BU Men's Basketball Highlights From Saturday's Victory

America East Men's Basketball Quarterfinals: BU vs Hartford from seth orensky on Vimeo.

Special Thanks to Danny Will for filming and Seth Orensky for editing.

MEN'S HOCKEY: Road to the Garden - Quarterfinals Preview: (2) Boston College vs. (7) Massachusetts

by Chris Aliano

During the next few days, WTBU Sports will be providing previews of all the quarterfinals series of the men's Hockey East playoffs.  It all culminates on Friday, with a special BU-Merrimack preview and extensive coverage of the Terriers' first-round date with the Warriors.  Stay tuned.

In case you missed it:
(4) Maine vs. (5) UMass-Lowell Preview
(1) New Hampshire vs. (8) Vermont Preview

The Story: The Eagles are looking for their second Hockey East and NCAA championship in three seasons after a disappointing semifinal exit last year to their archrivals prevented them from playing in late March.  Massachusetts, meanwhile, had another typical "Minutemen season" this year, starting off hot, showing flashes of brilliance, but ultimately succumbing to mediocrity.

UMass roared out of the gates, going 9-3 at season's beginning, but those days are all but gone.  The Minutemen endured a 3-8 stretch during the second half at one point, including six straight losses that promptly bounced them from the national polls.  BC went 2-5 to start the second half of the season, but have only lost twice since that rough patch (9-2-1).  The Eagles swept the Minutemen in the regular season, and if that wasn't enough, they are also 12-2-0 at home.  The teams have met three times in the Hockey East tournament, including a BC sweep in the 2005 quarterfinals.

Both teams are talented up front and between the pipes, but one of the main reasons behind the Minutemen's struggles is the fact that they have two of the most prolific scorers in the country and are only eighth in the conference in offense (2.88 goals/game). The Eagles, meanwhile, have no problems scoring, indicative by their conference-leading offense (3.71 goals/game), also good enough for third in the nation.

Who To Watch For:  If you want to talk about a dynamic duo, then this series has that and more.  Minutemen forwards James Marcou and Casey Wellman have combined to wreak havoc on opposing goalies this season.  Marcou is third in the conference and tied for seventh in the nation in scoring (10g, 36a, 46p, 1.35ppg), while Wellman is third in the conference with 20 goals scored on the season.  The Eagles boast a terrific trio in Cam Atkinson, Brian Gibbons and Joe Whitney.  Atkinson is second in the conference with 20 goals, while Gibbons is fifth in total scoring with 42 points.  Defenseman Justin Braun is tied for fourth in scoring among defensemen (7g, 21a, 28p), while the Eagles' blue-line sniper Carl Sneep is tied for eighth with 22 points.

Between the pipes, Paul Dainton has started 28 games for the Minutemen, and has decent numbers, allowing opponents to score just under three goals per game.  The Eagles have no shortage of talent between the pipes, thanks to freshman phenom Parker Milner (9-2-1, 2.10 GAA, .914 SV%), who has provided the assistance that veteran John Muse knew he would need before the season began.  Muse had played virtually every minute during the previous two seasons, and after offseason hip surgery left his status in limbo, Milner came up huge down the stretch, gaining a majority of the starts in the season's final month and performing remarkably.  It is yet to be seen who head coach Jerry York starts in the postseason, but thanks to Milner's efforts, his decision will be especially tough.  Does he go with the experienced junior who won him a national championship, or the lightning-in-a-bottle freshman who has shown he can handle the heat?


The Prediction:  I think most of teams in these series are still going to be playing on Sunday, but thankfully for those good ol' Catholic boys over in Newton, they'll still be able to make 6'o'clock mass on Sunday night.  The Eagles are very well the most talented team in this tournament.  Hockey East has been down as a whole this year, but Boston College has represented it well, and can easily assure the conference its third consecutive national championship title if the Eagles continue playing as well as they have been into late March.  Massachusetts will have to rely on its big guns, as it has all season, but with the talent they'll be seeing in both Muse and Milner, the Minutemen will have to hope that the rest of the offense can pick up the slack when York makes sure his defense keeps Marcou and Wellman out of the crease at all times.  But if they couldn't do it during the regular season, who's to say they'll be able to do that now?  Exactly.  BC sweeps series, 2-0.

Men's Bball Championship Game: Coach Chambers Looks Back at Stony Brook and Breaks Down Vermont

 Coach Pat Chambers explains what helped the team persevere Sunday against Stony Brook to help them make their first America East Title Game since 2003. Chambers also talks about Vermont's personnel and what the Terriers will need to do to stop them and go dancing for the first time since 2002.

Men's Bball Championship Game: Carlos Strong ('10) Says Team's Focus Still One Day at a Time

 Carlos Strong states that even though this is one of the biggest games of their career the team is still focused on getting better and taking it one day a time. The defensive stopper also comments on Vermont's second leading scorer Maurice Joseph ('10).

Men's Bball Championship Game: Corey Lowe ('10) Talks About Team's Confidence

 Corey Lowe describes his team's fighter's mentality and their mindset headed into the America East Championship Game. He also touches upon the significance of the game to the team and the team's recent string of success over the past month and a half.

Men's Bball Championship Game: Jake O'Brien ('12) Gives His Thoughts On The Big Game

Women's Lacrosse Game Preview: No. 7 Terriers (3-0) Meet No. 5 Duke For the First Time

By Jashvina Shah

In the first ever meeting between these two teams, the Terriers will look to continue their winning streak in North Carolina against the Blue Devils today at 4:00 PM.

