swiss Cheese. Look for new head coach Tim Whitehead to avoid the mistake of two years ago and tap one of the three as the odd man out.

“Back in the Saddle” – (not to be sung until December 24) Shawn Walsh. His detractors, and there are many, would instead nominate him for everything from “Lyin’ Eyes” to “Mistra Know It All”, but this writer will veto that choice, looking past his errors and welcome back a hopefully wiser Walsh who has been a great ambassador for the sport.

“The Sounds of Silence” – Jack Parker, when an official is having a bad night. (NOT!)

“Take This Job and Shove It” – Referees and linesmen within earshot of Parker on bad nights.

“All Revved Up With No Place To Go” – Tim Lovell, who may sit out the 1996-97 season before returning for his final year in 1997-98.

“Crazy Love” – Tim Lovell, again, if he instead returns in mid-season for the UMass-Amherst. Why trade a full regular season with the Black Bears for half a regular season and playoffs with the Minutemen?

“Wild Thing” – hairy BU fan “Sasquatch”

“My Hometown” – native Maine-iac Aaron Boone, who turned down reported full scholarships at UMass-Lowell and Merrimack to walk-on at Maine.

“Hit Me With Your Best Shot” – Merrimack’s Martin Legault, who looks to return to All-Hockey East status after an off year last season.

“Hello, Goodbye” – Maine’s Jeff Tory and Blair Allison, who left the Black Bears days after announcing they were staying.

“(You Look) Wonderful Tonight” – BU goalie Tom Noble, who magically still has every hair in place at the end of each game.

Fillion Reportedly Suspended for Six Games

Martin Fillion, UMass-Lowell’s pre-season All-Hockey East goaltender, has been suspended for six games for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, according to an article in The Lowell Sun.

Lowell coach Tim Whitehead confirmed after his team’s exhibition win over Concordia that he had banished Fillion to the stands for disciplinary reasons, but declined to elaborate. When asked if the punishment could extend to the opening night of the regular season, he answered, “It might.”

Since the appearance of the Sun, Lowell officials responded that, “[Writer] Chaz [Scoggins] is speculating,” and declined further comment.

If the article is correct, Fillion will miss the first five games of the season, all against league opponents. The five games would include home-and-home series against UMass-Amherst and Boston College, as well as the opener to a home-and-home against Merrimack.

Fillion was Lowell’s only selection to the All-Hockey East pre-season squad.

Lowell’s other goalies are senior Craig Lindsay, who appeared in seven games last year (4.24 GAA, .866), and sophomore Scott Fankhouser, who returned to the River Hawks from a reportedly exceptional season in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

Fairbanks Player Recovering after Surgery

University of Alaska Fairbanks defenseman Erik Drygas is recovering in the Intensive Care Unit at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital after suffering a serious neck injury resulting from a head-first collision with the boards during practice on Monday, October 7, 1996.

On Oct. 10, Drygas underwent surgery to repair a severe fracture to his fifth cervical vertebra. The injury has left Drygas partially paralyzed from the waist down with limited response from his upper body.

It is not known at this time the extent in which Drygas will recover from this injury.

The hockey world was rocked by a similar incident last year, when Boston University freshman Travis Roy fractured a vertabrae 11 seconds into his first collegiate shift.

Hockey East Announces Preseason Picks

Hockey East announced its preseason picks during its Media Day held today at the Fleet Center. Boston University took the top spot in the Coaches’ Poll, in which a first place vote is worth one point, second place two points, and so on. They were also the only team to place three players on the preseason team.

Coaches’ Poll

TEAM                    POINTS
1. Boston University 12
2. New Hampshire 20
3. Boston College 31
4. Maine 40
5. Providence 41
6. Merrimack 60
7. UMass-Amherst 63
8. Northeastern 66
9. UMass-Lowell 72

All-Hockey East Preseason Team

F: Shawn Bates, Boston University
F: Eric Boguniecki, New Hampshire
F: Chris Drury, Boston University
F: Mark Mowers, New Hampshire
F: Marty Reasoner, Boston College
F: Dan Shermerhorn, Maine
D: Jon Coleman, Boston University
D: Hal Gill: Providence
D: Ken Hemenway, Boston College
D: Jason Mansoff, Maine
G: Dan Dennis, Providence
G: Martin Fillion, UMass-Lowell

Howell’s Pre-season Picks for 1996-97

1) Michigan: Like you thought it would be Princeton?
2) Minnesota: A little young, perhaps, but good depth and the Wooger seems pretty optimistic.
3) Vermont: I can think of three reasons to justify this selection …
4) Michigan State: A very tough team with slight worries on D.
5) Denver: Last year’s late season collapse was probably an aberration.
6) Bowling Green: A great bet, especially if Petrie is healthy.
7) Boston University: Still the best in Hockey East, but definitely some worries due to recent defections.
8) Colorado College: Have to break in the rookies in a hurry.
9) Lake Superior: See Colorado College.
10) Clarkson: Todd White, Dan Murphy and a cast of bangers.
11) St. Lawrence: How you can resist putting these two teams together? A great group of youngsters.
12) New Hampshire: We’ll see if Umile successfully retooled the defense and goaltending.
13) Maine: A lot depends on last-minute roster developments. The Black Bears will probably surprise those who have written them off.
14) St. Cloud: This year’s up-and-comer.
15) Boston College: If only because of Marty Reasoner.
16) Western Michigan: Thank the Lord for the UIC transfers, or the Broncos would have had some big problems.
17) Harvard: Much rides on the freshmen and sophomores.
18) Minnesota-Duluth: Who comes out of the pack in the WCHA? Why not UMD?
19) Cornell: I don’t think Mike Schafer turned from a genius to an average coach over the summer.
20) Merrimack: OK, boys, don’t let me down this year.

Others I considered: Michigan Tech, Providence.

I think Michigan is a brain-dead choice for No. 1 and the next eight are those that I mentioned, although anything could happen to shuffle them within that pack. It seems as if there are numerous teams relying heavily on the contribution of frosh and sophs (CC, Lake State, Harvard, St. Cloud, etc.) and that should make things interesting. This is not a particularly strong year for seniors, but I think the young talent bodes well for the future.

Tigers Top WCHA Pre-season Poll

WCHA coaches, in their annual poll, have tabbed Colorado College to win its fourth straight regular season league championship.

The Tigers got seven first-place votes. Minnesota, Denver and St. Cloud State, which finished behind CC in that order, each picked up one first-place vote.