The Terriers are coming off a strong 15-10 victory against William and Mary. The Terriers have also beaten UMass (score) and Brown (9-5).

The Blue Devils are coming off a 13-6 win over Princeton. They have also beaten Vanderbilt (19-10), Denver (16-6), Richmond (17-9) and William and Mary (16-9). Their only loss of the season was a 4-17 decision against Maryland. All five of Duke's wins were decisive, characterized by high scoring.

For the Terriers in scoring, Traci Landy ('10) leads the team with 11 goals, while Hannah Frey ('12) is second with eight goals. Danielle Etrasco ('13) started the season with three goals in her first game, but has not scored in the last two games. Right now, Landy and Frey are carrying the team on offense; since her return, Frey has scored four goals in each of the last two games while Landy has continued her dominance with five goals against William and Mary. Goalkeeper Rachel Klein ('13)  has a goals against average of 6.98, with 20 goals allowed and 20 saves over three games.

Leading the Blue Devils on offense this season are four players who have goals in double digits. Sarah Bullard ('11)  leads the entire team in scoring with an impressive 21 goals through six games, an average of 3.5 goals per game. Lindsay Gilbride ('10) is a far second on the team with 13 goals, In net, goalkeeper Mollie Mackler ('12) has a goals against average of 9.50 after allowing 57 goals and recording 52 saves.

The Terriers have started their last two games without securing a strong lead early on. But, the Terriers managed to take the lead either towards the end of the first half or in the second half to win the game. Against UMass, the Terriers started strong, grabbed the lead early and never looked back. In the last two games against Brown and William and Mary the situation was a little different. The Terriers trailed in both games; facing Brown, they entered halftime trailing but roared back to outscore Brown 5-1 and take the game. Last Sunday, against William and Mary. the Terriers again found themselves down early but managed to grab the lead before halftime and kept it.

Like Boston University, Duke has also had trouble early in games. In their only loss of the season against Maryland, they allowed the Terrapins to enter halftime with a four goal lead, from which the Blue Devils were unable to recover. Against Vanderbilt, Richmond, William and Mary, and Princeton, Duke exhibited their trend of weak starts and strong finishes. The Blue Devils grabbed the lead early, but often relinquished it to their opponents. Despite that, the Blue Devils always managed to take back the lead towards the end of the first half.

It will be interesting to see how these two teams battle, given that they both seem to finish strong and play their best towards the end of the game. Also, Duke has a more prolific offense with around 14.16 goals per game, but they are also yielding an average of 9.5 per game. The Terriers are a little stronger in net and yield around 7 goals per game while scoring an average of 11.13 goals per game.

The Terriers should try to grab and early lead, but if they do, they should control the pace of the game and time of possession to keep  Duke from unleashing their solid offense, especially Bullard. If Duke comes away with the lead first, it may be difficult for the Terriers to come back since Duke has the ability to shut out their opponents for long stretches of time. To avoid that, the Terriers will have to try their best to prevent the Blue Devils from constantly pressuring the Terriers defense and goalie.

Women's Lacrosse: Frey and Curro Earn Honors

By Jashvina Shah

Sophomore Hannah Frey was named America East Player of the Week, and senior McKinley Curro was named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list.

The Tewaaraton Award honors the top male and female collegiate lacrosse players in the nation. Right now, the watch list is comprised of 52 female athletes and in June a winner will be chosen.

Curro has four goals on the season. She recorded two in the first game against UMass and one in each game against Brown and William and Mary. In her junior year, she was named to the America East All-Conference first Team, the IWLCA Division I All-America Third Team, and the Northeast All-Region First Team.

After an injury prevented Frey from participating in the first game of the season, she roared out in her first game against Brown last Wednesday and netted four goals to lead the winning effort for the Terriers. In the second half she tallied three goals to lead the comeback against Brown.

Last Sunday, against William and Mary, Frey again led the attack with four goals. In total, Frey recorded eight goals for the Terriers in just one week. She is second on the team with eight goals and 10 points. Frey is coming off a rookie year where she recorded 13 goals on the season and was named to the American East All-Rookie Team.

The Terriers play again tomorrow against Duke at 4:00 PM in North Carolina.

MEN'S HOCKEY: Road to the Garden - Quarterfinals Preview: (4) Maine vs. (5) UMass-Lowell

by Chris Aliano


During the next few days, WTBU Sports will be providing previews of all the quarterfinals series of the men's Hockey East playoffs.  It all culminates on Friday, with a special BU-Merrimack preview and extensive coverage of the Terriers' first-round date with the Warriors.  Stay tuned.

In case you missed it:
(1) New Hampshire vs. (8) Vermont Preview 

The Story:  Maine returns to the postseason after a brutal two-year stretch that saw it on the outside looking in during an usual rebuilding period that the revered program rarely undergoes.  UMass-Lowell travels to Orono looking for the same magic that propelled the River Hawks to the Hockey East championship game last season.  The Black Bears took the season series, 2-1-0, which helped them earn the last home ice spot.  The Black Bears last met the River Hawks in the tournament in the 2006 quarterfinal round, as Maine swept with a pair of 4-3 wins in Orono.  Maine needs the title to get into the NCAA tournament thanks to a recent swoon in its play, while UMass-Lowell sits in the midst of a tightly packed group of schools tied for 15th in the PairWise, and has an outside shot of getting an at-large bid if they "upset" the Black Bears and get some help from some CCHA schools.