North Dakota was fifth followed by Minnesota-Duluth, Michigan Tech, Wisconsin, Alaska-Anchorage and Northern Michigan.

Coaches do not vote for their own team.

1996-97 WCHA Coaches Poll

 1. Colorado College (7)    156
2. Minnesota (1) 140
3. Denver (1) 130
4. St. Cloud State (1) 98
5. North Dakota 96
6. Minnesota-Duluth 92
7. Michigan Tech 68
8. Wisconsin 66
9. Alaska-Anchorage 30
10. Northern Michigan 24

WCHA Commissioner Charged with Felony Theft

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod was charged Friday with felony theft and theft by swindle, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Allegedly McLeod, the former athletic director at Minnesota-Duluth, used money from the university to pay off personal expenses.

According to the Star Tribune, the criminal complaint accuses McLeod of depositing over $2,800 of university money into his personal account, and using nearly $15,000 of university money to pay off a personal home-equity loan during the years 1992 and 1993.

McLeod’s attorney, Steven Pihlaja, told the Star Tribune that McLeod will plead not guilty and wants a trial to show that he had the permission of his boss, Greg Fox, UMD’s vice chancellor of finance and operations, to use the money to pay for university expenses.

The WCHA voted to conduct an unscheduled audit, but has made no immediate action toward McLeod’s status as commissioner.

Lovell To Decide By December

Senior forward Tim Lovell will decide by December whether he will join the UMass-Amherst Minutemen in mid-season. Lovell, a Norwood, Mass. native, left Maine, where he compiled 21 goals and 40 points statistics last year en route to a selection to the All-Hockey East team.

Lovell will choose between two options. He may sit out the entire year to retain his final year of eligibility for 1997-98. Or he may join the team on Dec. 27, the earliest he can play for the Minutemen due to NCAA restrictions on transfer credits. He is allowed to practice with the team in the interim.

When the transfer was originally announced on Aug. 29, Lovell said, “It wasn’t an easy decision for me to leave Maine. I still have a lot of friends there, and I wish the program the best. But I also wanted another chance to play postseason hockey and UMass gives me that chance. Besides that, the School of Education at UMass has a great reputation, and I’m looking forward to finishing my academic career there.”

Head coach Joe Mallen is leaving the decision up to the talented forward. Based on the importance Lovell has attached to the postseason, it appears likely that if the Minutemen are faring well, he will join them for the stretch run. However, if the team is struggling, he may opt to play a full season in 1997-98 rather than exhaust his eligibility with a half-season followed by a quick exit in the league playoffs.

Minutemen coach Joe Mallen expressed delight with the acquisition.

“I’m extremely pleased at the prospect of adding a player of Tim’s caliber to our team,” said Mallen when the transfer was announced. “He is a Massachusetts guy, and I think this will be beneficial to both Tim and UMass. Tim will add a new dimension of skill and experience to our team, and he will continue to pursue his degree in education in our nationally ranked Education Department.”

Lovell joins Brett Clark and Brad Mahoney in leaving Maine in the wake of their postseason sanctions. Jeff Tory and Blair Allison will also be leaving the Black Bears if selected for the Canadian National Team.

Michigan Tops CCHA Preseason Polls

The defending 1996 NCAA Champion Michigan Wolverines are the runaway favorite to win the Central Collegiate Hockey Association again in 1996-97.

Michigan garnered all of the possible 9 first place votes in the coaches’ poll, while gaining 33 of 34 possible first place votes in the CCHA media poll.

Michigan State was the consensus second-place team. According to the league, Michigan State was picked in the second to third place range on all ballots.

In the coaches’ poll, it’s Bowling Green who gains the third place spot, followed by Lake Superior State, Western Michigan and Ferris State respectively.

Miami, Notre Dame, Alaska-Fairbanks and Ohio State make up places 7 through 10.

The CCHA Media Poll takes a slightly different spin on the league with Lake Superior slipping ahead of Bowling Green for third place and Western Michigan rounding off the top 5.

Miami is picked to finish 6th in the media poll, followed by Ferris State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Alaska-Fairbanks.

CCHA Coaches’ Pre-season Poll

 1. Michigan (9)        81
2. Michigan State 69
3. Bowling Green (1) 63
4. Lake Superior 61
5. Western Michigan 41
6. Ferris State 36
7. Miami 34
8. Notre Dame 28
9. Alaska-Fairbanks 22
10. Ohio State 15

CCHA Media Pre-season Poll

 1. Michigan           339
2. Michigan State 270
3. Lake Superior 268
4. Bowling Green 254
5. Western Michigan 201
6. Miami 161
7. Ferris State 129
8. Notre Dame 114
9. Ohio State 74
10. Alaska-Fairbanks 60

Vermont Picked to Win ECAC

Vermont is the preseason number one team in the 1996-97 ECAC men’s ice hockey coaches poll, according to USA Today.

Vermont returns virtually the same lineup that led it to a 27-7-4 record last season and a berth in the NCAA semifinals against Colorado College. The Catamounts received 11 of a possible 12 first place votes from the coaches.

Among the key returners for the Catamounts are forwards Martin St. Louis and Eric Perrin, and goalie Tim Thomas. All three are considered solid candidates for the Hobey Baker Award this season.

Clarkson, who finished second last season with a 25-10-3 record, was voted second, while Harvard (one first place vote) is the preseason No. 3 team. St. Lawrence and Colgate round out the top 5.

Cornell, Rensselaer, Brown and Princeton will battle for the middle spots and Dartmouth, Union and Yale will fight to move out of the bottom, according to the ECAC coaches.

1995-96 WCHA Year in Review

The 1995-96 WCHA season was another thriller. The Final Five had two overtime games and another one-goal game in the semi-finals. The Broadmoor Trophy made the University of Minnesota, winners of the Trophy in 1993 and 1994, its 1996 resting place.

After that Minnesota and MacNaughton Cup champions Colorado College advanced to the NCAA championships. In the West Regional Minnesota beat Providence (5-1) but lost to Michigan (4-3) while CC topped Mass-Lowell (5-3).

Don Lucia’s Tigers proved to be a gritty representative into the finals when they beat Vermont 4-3 in double overtime. The legs were weary in the finals but it still took Michigan overtime to win the title from the Tigers, who have won three straight regular season WCHA championships, 3-2.

Another piece of icing was added when Minnesota’s Brian Bonin, who was the league’s MVP, was named the Hobey Baker Award winner, climaxing a career that was nothing short of spectacular. The Hobey Baker Award is given annually to the nation’s best Division I hockey player.

The list of conference award winners would make any coach look for a Zamboni to ride. How about having Rookie of the Year Brian Swanson (Colorado College) at center with Defensive Player of the Year Eric Rud (Colorado College) at defense. Add in the Student-Athlete of the Year, Dan Trebil (Minnesota) to the mix.

The first all-WCHA team featured forwards Bonin, Peter Geronazzo (Colorado College) and Teeder Wynne (North Dakota) back up by defensemen Mike Crowley (Minnesota) and Nick Naumenko (North Dakota). Goalie Ryan Bach (Colorado College) topped off the team.

The All-Rookie team should have fans happy for years. Swanson, Matt Cullen (St. Cloud) and Erik Rasmussen (Minnesota) are up front. Scott Swanson (Colorado College) and Darren Bradley (Alaska Anchorage) are on the blue line and Steve DeBus (Minnesota) mans the nets.

Clear the ice and start that Zamboni.

The 1995-96 pre-season coaches poll had Doug Woog’s Gophers topping Colorado College. But the Tigers lost just twice in WCHA play (4-3 to Denver, 3-2 to Minnesota) and won the title by 12 points. Minnesota finished a solid second and five teams finished with 30 or more points. Only Alaska-Anchorage (8) and Northern Michigan (5) finished in single digits in wins.

It was easy to see why the Tigers won the title. They led the league with 178 goals and gave up the fewest, 78. Special teams play can make or break any team and once again Colorado College was strong. They converted on 31.8 percent of their power-play opportunities and killed off 86 percent of their opponents. Both stats were tops in the league.

A look at the final conference scoring race has four seniors at the top; Bonin (25-39-64), Wynne (23-37-60), Geronazzo (31-24-55) and Colin Schmidt (Colorado College) (15-33-48). Fans should be happy that five of the next six leading scorers could return; Brian Swanson (19-28-47), Crowley (13-33-46), Antti Laaksonen (Denver) (18-23-41), Rasmussen (13-27-40) and Scott Swanson (8-31-39).

Four of the top four goalies also could return; Judd Lambert (Colorado College) (12-0-2, 2.05 GAA, .923 Save %), Bach (14-2-2, 2.70, .898), DeBus (10-6-0, 2.91, .894) and Jim Mullin (Denver), 6-4-2, 3.13, .887.

Can 1996-97 be more exciting? Probably, but that’s another story.

Now You See Them, Now You Don’t

In a direct about-face from previous comments that they were staying for their senior years at Maine, Blair Allison and Jeff Tory have now decided to try out for the Canadian National Team. Both players have been All-Hockey East selections the past two years. Tory was also a First Team East All-American in 1995-96. Both are considered to be odds-on favorites to make the Canadian team.

Tory and Allison had recently been quoted that they would be staying, citing loyalty to the Black Bear program. However, the lure of the national team and the exposure it would provide for their future professional careers proved too tempting to pass up.

Their likely departures follow those of Brett Clark to the Western Hockey League Brandon Wheat Kings, Tim Lovell to the UMass-Amherst Minutemen, and Brad Mahoney to the Northeastern Huskies.

The University of Maine has appealed the NCAA-mandated postseason ban that set into motion these defections. The outcome of the appeal, however, was not expected in time for the players to still have alternative opportunities in the event that the appeal failed.

Nothing Will Ever be the Same Again

Tonight in Montreal, Team USA defeated Team Canada, 5-2, in Game 3 to take the inaugural World Cup.

Over the history of the sport of ice hockey, very few international tournaments have ever been held that qualify as true world championships involving the very best each country had to offer. For the first time ever, Team USA can legitimately lay claim to being the best in the world.

Team USA finished with a record of 6-1-0, with two wins over Team Russia and three wins in four games against Team Canada (5-3-0). The last two wins came in Canada.

This tournament victory is the biggest win ever by a US hockey team. The 1980 Miracle on Ice led to 1996, no doubt about it. But this win surpasses 1980 because this win was no miracle, despite the last minute heroics tonight, and it came against the world’s best.

The record of 5-1-0 against Teams Russia and Canada is very convincing indeed, even though Canada put up a gallant fight and the teams were closely matched.

The relevance to college hockey comes in that Team USA was dominated by players who came through the US college system. About 17 of the Team USA players, including many of their key players, went through college hockey on their way to the pros. These players came from schools like Wisconsin, Boston College, Boston University, Minnesota-Duluth, even Division II and III schools like Bemidji State and Hamilton.

This is something that those of us who have spent years following college hockey and Team USA in its various incarnations can rejoice in.

U.S. hockey has taken a long time to get to this point. For a long time, despite the many big wins by US teams and great performances by US players, US hockey always took a back seat to Canada. But tonight, for the first time ever, every player, coach, and administrator involved in developing American hockey players can celebrate a well-earned world championship win by US hockey.

It may not have been followed as closely by the average U.S. sports fan, but the large hockey community that exists in the US knows the ramifications of this win. And the college hockey community played an integral role in making it possible. Without college hockey, it might not have happened.

The history of U.S. hockey has a number of great milestones. 1960 Squaw Valley and 1980 Lake Placid rank among them. But on September 14, 1996, a new milestone was reached. And from this day forth, in the world of hockey, nothing will ever be the same again.

It is truly a great day for U.S. hockey.

The Kid Who Wore Number Three

He began playing hockey at the age of two. A natural athlete, he competed primarily against older players until he was selected to the national Select-16 and Select-17 teams, beginning a streak during which he made every national team he tried out for. Recruited by all the top schools, he selected Boston University, in part because coach Jack Parker “really gets players ready for the next level.” He already had his eye on his ultimate dream, to play in the NHL.

Chris O’Sullivan will now get that opportunity. A second round draft pick of Calgary in 1992, O’Sullivan signed with the Flames in late August, forgoing his senior year at Boston University.

“I just thought it was the right point in my career,” he said. “I need the challenge of going up to the next level and getting used to the competition. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing….

“My number one [goal] is to make the Calgary Flames. I’m not going there to go to the minors or sit in the background. I’m going to go there and make that team. [After that] I would love to play in the NHL as long as I can.”

Although he is leaving, BU still holds a place near to his heart. “I’m going to miss those guys,” he said. “Boston University was my greatest experience. I can’t say enough good things about the place and about the people I’ve met there.”