The biggest storyline going into this series is Maine's starting goaltender, sophomore Scott Darling, who has been suspended by head coach Tim Whitehead for an "indefinite period of time."  The Associated Press  reported that  Darling violated team rules, and an anonymous source from a Bangor, Maine TV-news outlet has hinted that Darling could be seeking treatment  for alcohol-related issues.  Darling was kept out of both games against UMass last weekend, leading to a punishing sweep by the Minutemen that cost Maine the #3 seed in the playoffs.

If these rumors are indeed true, then Maine's return to the postseason could be an abruptly quick one.  His backups, freshman Shawn Sirman and senior Dave Wilson, are a combined 1-9-0 on the season.  Even Darling, who started the season hot, has succumbed to mediocrity down the stretch, as he ranks in the bottom three in the conference in both goals-against average and save-percentage.

What Maine lacks in defense (last in conference, 3.44 goals/game), however, it makes up for in offense.  The Black Bear attack is tied for fourth with Boston College in the nation, average 3.71 goals per game.  Don't expect Maine to be scoring at that pace this weekend, though.  The River Hawks boast the tenth-best team defense in the nation, yielding 2.39 goals per game.  The reason behind that success can largely be attributed to senior goaltender Carter Hutton, who ranks sixth in the nation among goalies (12-10-2, 2.06 GAA, .928 SV%).

Who To Watch For:  There are plenty of stars in this series, but the one in the light blue and navy blue wearing #89 is the one to watch for.  That, of course, is sophomore forward Gustav Nyquist, who leads the nation in scoring with a ridiculous 18g, 38a, 56p scoring line.  He's accompanied by sophomore Bryan Flynn, who had himself a year that would be tops on most other teams in Hockey East thanks to 41 total points (t-6th in HE), and junior Tanner House (t-12th).  Those three can drop the hammer on opponents at will, but the River Hawks can counter teams blow-for-blow.

While UMass-Lowell may not boast the scoring prowess that Maine has, this is a squad that uses its speed to fluster opponents, dumping pucks into the boards and then speeding in to play the rebound.  It is a tactic that worked wonders in the beginning of the season, but teams began to catch on as the year progressed.  Junior defenseman Maury Edwards took a step back this year after earning himself a spot on the All-American Second-Team, and has 15 points on the season.  The River Hawks can still generate tons of offense from the blue line, where senior Nick Schauss leads the pack with 23 points (7th among defensemen in the conference).  You also can't forget Kory Falite, who has 33 points on 18 goals and 15 assist.

The Prediction: This series can go either way, and it's such a shame that Maine chose the worst time of the year to implode, because they really could have made some noise not only in Hockey East, but the NCAA's when they're playing at their best.  That's why I'm going to go with the River Hawks in a sweep.  They're patient, they can shut down opponents, and they pounce when you least expect it.  The River Hawks will ride Carter Hutton and that stellar defense back to Boston, where they will aim to get back to the championship game, and beyond.  UMass-Lowell sweeps series 2-0.

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD: Athlete's Blog - Joel Senick (Part 4)

by Joel Senick

There is nothing better than a day off. Yesterday I happened to have almost nothing to do, and it was great. There are not many days out there that I have off (besides Sunday) so I appreciate them to the fullest. I decided yesterday was a good day to get up around 11:30 AM, then sit around and fuel my addiction to sports video games, this time with MLB 09: The Show, before dragging myself down to west campus for a mandatory lift. You might say, wait, you had lift… that’s not a day off, and to that I say; it’s a day off in my books.

Sometimes I day dream about what life would be without the countless hours spent in the training room, at the track and up in the weight room. I think about all the time I would have and all the A’s I would be able to get in my classes. Then I have a day like yesterday and realize that I would be the exact same student with the added 3-4 hours of free time in my day.

We had our conference meet a couple weekends back (the day of my last post) and I am happy to say that I finished second in the 400 meter dash for the third time in a row. Yes, it would have been nice to finally win an America East gold, but I will take the result as it came with a big personal best. Since the conference meet, we have been preparing for outdoor season, even though I still technically have one more indoor race this upcoming weekend. Outdoor season is very exciting for a few reasons, one being travel. This season we get to see a lot of sun in March and April as we’re competing in Puerto Rico and then for two straight weekends in Florida. I guess it makes up for not being allowed to take a spring break trip due to being a scholarship athlete on my team (team rule).

As Season Ends, Future Brighter than Ever for Terriers

By Dan McCarthy

As the women’s basketball season came to an end on Sunday, as the Terriers fell to Vermont, the future of Coach Greenberg’s squad looks brighter than ever. Greenberg will lose two seniors, Aly Hinton (’10) and Maggie McKemie (’10).

“I don’t think I could have had a better four years here,” remarked Hinton, “I feel honored that I have been a part of the Boston University Basketball Program.

Hinton ends her Terrier career eight all time with 692 boards, fifth all-time in career free throw percentage (.789) and ninth in 3-pointers (94). In her rookie season she started all thirty games and was a unanimous pick for America East all rookie team. Throughout her four years she has constantly referred to as a model of consistency by her coach; Hinton has averaged 8 points throughout her four years. She became only the seventh player to reach 600 rebounds and 1,000 points and fell just two rebounds short of 700 for her career.