Perseverance In The Face Of Adversity

Although at first glance Chris O’Sullivan’s career has been one smooth stride from one level to the next, that hasn’t always been the case. Part of a family with eleven children, Chris remembers their father “making three or four trips a day going back and forth to the baseball field or hockey rink or football practice or my sister’s field hockey. It was tough when I was in high school when my father first got sick and ended up passing away from cancer. That’s when I decided to come home from prep school and go to Catholic Memorial. The first month I enrolled at CM in the fall, that’s when my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer.”

The O’Sullivan clan, led by oldest brother Shaun, then twenty-seven, circled the wagons. Shaun, who had played at Northeastern and in the pros, supported the family. “We all pulled together,” said Chris, “and everyone pitched in doing their share.” Neighbors and teammates helped out with rides and somehow the dreams stayed alive, not only for Chris but also for his sister Stephanie, who has since gone on to be 1995 ECAC Women’s Player of the Year and is now looking towards competing in the 1998 Olympics.

At Catholic Memorial Chris found a different high school environment than he had experienced while away at Governor Dummer. “Governor Dummer was more of a prep school where hockey was secondary,” he said. “CM always pushed you to get your education, but the hockey was so important for them. Winning was such a big tradition.” That suited Chris just fine as he led them to yet another state championship.

During these years he was also earning berths on the national Select teams. “One of the highlights of my career was to participate in USA Hockey. They have such a great program and develop kids at such a young age.” A year after playing in a local tournament with the Select-16 team, Chris tried out for the Select-17 team. “I made that team and we got to travel to Japan. That was a great experience.”

Even after entering college, Chris’s links to USA Hockey continued. “When I was 19 I made the national junior team and we played in Czechoslovakia for two weeks. Then when I was twenty I went to the world championships in Stockholm, Sweden. I’ve been very fortunate to make those teams at every level that I’ve tried out. They’ve given me different life experiences that I’ll probably never get to have again.”

His experience with the Select teams, combined with his play at high-profile Catholic Memorial, made him a highly sought-after recruit.

“BU was always my number one choice, but I wanted to make sure. I never wanted to go to BU and then maybe look back and wonder about what the other schools had to offer,” he said. Boston College, Maine, Michigan, and Wisconsin were among the other possibilities.

After trips to BC and Maine he considered his choices. “I wanted my family to be able to see me play around Boston so that eliminated Michigan and Wisconsin. So it came down to Maine, BU, and BC. I just felt that all-around BU would be the best place for me. I’d grown up watching them and had admired the guys who had played for them and then gone on to have great NHL careers. So I thought that would be the best step to reaching my ultimate dream, which would be to have the opportunity to get to the NHL.”

Over Before It Started

Chris didn’t enroll at BU until midway through the 1992-93 season since he was completing his high school coursework at CM during the fall semester. Even though he was joining an established Terrier squad in mid-season, Chris still felt immediately at home.

“I was fortunate enough to grow up with, and have as one of my close friends, Kevin O’Sullivan who was captain at BU that year.” Kevin O’Sullivan, no relation to Chris, was one of many BU players who had also gone to CM. This list also included Mike Prendergast, Michael and Mark Bavis, Stephen Foster, and Dan Donato.

“All those guys played at CM before and so we’d always had that connection. That’s why I was always comfortable around the locker room even before I got to BU because I had known those guys. I wasn’t walking into a locker room where no one knew who I was or I didn’t know much about them.”

While making a smooth transition off the ice and in the locker room, Chris was immediately tested on the ice. “Coach Parker gave me a great opportunity in the five games I did play before I got injured. He had me playing the power play. He threw me into the fire to see what I could do. I felt I was ready and he felt I was ready. It worked out pretty well. It was just unfortunate that the injury happened.”

In his fifth game Chris broke his neck, ending his season. Although comparisons to Travis Roy’s injury are inevitable, Chris’s injury was quite different. Although he lost feeling for a few seconds after hitting the boards, he was able to get to his feet with the help of the trainer and actually didn’t get X-rays until two days later. Five weeks after the accident he had surgery, which fused a bone graft from his hip into his neck to stabilize the shifting vertebrae. The surgery has left him with an eight-inch scar rising up from the base of his neck, but the ensuing eight months of rehab and continued attention to stretching and massage have resulted in a pain-free outcome.

Only In Horseshoes And Hand Grenades

After redshirting his abortive 1992-93 season, Chris began the 1993-94 campaign part of a deep crew of Terrier blueliners that also included eventual All-Hockey East first team selection Rich Brennan as well as Kaj Linna, a second team All-American the previous year, Dan Donato, Doug Wood, and freshmen Jon Coleman and Shane Johnson. BU was again a league and national powerhouse, due in no small part to this group.

As the Beanpot neared, Chris had established himself in most observers’ eyes as one of the top three Terrier defensemen along with Brennan and Linna. Then, injury struck once again. “Four days after I did an interview about how excited I was to play in the Beanpot, I separated my shoulder and was unable to play,” Chris recalled. “That was one of the toughest situations I’ve been in as an athlete. I grew up watching the Beanpot. Playing in it is such a big thing.”

Without both Linna and O’Sullivan, BU was dominated in the opening round by Harvard 4-2, a deceptively close score in a game totally controlled by the Crimson. “It was frustrating to have suffered back-to-back injuries in January that kept me from playing in the Beanpot [two years in a row].”

Although he had again missed a Beanpot opportunity, Chris soon returned to the lineup. As the playoffs approached, the Terriers had earned their first regular season Hockey East title. As the number one seed in the league playoffs, however, they encountered an unlikely first round opponent.

The Maine Black Bears, saddled with forfeits and a league playoff ban for violations involving ineligible players, had gotten a court injunction allowing them to play.

Maine’s fourteen forfeits had transformed them, however, from a number two seed in the tourney to its lowest seed. Rather than breezing past easy pickings in the opening round, the Terriers were instead matched up against a top rival that was eager to save playoff face.

“At first when we found out [that we were playing Maine] we were really questioning it. They had a great team,” said Chris, “…[but] we just took that as a challenge. We had a team meeting and the guys, the older guys especially, said, ‘Let’s end their season legally now. No off the ice stuff. Let’s do it on the ice.'”

To make matters worse, they would have to face the Black Bears without Chris, J.P. McKersie, Jay Pandolfo, and Doug Wood in the first game of the best-of-three series. All four had been involved in a brawl near the close of the final regular season game against Providence. Ironically, the BU players had rushed into the brawl in defense of Mr. Intimidation himself, Mike Grier, who according to reports had been tangling with two Providence players.

Coach Jack Parker had not been pleased with the fighting and resulting suspensions. Chris, however, saw things differently. “At the time it was the thing to do. I’d do it again if it happened again. I felt one hundred percent in the right. It didn’t really mean that much what the Coach thought about it. The Coach was disappointed in all of us that took part in it. He just thought it got out of hand, that the refs let it get out of hand. But when that happens to your teammate, you can never go back to the bench or into the locker room again if [you do] anything but [stand up for them].

“Those are the things you have to do sometimes. I think the Coach realized that. But I think he was only disappointed because he thought we should have been smarter with the playoffs coming up.”

As it turned out, BU and the suspended players dodged a bullet. They beat Maine 8-5 without the four players and then completed the sweep 4-3 the following night. They then went on to win the Hockey East championship, beating UMass-Lowell 3-2 in the finals.

What appeared to be a BU juggernaut rolled through the NCAA playoffs until the title game, posting convincing 4-1 wins over first Wisconsin in the regionals and then the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the semifinals. Only Lake Superior State, coached by Jeff Jackson, stood in the way of BU’s first NCAA championship since 1978.

Lake State, however, not only took the crown, they humbled the Terriers in the process, 9-1. It was a sobering, disquieting loss that would haunt the squad all summer long. Two years after the fact, Chris viewed that game from a perspective that was probably not possible at the time.

“Having played for Jeff Jackson last summer in Finland for the Over-20 Select Team, I realize now what a great system he has and how disciplined his players are. They didn’t have to have all the top talent in the country to go out and win the championship. I know we had the talent that year to win it, but they were more disciplined than [we were], especially in that game.

“They were just a great team. They didn’t have individuals who went out and scored forty goals, but collectively they were the best team in the country. You have to give them credit for being a great team and a great coach. But that lit a fire under us that summer.”

Chris had one additional source of summertime motivation. When Hockey East announced its All-Rookie team, his absence was conspicuous. Picked ahead of him were John Jakopin from Merrimack and Tim Murray of UNH. For a player who’d been selected to seemingly every team he’d ever tried out for, the snub stung.

“I’ve got to admit that I was pretty disappointed. I really thought that I might have deserved [to make the team]. But… you can use it for motivation or you can be bitter about it and maybe think you’re not getting the respect you deserve. I looked at it as motivational and that helped me come back the next year and do some things differently.”

Differently indeed.

Movin’ On Up…To A National Championship

When Chris returned to the BU campus in the fall of 1994 he found that Coach Parker “had a different agenda for me. We lost Mike Pomichter who signed with Chicago in August and we had lost two other left wings to graduation that year. So we were thin on left wing.

“He actually asked me how I felt about playing left wing but before I answered he said, ‘I’m just asking you out of courtesy because that’s where you’re playing,’ and he joked about it. He said, ‘That’s what the team needs. We’re going to try you there and see how it goes and if you don’t adjust well you’ll just go back to D.’ He was going to try it until December and see how it went.”

Paired with center Steve Thornton and right wing Mike Grier, the trio hit the ground running and never looked back. In no time they became one of the most feared lines in college hockey.

What was the key to the line’s success? “We had a great center in Steve Thornton. He was a great power play guy, a great shorthanded guy, a great regular shift guy. He was a skilled guy but he also worked his tail off…. He was a good skater. He was a great handler of the puck. He was a very smart player.

“Mike Grier brought a lot also, his size and his intimidation. It was just a great combination from the start. I couldn’t have asked to play with two better linemates.”

Although the Terriers, and especially his line, were playing well, Chris was still nervous heading into the 1995 Beanpot. Since he’d been injured the previous two years and been unable to play, this time he was taking no chances. “The few days before the Beanpot even walking around the campus I had to make sure I didn’t get hurt or have anything happen. I felt that unlucky about it.” As it turned out, there was nothing to worry about. Chris played and BU breezed to a 6-2 win over Northeastern, followed by a 5-1 win over Boston College in the final.

After tying Maine for the Hockey East regular season crown, BU took the Hockey East championship for the second straight year with three close wins: 4-3 over Merrimack in the quarterfinals, 4-2 over UMass-Lowell in the semis, and 3-2 over Providence in the championship game.

The Terriers parlayed their 28-6-3 record and Hockey East championship into a deserved ranking as the number one seed in the NCAA Eastern Regional.

So what easy matchup did that deliver into BU’s grasp?

In an irony lost on most BU fans, the Terriers, the number one seed, drew the hottest team in the country. And not just any old “hottest team in the country.” It was the boogeyman that had haunted their closets all summer long. Lake Superior State, the team that had humiliated them the previous year, had looked dead and buried halfway through the season before it had Bela Lugosi-ed itself into the NCAA’s with an amazing stretch run of 15-1-1. They were the last team anyone wanted to be paired against.

“When they came out with the pairings,” Chris recalls, “we weren’t happy about getting Lake State because we felt that we deserved a different team. But we definitely weren’t going to cry about it. We just felt that… we’d have to go out there and play hard.”

The Terriers didn’t just nudge the boogeyman back into the closet. They knocked him out cold and sent him to Hades while posting a dominating 6-2 win. “We had a great game as a team and everyone pitched in. It felt like getting a monkey off our back.”

From there the Terriers beat Minnesota 7-3, largely on the strength of a third period, four-goal outbreak. In the finals, facing Hockey East rival Maine, who had outlasted Michigan in a legendary triple overtime semifinal game, BU won all three periods on the way to a 6-2 win. “Playing three big schools with three big traditions [like Lake State, Minnesota, and Maine] made it that much sweeter.”

Chris’s three goals during championship weekend, one in the semifinals against Minnesota and two in the finals against Maine, along with his stellar all-around play, garnered him tournament MVP honors. “That was a great feeling for me personally, just the feeling of being able to contribute to a championship. The fact that we got to win the national championship was something I had dreamed about as a kid. Finally getting the ring meant so much to me as a player. Looking back on my career the biggest achievement so far has been winning the national championship and getting a ring with my teammates.”

Highs and Lows, Frustrations And Disappointments

“[1995-96] was a very emotional year for us as a team going through JP’s comeback and Travis’s injury. That’s where Coach Parker came in and did an exceptional job,” said Chris. “It was tough for us and maybe took us out of focus a little bit. Seeing something like that makes you appreciate life that much more and appreciate playing the game and seeing how lucky you are getting a scholarship for something you love doing. It just makes you think about life and the different experiences and different opportunities you can make of it.”