McKemie’s Terrier career hasn’t been quite as successful but her veteran presence on a team where the leading scorers were underclassmen was intricate. She spent her first two college years at Furman University, leading the team in rebounding, before transferring to BU. She was redshirted her first year in Boston because of transfer regulations but found herself a part of the rotation in her second year. She had a nice two years as a Terrier, coming off the bench and filling minutes with rebounds and steals down low.

As Greenberg watches her two seniors leave when she looks to the future she has to get giddy. Her three leading scorers are underclassmen: Chantell Alford (’13), Alex Young (’12), and Caitlynn Moran (’13). Moran and Young were named to the America East third team, while Moran was also named to the America East All Rookie Team. Alford pulled in big honors, being named the America East rookie of the year and being named to the All Conference First Team.

Another underclassman, Caroline Stewart (’12), has been a leading force on the glass, averaging a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game this season. Kerry Cashman (’11) will return as BU’s only regular starter not in her freshman or sophomore year. Cashman will be relied on more next year, with the losses of forwards Hinton and McKemie.

As a contrast to the Terriers, Vermont will lose four out of five starters to graduation while Hartford (who will face Vermont in the finals) will lose three.

The rest of the conference better watch out as these Terriers will only get better with time. Expect the core of this team to keep BU near the top of the conference for a long time, and with Coach Greenberg at the helm in her sixth season, it’s hard not to be giddy about the future.

MEN'S HOCKEY: Road to the Garden - Quarterfinals Preview: (1) New Hampshire vs. (8) Vermont

by Chris Aliano

During the next few days, WTBU Sports will be providing previews of all the quarterfinals series of the men's Hockey East playoffs.  It all culminates on Friday, with a special BU-Merrimack preview and extensive coverage of the Terriers' first-round date with the Warriors.  Stay tuned.

The Story:  The battle of the Cats, and state neighbors.  Much has been said of these two teams in recent years, namely how New Hampshire has never won anything and how pesky Vermont has been since joining Hockey East midway through the last decade.  They both command respect when playing them, especially on their home ice.  Both could have arguably won it all last year, and everyone knows who stood in their way and just how much it took to overcome them (I'm talking about you, Jason Lawrence and Colin Wilson).  But boy, are things going to get interesting this weekend.

The Wildcats are undefeated at home in conference play (9-0-4) and just locked up their third HE regular season title in the last four years last weekend.  They also took the season series against the Catamounts 2-0-1.  It will mark the first all-time meeting between the teams in the Hockey East Tournament.  Vermont, meanwhile, has had a decent PairWise ranking all year long but almost missed the playoffs altogether.  Right now, the Catamounts are sitting in a logjam with UMass-Lowell, Massachusetts, and Nebraska-Omaha in the 16th slot in the PairWise, and everyone knows that you're not safe unless you're at least 13th or better (thanks to auto-bids to schools from lesser conferences).  So Vermont will be playing for not only its Hockey East tournament life, but its NCAA at-large bid hopes this weekend, and the only way to prolong their year will be by doing what no one else has done during conference play at the Whittemore Center: beat UNH--twice.

Who To Watch For:  New Hampshire - Bobby Butler has been a machine all year, and the senior forward is an obvious Hobey Baker candidate.  He's second in the conference in scoring (behind only Gustav Nyquist), and sixth nationally.  He also leads the conference in goals scored (four more than the next-best player), and tied for second nationally.  Junior forward Paul Thompson has had a tremendous campaign as well, scoring 34 points (10th best in conference), while sophomore defenseman Blake Kessel leads all defensemen in scoring.  In net, senior Brian Foster has had an up-and-down year, but with the offense he has in front of him, he'll be more than capable of keeping the Wildcats in every game.

Vermont - The Cats' certainly lack the firepower that UNH's tenth-best offense in the nation brings to the table, but they more than make up for that in grittiness and peskiness.  Vermont's neutral zone trap style has slowed teams down all season long, but you can expect that to be less effective when they play on the much wider sheets of ice at the Olympic-sized rink at the Whittemore Center.  Offensively, the Catamounts are led by seniors Brayden Irwin (15g, 19a, 34p--t-10th in HE) and Colin Vock (11-17-28--t-24th in HE), who have had themselves quite a year considering Vermont lost former All-Star Viktor Stalberg to the NHL.  Aside from those two, it's a score-by-committee kind of offense for Vermont, but defenseman-turned-forward Josh Burrows has tallied some huge goals as of late.  Rob Madore had a solid campaign between the pipes as a sophomore, but it will take a huge effort to keep Butler and Co. out of the net.

The Prediction:  There is an honest chance that Vermont could come away with three points on a normal weekend in the regular season.  That's just not the case here.  UNH has played too well at home all season long to slip now after capturing the regular-season title.  The Catamounts will make it interesting, and they'll even come away with a game (maybe), but what it boils down to is Bobby Butler wreaking havoc in the last two-or-three home games of his career.  Unfortunately for Vermont, their season will come to a close this weekend.  If they had played some consistent hockey inside of the conference there would have been hopes for an at-large bid, especially considering the Catamounts had the most out-of-conference success compared to anyone else in Hockey East.  But for now, it's UNH getting the nod after being upset by Boston College last year in the quarterfinals, and they will return to the Garden for the semifinals.  UNH WINS SERIES, 2-1.