Would Travis’s injury make the Terriers more cautious and less aggressive? “When I look at that injury it’s a very scary thing. But you can’t be out there thinking about getting hurt or what might happen. You have better odds of getting in a car accident. If you’re out there to play, you have to do it 100% and play hard or it’s not worth being out there.”

As it turned out, the Terriers overcame their obstacles and raced out to a 15-1-1 start. They were ranked number one in the nation. “We had a great record, we had great team unity, and we were on a roll. But then we had a couple of bad games, got a couple bad bounces, and all of a sudden we had a few losses. That wasn’t something we’d been through in the past.”

The seeds of their eventual downfall began to be sown. “We weren’t doing the things we did in the past year. We weren’t beating teams coming right out of the gate. We weren’t scoring two or three goals quickly. We’d find ourselves down maybe one or two before we got going. I don’t really have an answer for what exactly it was, but that was the track record we got ourselves into. It ended up killing us in the end.”

After again taking the Hockey East regular season crown and then rolling over the UMass-Amherst Minutemen in the playoff quarterfinals, BU squared off against Providence. The Friars had slumped in the second half of the season, but had rallied to beat Boston College to advance to the playoff semifinals. Most observers expected the Friars to become dog chow for the powerful Terriers.

BU, however, dug itself a 5-2 hole in the first two periods, much like they had done to such a frustrating degree over the second half of the season. Although a furious third period rally closed the score to 5-4, the Friars hung on for the win. They went on to win the Hockey East tournament, a championship that BU felt should have been theirs.

“If we’d played the first and second periods like we played the third,” said Chris, “it wouldn’t have been a close game at all. I don’t know why we weren’t focussed. We paid the price in the Hockey East tournament.”

At that point Coach Parker had seen enough. The Terrier defense, a stronghold in previous years, was not collectively playing championship-caliber hockey. Although Jon Coleman would eventually earn All-American honors, the lower end of the blueline depth chart was not getting the job done. Since there was more than enough front line talent, Parker moved Chris back to defense prior to the Hockey East consolation game and kept him there for the NCAA playoffs.

“I was playing forward at the time and I wasn’t producing a lot. I was playing injured the last two months of the season. I tore a ligament in my thumb and I was playing with a cast for those two months. I thought I could help the team more if I played defense. That’s something that I [told] the coach, that if it would be better for the team if I played defense he could move me back. Whatever was best for the team. And that’s what he did after we lost to Providence.”

Although Chris personally played well after the position shift, the Terriers continued to play less than sixty minutes at full throttle. They played forty minutes of a sixty minute game against Clarkson in the NCAA regionals, nearly squandering a 3-0 third period lead.

Then came Michigan in the semifinals.

“Not to take any credit away from Michigan because they played a solid game with us, but we did the exact same thing. We got outshot 17-1 in the opening ten minutes of the game. You can’t expect to win a game, especially in the Final Four, getting outshot 17-1. Especially at the beginning. We never really got to recover from that and we ended up getting shutout.

“It was frustrating… that we just couldn’t get it together as a team. The effort was there…. I felt we were the best conditioned team in the country…. It was just that something wasn’t clicking…. You go through spells like that when you just don’t have the answer.”

The season, so full of hope on the heels of the 1994-95 national championship, had finished on a very sour note for the team. Individually, the year had also been a disappointment for Chris. After tallying 23-33–56 in 1994-95, earning him second team All-American honors, Chris had dropped to 12-34–46.

“I wasn’t scoring a lot at the beginning of the year but we were winning. So everything was fine. I was trying to contribute as much as I could. I just went into a scoring drought. As the year went on I didn’t think I played as much as maybe I should have or could have to be more effective. But that wasn’t totally my decision. I was able to talk about that with the coaches, but we were doing so well that it wasn’t that important. I wasn’t looking at pressure on the statistics.”

Then the injury bug struck again, insuring that no late season flourish would be in the offing to make up for Chris’s goalscoring drought. “I was told the week before the Beanpot when I tore the ligament in my thumb that I could be out six-to-eight weeks. But I saw the doctor and was able to get a playing cast so it could be protected. I probably did play at 80% for the rest of the season. But I was willing to do that because I couldn’t afford to take the six-to-eight weeks off to watch from the sidelines, especially after what I went through during my freshman year with my broken neck. As long as I could skate, I’d definitely be out there.”

“My assists were right up there with the year before but my goals were considerably down. That’s something I’ve been working on this summer, but I look back on and it’s frustrating. It was just something that happened and there’s no other excuse for it. I thought I was very prepared going into the season and I was happy at times with how I played but I think it came down to a little inconsistency. I guess that’s something I have to work on.”

Do What’s In Your Heart

After the 1994-95 season, Calgary had shown minimal interest in signing Chris, feeling that he needed an additional year at BU. They were singing a different tune this past summer. NCAA regulations prohibit a player from hiring an agent, so the feeling-out process must be handled delicately.

“I had a family advisor towards the end of the season. And towards the end of the season Calgary contacted him through my family lawyer. He, [the family lawyer], contacted him and told him they were interested in getting me out. [My advisor told Calgary], ‘If you’re real interested, you should think about how interested you are because of the strict rules in the NCAA about negotiating. So you should maybe come up with an offer and if we’re close we’ll come out and negotiate or whatever…. If it’s not in the ballpark, he’ll go back to school.’

Chris added, “But it really wasn’t about that. It was about opportunity. I turned twenty-two in May, and I just thought it was the right point in my career.

“Coach Parker advised me and said, ‘Do what’s in your heart. If you want to come back and play college hockey and have a great year, you can go out on a real positive note. Or… if you need the challenge, and you think it’s time to go, then do that.’ ”

Chris had always appreciated Parker’s interest in his players. Parker wasn’t just a coach who only saw his players at the rink and then forgot about them. He was involved in their day-to-day activities.

Coach Parker had commented about three specific players at the end of the year, giving his view of their turning pro early. “He said that maybe Mike Grier should leave school. That he’s the type of player that has to get ready for the next level. That Shawn Bates might need another year of school overall for his development. That it would be best for his career if he came back to school for his senior year. And that for me it was up in the air. It was up to me. He didn’t know what the best decision would be for me. He said, ‘It’s all in your mind. Whatever you think [the right decision] is. I don’t want you to coming back to school and maybe playing at 90% and thinking about what could have been if [you] had signed.’ I realized halfway through the summer that it was really time to go and time to take the challenge. That’s when I decided to talk to Calgary and it ended up working out kind of quickly.”