The BU everybody expected? Sort of...but not really.

by Jeff Cohen


At the America East Tip-Off Luncheon during the pre-season, the conference head coaches unanimously voted Boston University as the "team to beat" entering the season, as BU received all eight possible first place votes.  Because a head coach cannot vote for his own team, BU head coach Patrick Chambers voted for Vermont.  When the points were tallied, BU (64 points) and Vermont (56 points) were tabbed the top two teams in the conference.  In a league full of upsets, including a last-place team defeating a first-place team on the road and then a team stripped of most of its talent this past off-season due to off-the-court repercussions defeating one of the most talented teams in AE, it is not common for the two preseason favorites to eventually match up in the AE Championship Game.  This year, however, the coaches' and their crystal balls were accurate: the Terriers and Catamounts will meet Saturday at Patrick Gym in Burlington to play for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

As the season unfolded, Vermont's spot in the championship game doesn't come as much of a surprise.  Led by Marqus Blakely, a two-time Conference Player of the Year and one of the top players in America East history, Vermont went 12-4 in conference play to earn the tourney's #2 seed.  The Catamounts then disposed underdogs #7 UMBC and #6 New Hampshire to reach the final.  For Boston University, the path was not nearly straightforward.

Similar to last year's team, lack of depth became a weakness early in the year.  Senior forward Scott Brittan ('10), a key cog in the Terriers interior defense, did not play a single game this season after suffering his second concussion in two years during a preseason practice.  News came out that senior guard Carlos Strong ('10) would not see more than approximately 25 minutes per game due to a developing asthma condition.  Senior point guard Tyler Morris ('10) sat out a month with a broken hand.  Prized freshmen guard B.J. Bailey left the university in December, citing homesickness as the reason.


As for play on the floor, BU was less than inspiring during the first half of the conference season.  The up-tempo Terriers opened the America East slate by being out-gunned by Stony Brook at Case Gymnasium in an 84-75 loss.  Less than a month later on January 30, Stony Brook, who eventually earned the top seed in the America East Tournament, would score the first 13 points of the game in a 71-55 rout of BU.  When the Terriers visited Patrick Gym earlier this year on January 17th, they were humiliated by the Catamounts.  BU lost the game 78-58 after beginning the game trailing 24-3 with 8:14 remaining in the first half and shooting a miserable 4-24 (16.7%) from the field in the first half as well.  When the two teams played at Agganis Arena on February 9, the Terriers suffered a 76-75 heartbreaker when Even Fjeld streaked inside for a layup with nine seconds remaining.  Maine, the eventual third seed in America East, defeated BU 56-54 on January 27 on a Mike Allison layup at the buzzer.

After a hot start to conference play, Corey Lowe ('10) lost his scoring touch.  The senior guard is averaging 14.8 points per game on the year, his lowest total since 2006-07, when he was a freshmen (14.1 ppg).  Over the final seven games of the regular season, Lowe reached double-digits only once and averaged just eight points per game in that span. Even worse, his assist-to-turnover ratio is under one; 125 assists to 130 turnovers.

With a 1-5 record against teams above them in the conference standings and the prolonged slump by Corey Lowe, the Terriers would have an uphill climb entering the America East Tournament.

For a BU team clicking at the right time, however, they had the look of a team of destiny through the first two rounds of the tournament.  Four consecutive wins to close out the regular season, including two blowouts of Binghamton and Maine, gave the Terriers plenty of momentum.  Behind 28 points from sophomore forward Jake O'Brien ('10) and 26 points via a spectacular shooting display by a revived Lowe, BU devoured tournament-host Hartford 87-46 in the quarterfinals.  The next evening, BU faced Stony Brook, a team that ran BU out of the gym in both matchups earlier this season.  The Seawolves second-half rally could not withstand another Lowe shooting display in the first half and big points from John Holland ('11), O'Brien, Strong and Lowe in the game's final minutes, as BU pulled out a 70-63 stunner.

Boston University vs. Vermont for the America East Championship.  Holland and Lowe leading the way for the Terriers with solid contributions from O'Brien, Strong and Morris.  Blakely posting another incredible season as the star of a tough Catamounts squad.  Who could have predicted this scenario?  Oh yeah, everyone.        

        

BU Finally Stands Tall Against Stony Brook Run

By Seth Orensky

They could feel it, sense it, their first America East championship appearance since 2003, but then it all seemed to slip away. Leading 37-21 with 20 seconds left in the first half the Terriers could seemingly do no wrong and then Stony Brook went on another one of their demoralizing runs. The Seawolves went on a 16-0 run, 13 coming after halftime and all of the joy and excitement that had been present on the Terriers bench and student section was gone, along with the BU lead.

A big Stony Brook run wasn’t unexpected but how the Terriers responded was completely different. At first the players seemed to respond in the same way as the past two games: heads down, sulking, and thinking why us, why now? And then as Stony Brook built their largest lead of the second half at five points the players seemed to make a collective decision that they wouldn’t let their season end without a fight.

“We just looked at it that we can make this comeback now, or else our season’s going to be over,” senior guard Carlos Strong (’10) said.

The Terriers reaction to the run was what was so surprising after the team’s first two matchups. In both team’s America East opener’s at Case Gym the game was within six points until Stony Brook went on a 12-2 run with 12 minutes to go to take a commanding 16 point lead. BU would never get closer than eight in the game and ended up losing 84-75 setting the tone for Stony Brook and giving them confidence that they could compete with the conference’s elite.

On January 30th BU traveled down to Long Island and this time around the Seawolves didn’t waste any time in going on a run, opening the game with 13 points in a row. Coach Pat Chambers used two timeouts in the first four and a half minutes, but to no avail as the starters walked listlessly back to the bench waving the white flag before a sold out crowd. The Terriers got as close as seven but were never a threat as Stony Brook cruised to a 71-55 victory in a matchup between two teams competing for the title of first place in the conference.

“We knew Stony Brook was going to come out after us,” junior John Holland (’10) said. “We just prepared ourselves mentally to hold up when they did come. I think it was a tremendous job by this coaching stuff for keeping us together and not letting us fall apart.” Sophomore Bryan Dougher (’12) started the Seawolves run with a 3-pointer to end the half cutting the Terriers lead to 13. He then hit two more 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the half before junior guard Chris Martin (’11) made one of two three free-throws to tie the game at 37 with 15:13 to go.

But then this Terriers squad showed the difference between this season’s team and lasts, and the change between the BU lineup that traveled to Long Island in late January and the group that took the court this weekend. After missing their first seven field goal attempts of the half and turning the ball over the only time they had tried to get the ball into the low post, BU put the ball in sophomore Jake O’Brien’s (’10) hands.

O’Brien caught the ball outside the right post guarded by Tommy Brenton (’10), a member of the America East Defensive Team, and took two dribbles to his left. The sophomore from B.C. High then ducked under the most physical player in America East and hit a one handed jumper from four feet away. With that one basket the Terriers showed they wouldn’t back down and let the more physical Seawolves push them around any longer.

While the game went back and forth for the next 15 minutes, that one play showed that this year’s time not only had confidence in their inside game and underclassman but also in themselves. While last year the players would have bickered amongst themselves and with Coach Dennis Wolff, the Terriers rallied around each other and even Chambers’, who was called for his second technical foul of the season to give Stony Brook its largest lead of the game.

“Our kids played hard, our seniors stepped up, and really made plays down the stretch,” Chambers said. “Give all the credit to our players.”

Men's Basketball: BU defeats Stony Brook 70-63, Earns first AE Championship berth since 2002

by Tim Larew

It was like a scene from a movie. The Boston University men’s basketball team, everyone from the players to the coaches to the training staff, joined in celebration at midcourt. Corey Lowe (’10) knelt down and buried his head in his hands, then rose to his feet and was lifted off the ground by an ecstatic Valdas Sirutis (’10). As the players embraced with friends, family, and each other, Coach Chambers took a walk through the crowd of cheerleaders, giving each one a personal high five. The small following of BU fans gave a standing ovation, applauding and yelling all kinds of praise as the overfilled Stony Brook fan section slowly and quietly emptied to the sound of BU’s fight song.

This was the scene Sunday evening at Chase Family Arena in Hartford after the final horn blared and the fourth-seeded BU Terriers defeated the top-seeded Stony Brook Sea Wolves 70-63 to advance to the America East championship game. Lowe paved the way for the Terriers as he turned in his second straight spectacular performance, scoring 24 points on 8-16 shooting including five threes, and adding 6 rebounds and 5 steals.

After going down 53-48 with 6:42 to go, Lowe and the rest of the Terriers led a balanced, patient offensive attack and stood strong defensively, taking the lead for good on Lowe’s three with 4:35 remaining. Lowe, who led all scorers, grabbed three huge rebounds in the final 40 seconds including an offensive board off his own miss that led to an easy lay-in to put BU up four with 38 seconds left. Carlos Strong (’10) turned in another outstanding effort, tallying 15 points and 8 rebounds, and iced the game with two free throws in the waning seconds. Down 69-63, Muhammad El-Amin forced up a desperation three that clanged off the rim into the hands of Lowe. BU’s third all-time leading scorer fittingly made the game’s final point off a free throw, giving him 50 for the weekend, and grabbed the last rebound before dribbling out the clock.

Women’s Hockey: BU Wins first Hockey East Championship in Program History

Tara Watchorn scores game-winning goal to lift Terriers past Huskies 

by Sandeep Chandrasekhar

In the most prevalent game in the five-year history of the Boston University Terriers women’s ice hockey program, it was one of their biggest players who came up huge in the grandest moment. 5’10” sophomore defenseman Tara Watchorn (’12) scored the game-winning goal 9:52 into overtime to propel the Terriers to their first Hockey East championship in program history, by defeating the Connecticut Huskies 2-1 at Schneider Arena in Providence College on Sunday afternoon.

Watchorn scored the goal after she kept the puck in the Huskies zone, when UConn forward Michelle Binning and BU freshman forward Britt Hergesheimer (’13) collided on the left faceoff circle. The puck squirted back to the blue line, where Watchorn secured possession of the puck and fired it onto the net. Her shot went above the right hand of UConn goalie Alexandra Garcia and into the back of the net. Watchorn leaped into the air following the goal, and BU players mobbed Watchorn at center ice.

On her golden goal, Watchorn stated, “Everything happened so fast, and all I wanted to do was to keep the puck in our zone. I found an opening to shoot the puck from the blue line, and I put everything I had into that shot. Fortunately, it found the back of the net.”