Chris still intends to get his degree. “The number one priority when we were discussing this was getting my schooling done. But I’m a hockey player and I can’t play hockey until I’m fifty or sixty years old. I want to have fun while I’m doing it and hopefully do it as a career.

“But also on the school end I’ve always wanted my degree and my parents always wanted me to get my degree. I have a few brothers and sisters who have earned their college degrees, so it’s definitely something that I want to get done. I have exactly one year left, and I’ve already talked it over with my advisor. I had it put in my contract so I’ll be pursuing that starting next summer, finishing my year up and earning my sociology degree.”

Chris still believes in BU’s chances this year despite their significant losses to graduation and Mike Grier’s and his own early departures.

“They have a great freshmen class coming in. And they have Bates and Coleman and Drury, who have proved to be great, great players at this level. And they’re going to have great careers when they get out of college because they’re very talented players and they’re also great leaders. So there’s plenty of talent there and Coach Parker is still coaching there. As long as he’ll be there they’ll have very competitive teams…. Everyone on the team is hard-working and the mentality there is to win. They don’t accept losing…. They may have lost some leadership with me and Mike, and maybe some points and some talent, but the kids will just have to pick up the slack because they definitely have the talent.”

“I Couldn’t Tell You The First Thing About Calgary…”

Chris’s life will now change in major ways.

In college, a hockey player’s schedule is typically geared towards preparing for games on Friday and Saturday night. At BU, coming off a weekend’s games, the team would take either Sunday or Monday off, using the other day for a light skate and light session with the weights. Tuesday mornings, from the beginning of the season until early February, the team would gather at seven for a three-mile run before classes. That afternoon, they’d reconvene for practice. Wednesday practices would focus on conditioning, with laps and a hard skate the norm, while Thursdays would be less physically demanding as time would be spent on topics like the power play.

Friday would usually be a game day. “Pregame skates were mandatory. We’d skate from twelve to one, then have a team meeting at twenty past one. [We’d have] a pregame meal at 2:30. After the pregame meal on Friday I’d go back and watch a movie. I shared a room with Shawn Bates and we’d get a few of the guys and sit around and watch a movie. Just to get our heads away from it for a little. Just be relaxed.

“Then around five o’clock [we’d] maybe have a little snack. That’s when you start getting focused. You get down to the rink a little early. You start thinking about the game and preparing yourself mentally, getting stretched if you have to see the trainer. That’s something I always did, especially with my neck.

“On Saturdays, if we had a game the night before, after the pregame meal I usually took an hour and a half nap to make sure I was rested, because I always felt that after playing a Friday night game it was tough to get to sleep that night with a game the next night. So I always took a nap the afternoon of the next day.

“That’s the week of an athlete. You’re so tired and you have school to worry about too. You learn so much there and you put so much effort on the ice and off the ice into school. And you have your social life, your friends that you see. You want to make sure you have a good time and hang out and be a regular college student also. It’s a fabulous experience that I had.”

In the NHL, the focus will not be on a full week’s preparation for two weekend games, but rather, with three or four games a week, constantly getting ready for a game only a day or two away. Chris has been working hard during this offseason to prepare himself for the more physically demanding rigors of professional hockey. In late August he participated in a two-week conditioning camp at BU along with pros like Kevin Stevens, Joe Sacco, Dave Sacco, Rick Tocchet, and Kyle MacLaren.

“We skate from eight to ten in the morning. We work out with [BU Strength and Conditioning Coach] Mike Boyle afterward for an hour to an hour and a half. So that gets us prepared physically….

“I’ve worked very hard this summer, especially the last few weeks. It’s very important for me to stay focussed and go up there and give it my best shot and not look back and say, ‘I should have done this, I wished I’d done that.’ ”

There will also be a major lifestyle change. Gone will be the days when he could hop on the T, Boston’s subway system, and eat at home with his family. Gone will be the familiar Boston surroundings. The big city kid from Dorchester will be going to what may feel like the boonies in comparison.

“It’s going to be very strange. I think that’s going to be my biggest adjustment and lifestyle change. I’ve already had some advice from some people, especially Mike Sullivan who played at BU. He’s a member of the Calgary Flames. He’s been out there for a few years. Hopefully he can help me adjust out there as far as [getting comfortable] during training camp with the city. He’s talked to me a lot about it. Knowing someone who is going to camp is pretty important. I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be good to get away from home for once and see how I do on my own.

“I couldn’t tell you the first thing about the city of Calgary,” Chris said, laughing. “The only thing I know about it is that they had the Olympics there. It looked great on TV back then but I don’t have the first clue as to what type of city [it is] or what the strengths of the city are. I know the taxes are pretty tough there for Canadians, but that’s about it so far….

“I’ve always grown up watching the Bruins. I’ve always said I would love to play for the Bruins. I think playing close to home was very comfortable for me, but at this age this is best for me and Calgary has been a great organization . They’ve been great to me while I’ve been in college…. They’ve been first class people. I’m really looking forward to playing for the organization and being a part of it for a very long time.”

Although the Flames drafted him as a defenseman, Chris isn’t completely sure whether he’ll be on the blueline or at forward. “I think they want me to play defense but we’ll see how I adjust to playing defense at that level. I still haven’t squashed the chances of coming back and also playing forward. That’s basically up to them. I can play both, I know I can play both…. So whatever I have the better shot at playing in the National Hockey League is where I’ll play.”

The Kid Bids Adieu

As he prepared for this next step in his career, he looked back on the college hockey game. “I’m going to miss those type of fans compared to the average pro fan who is up there screaming and yelling about people making money and that they’re not worth it. It’s definitely a different type of fan. I’m going to miss that game.”

When asked how he’d like those college hockey fans to remember him, he responded with a fitting epitaph for his career with the Terriers.

“I’d just like them to remember me as the kid who wore number three for BU and who was a national champion.”

Maine Hockey Loses Three, Retains All-Americans

Maine lost three players this week in the wake of NCAA sanctions against the program, but reportedly will keep two important All-Americans on the roster, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Brad Mahoney and Tim Lovell, both seniors, transferred to rival Hockey East schools this week. Mahoney transferred to Northeastern to play for Bruce Crowder. Mahoney cited ice time as his main reason for making the jump.

Lovell transferred to UMass where he will sit out the 1996-97 season to work on his academics before finishing out his college career at UMass in 1997-98. Lovell’s move surprised many, especially when it was found out he would have to sit out at least half a season. UMass has finished in 9th and 8th place respectively the last two seasons.

Brett Clark, a Hockey East All-Rookie Team selection in 1995-96 has elected to try out for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Major Junior A program, and Clark will lose his college eligibility by playing there. Clark was looking for more exposure to market himself as a player.

The good news for Maine, according to the Bangor Daily News, is senior goaltender Blair Allison, an All-American in 1994-95, and senior defenseman Jeff Tory, an All-American each of the last two seasons, have both decided to stay at the university. Both had considered trying out for the Canadian National Team.

To date Maine has lost seven players this off-season. Seniors Brad Purdie, Tony Frenette and Blair Marsh graduated, and forward Jamie Thompson left the team along with Lovell, Mahoney and Clark.

While it will help to have Allison and Tory back, Maine will miss Clark and will be thin on defense this season. Maine ended last year with only seven defenseman on scholarship, and with Clark leaving and no defensemen recruited on scholarship for Maine, it will be up to the six guys left to carry the load. Maine will return Tory, fellow senior Jason Mansoff, juniors Brian White, Jeff Libby and Leo Wlasow, and sophomore David Cullen on the blueline.

Maine was penalized on July 31 by the NCAA for numerous violations. Among those penalties against the program was a ban on postseason competition for Maine this season. Because of the sanctions, Maine seniors could transfer before the start of school without having to sit out the mandatory season.

Duluth AD McLeod Resigns

Bruce McLeod resigned his position as University of Minnesota-Duluth athletic director Wednesday, citing personal reasons, according to USA Today.

Minnesota-Duluth officials named Dr. Patricia Merrier, Duluth’s faculty athletics representative, as interim athletic director for the remainder of the summer. An acting athletic director will be named this fall.

“My decision to resign was all mine,” said McLeod. “It came after a lot of thought and contemplation. The bottom line for the decision is that I do think it’s best for everybody. I know it’s best for Bruce McLeod.”

McLeod, the WCHA Commissioner, has taken a lot of heat over the summer, much of it from local media, specifically the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

In June, the Star Tribune exposed McLeod for allegedly trying to pay off a woman to drop sexual harassment charges against a professional hockey player living on the Duluth campus. Reportedly no payments were ever made.

Recently, the Minnesota state legislature was looking into holding hearings this fall into a misuse of funds within the Duluth athletics department. Legislators are concerned with Star Tribune reports that say hundreds of thousands of dollars set aside by the legislature for women’s athletics, were moved into paying for other parts of the athletic department, including administrative salaries. Much of this money was reportedly not going to women’s sports, and at the same time women’s sports were being told there was no money available to them.

McLeod had been employed by the University of Minnesota-Duluth for over 25 years, and was the athletic director for the past 13 seasons.

O’Sullivan Signs with Calgary

Boston University’s Chris O’Sullivan has signed a pro contract with the Calgary Flames, forgoing his senior year. O’Sullivan was drafted as a defenseman on the second round in 1992, prior to his attending BU.

In 1992-93 he redshirted after a neck injury felled him after only five games. The following year he was one of many excellent defenseman on a Terrier team that progressed all the way to the title game before falling to Lake Superior State.

BU’s strength on the blueline the following year, combined with O’Sullivan’s well-rounded skills, prompted his shift to left wing on a line with Steve Thornton and Mike Grier. The line immediately clicked and he went on to score 23 goals and 33 assists.

After BU won the national championship, O’Sullivan was named tournament MVP for his three goals and all-around play. He was also named a second team All-American.

Last year O’Sullivan was shifted back to defense near the end of the season and was named to the All-tournament team at the NCAA regional.

His skating, playmaking, and defensive skills have earned him berths on national select teams ranging from the Select-16 and Select-17 teams to positions on the US teams that have competed in the World Junior Championships.

CCHA Accepts Northern Michigan

The CCHA unanimously accepted Northern Michigan University’s application to return to the conference Monday. The Wildcats entered the CCHA in 1976-77, before leaving for the WCHA.

“We are very pleased to be accepted back in the CCHA for the fall of 1997,” said NMU athletic director and head hockey coach Rick Comley. “We [our administration and fans] are excited about renewing past rivalries with the members of the CCHA.

“I appreciate very much what the WCHA has done for us over the last 13 years and I wish them all the best in the future.”

Northern Michigan will begin CCHA play in 1997-98, and likely will fill the void left in the CCHA schedule when Illinois-Chicago dropped its hockey program this spring. The exact format will be decided by the CCHA council next month.

Maine To Keep ’93 Championship

The NCAA Executive Committee announced today that the University of Maine will retain their 1993 Ice Hockey National Championship.

Amid numerous NCAA violations, the one pertaining to Dunham was his acceptance of a stipend when he was the U.S. Olympic tean. The goalie was a member of the 1993 national champions.

The Executive Committee met and ruled immediately today that Maine had no knowledge with regards to the eligibility question of Dunham, and that Dunham and his family followed correct protocol in their decision making process. The NCAA termed Dunham’s family acted in “good faith.”

“We were very concerned,” said Maine sports information director Matt Bourque, “but what the NCAA went back to is that this student athlete [Dunham] and family had followed the proper channels and were misadvised by USA Hockey.

“The NCAA concluded that Maine had no knowledge.”

Since Maine reported numerous NCAA violations back in December, there had been many questions as to whether or not it would keep the title in light of eligibility questions for two players on that team, forward Cal Ingraham and goaltender Mike Dunham.

In the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions report, the NCAA threw out Cal Ingraham’s eligibility question. Ingraham sat out 14 games during the 1993-94 season, in effect, satisfying the NCAA in that regard. To penalize him again would be what is called “double-jeopardy” on the University of Maine.

The big question was Dunham, whose family accepted over $1,000 for his playing on the U.S. Olympic team in 1992. Dunham’s mother accepted a check from USA Hockey, and deposited it into Dunham’s account only after USA Hockey reportedly told Mrs. Dunham that the money was for expenses Dunham incurred, and was permissible under NCAA rules.

The key in this case hinged on whether or not Maine, as an institution, should be penalized for something they had no control or knowledge over. However, the NCAA is usually very cut-and-dry with regards to titles.

“It’s almost automatic,” said Robin Green of the NCAA Committee on Infrations with regards to the NCAA stripping titles from schools using ineligible players.

Bourque said that the Maine program finally had some positive news.

“It’s finally some positive news, not only for the program, but for the fans,” Bourque said.

The only issue left pending is Maine’s expected appeal of next year’s post-season ban. There is no word on a time-table for that at this time.

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