This game featured two elite goaltenders, in BU senior goalie Melissa Haber (’10) and UConn’s Alexandra Garcia, so goals were at a premium. The Terriers struck first late in the first period on a power play goal by freshman defenseman Kathryn Miller (’13), only her second goal of the season. Sophomore forward Jenelle Kohanchuk ('12) and senior forward Jonnie Bloemers (’10) assisted on the goal.

After an evenly played first period, the Huskies controlled and dictated the tempo throughout the second period. The Huskies outshot the Terriers 10-6 in the period and scored their lone goal midway through the session. UConn forward Monique Weber fired a shot from inside the blue line, which was saved by Haber. However, Haber was unable to secure the puck in her glove, and UConn forward Michelle Binning scored on the rebound to even the score at one.

Despite both teams having multiple scoring opportunities throughout the final 30 minutes of regulation, both goalies stepped up huge. First, Melissa Haber was able to weather the UConn storm, as she made a number of spectacular saves throughout the second period and early in the third period to keep the game tied. Then, the Terriers controlled the puck for the last 10 minutes of regulation, but Alexandra Garcia held her ground and made 10 saves in the third period to send the game into overtime.

In all, Garcia notched 31 saves while Haber made 25. For her stellar play during the past three postseason games, Haber earned Hockey East Tournament MVP honors. “I had a really clear head and stayed focused throughout the entire game and tournament,” Haber said following the game. “I just wanted this game so badly, so I just let myself react to the puck.”

This game marked the thirteenth time this season that the Terriers played in overtime. BU coaches and players credited the experience of the extra sessions to their success on Sunday afternoon. “We have all played in several overtime games and have already gone down that road before,” Haber said. “I think we were all confident heading into overtime, and everybody on this team really wanted this.”

“Everybody in this dressing room was like we’ve been here before and we can do this,” Watchorn added. “We were all ready to go for overtime.”

Overall, this game was one of the more competitive games of the season, and BU coach Durocher praised the Huskies for their overall efforts. “I think it was a fitting championship game, a fantastic championship game against a super opponent,” coach Durocher stated. “UConn is as well-coached, organized and competitive as anybody that you’ll play in college hockey. Those UConn kids have some unbelievable fight, and they really stuck to their game plan.” 

With the win, the Terriers extended their winning streak to six games and their unbeaten streak to 10 games. BU additionally won their first game against the Huskies this season, as they went 0-2-1 against the Huskies this year. 

The Terriers advanced to their first NCAA tournament in program history and will first take on top-seeded Mercyhurst on Saturday, March 13 at 2 pm at the Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Landy and Frey Emerge as Leading Scorers

By Jashvina Shah

The Terriers walked on to Nickerson Field on Sunday hoping to extend their winning streak to three. After controlling the comeback against Brown last Wednesday, attackers Traci Landy ('12) and Hannah Frey ('10) continued their strong offensive efforts with nine goals combined to lead the Terriers to another victory. Landy netted five goals and Frey had four. For both these players, this is not the first time they have led the Terriers to a win.

This is Landy's third strong game of the season, although the five goals are the most she has scored in a game this season. She opened up her season with a four goal effort against UMass, and she contributed enourmously against Brown with two goals and one assist, including the first goal of the game.

This is Frey's second game of the season, since she had missed the first lacrosse game of the season because of an injury, but when she returned to face Brown, she came out and played an aggressive game. Frey led the second half comeback against Brown and finished the game with five points on four goals and one assist.

Landy currently leads the team in points and goals, with 12 points and 11 goals. Frey is a close second with 10 points and eight goals.

More to Follow

Men's Basketball: Chambers' Postgame Thoughts After Semifinal Win

Head coach Pat Chambers talks about his team's efforts in their upset 70-63 victory over top seeded Stony Brook. Chambers thinks his team still has room to improve and gives to credit to Corey Lowe ('10) for all that he's done for the program.

Men's Basketball: BU Players Break Down Semifinal Win

Seniors Corey Lowe ('10) and Carlos Strong ('10) and junior John Holland ('11) break down the Terriers upset 70-63 victory over top seeded Stony Brook University. The guys talk about trying to guard America East Player of the Year Muhammad El-Amin ('10) and what the team's mindset was when Stony Brook came back from 16 down to take the lead.


 

Women's Hockey: Unsung Defensemen Get Job Done

By Paul Ryan

Scoring has not been a focus for the defenseman of the Boston University Women’s Hockey team, but somehow two blueliners found the back of the net in the Terriers 2-1 Overtime victory in the Hockey East Championship game.

Freshman Kathryn Miller (’13) and sophomore Tara Watchorn (’12) both scored goals for the Terriers. Miller’s goal came 13:33 into the first period when she got a rebound off a shot from sophomore Jenelle Kohanchuk (’12). It was only Miller’s second goal of the season, but a big goal nonetheless on the powerplay.

Then in the overtime period, it was Watchorn’s time. The second year player from Newcastle, Ontario blasted a slapshot from just inside the blueline and beat goaltender Alexandra Garcia high to the blocker side. After the puck hit the back of the twine, the Terriers all jumped on the ice and mobbed Watchorn near center ice. It was quite a sight to behold as the entire women’s hockey team piled on top of each other in celebration.

“I don’t remember much but I just remember skating to the blueline and trying to keep the puck in,” Watchorn said. “I saw an opening for a shot so I just took it. I just wanted to get as much on it as I could and had hope that luck would be on my side this time.”

Watchorn’s shot could very well be the biggest goal in Boston University Women’s Hockey history. It was only her second goal of the year as well, but just like Kathryn Miller, she picked the right time to find the back of the net. BU Head Coach Brian Durocher was quite pleased with Watchorn’s play.

“We were fortunate enough to get enough mustard on a shot that was getting to be at a tiring point in the game,” Durocher stated. “That puck had eyes and it somehow found its way to the top corner.” Durocher continued to say, “We are so proud to be a part of Boston University hockey and we want to write our own legacy.”

Well Coach, this team is writing their own legacy. They have come farther in the past five years than almost anyone could have imagined. This team is going to move on to their first NCAA Tournament along with seven other teams from across the country. And although players like Melissa Anderson (’10), Lauren Cherewyk (’11) and Jill Cardella (’13) are counted on to put the puck in the back of the net, it’s always nice to see some unsung heroes from the blueline fill the net once in a while. 

Men's Basketball - America East Semifinal Vermont vs. UNH

Women's Hockey: Postgame Video Recap

Sandeep Chandrasekhar talks about the Terriers 2-1 OT victory in the Hockey East Championship Game over the UConn Huskies at Schneider Arena.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtFQ_NvhtEw

Men's Basketball - America East Semifinals BU vs. Stony Brook

Women's Basketball: Live Blog Semifinals vs Vermont

Women's Lacrosse Game Preview: No. 12 Boston University Face No. 16 William and Mary

By Jashvina Shah

Today at 1:00 PM, the Terriers (2-0) will try and extend their win streak to three when they compete against the Tribe (2-1) at Nickerson Field. This game is the second home game for the Terriers, and the first road game for the Tribe. The Terriers have beaten UMass (10-8) and Brown (9-3), while the Tribe have beaten Ohio State (15-14) and lost to Duke (16-9).

The Terriers are coming off a 9-5 vicotry against the Brown Bears. After starting the game slowly and trailing the bears 4-3 in the first half, the Terriers rebounded in the second half and outscored the Bears 5-1 to secure the victory. Sophomore Hannah Frey (four goals, one assist)and senior Traci Landy (two goals, one assist) opened up the scoring for the Terriers, while senior Xan Weitzel (one goal, two assits), junior Rachel Collins (one goal, one assist), and senior McKinley Curro (one goal) also recorded points. In net, Klein recorded five saves on 9 shots, with all of her saves coming in the second half.

The Tribe are looking to start a winning streak after coming away with a 15-13 win against Oregon. After playing strongly in the first half and leading 8-1, the Tribe allowed a late rally by Oregon, but the Tribe hung on for the victory. On offense, senior Mary Zulty led the attack with eight points (three goals, five assists). Junior Grace Golden (two goals, two assists), junior Molly Wannen (two goals), senior Katherine Rees (two goals), sophomore Stephanie Steinweg (two goals), sophomore Jenny Michael (two goals), junior Ashley Holofcener (one goal, three assists), and freshman Krystin Mackrides (one goal, one assist) also scored for the Tribe. Goalkeeper Emily Geary ('11) stopped 12 shots and allowed 13 goals.
  
Zulty (13 points) and Holofcener (10 points) lead the tribe in overall scoring. Zulty and Wannen lead the team in goals with eight each. Geary has a goals against average of 14.60 with 20 saves over three games. Tribe opponents have a 43-39 goal advantage.

Landy (seven points) and Frey (five points) lead the Terriers in scoring for the season. They also lead the team in goals; Landy has six on the season and Frey has four. Klein holds goals against average of 6.50 with 13 saves over two games. The Terriers have a 19-13 goals advantage over their opponents.

So far in the season, the Tribe are characterized by high scoring, averaging 13 goals per game. However, they are also giving up an average of around 14 goals per game. The Terriers are averaging much lower numbers on offense, with about 10 goals per game, but they are also giving up around 6.5 goals per game. It will be a battle between an offensive team and a defensive team this afternoon at Nickerson Field.

Men's Basketball Rolls into AE Semis: Lowe Pours in 26

Senior guard Corey Lowe had struggled in the eight games since Tyler Morris' return, but he returned to form in the America East quarterfinals Saturday afternoon and led BU to the 87-46 win over Hartford.

by Tim Larew

Corey Lowe ('10) is the kind of player that can fill up the stat sheet in the blink of an eye. He can make jaws drop when he knocks down contested NBA-range three after contested NBA-range three. He can make the Terriers seem unbeatable and his dependability seem unwavering. In his four years at BU, we’ve seen him put up 30+ points six times, often when the team needed his scoring most. We’ve all looked at each other and shaken our heads in disbelief when he drains yet another impossible fadeaway jumper. We’ve watched as he’s moved into third place amongst the top scorers in Terrier history, and we’ve watched him take over the record for most minutes played in a Boston U jersey. We’ve seen Corey Lowe do it all, and we all know what #13 is capable of doing.

Corey Lowe is also the kind of player that can rack up five turnovers in the blink of an eye. He can make heads shake as he misfires contested NBA-range three after contested NBA-range three. He can make the Terriers seem very shaky and one-dimensional offensively, and he can force us to question his dependability. In his four years at BU, we’ve seen him turn the ball over an average of four times a game. We’ve seen him miss fourteen of seventeen field goal attempts, sometimes in games the team needed to count on him most. We’ve watched him go through shooting slumps, and we’ve watched him battle injury. We’ve even watched as he went from starting five to starting the game on the bench. We’ve seen Corey Lowe do it all, and we all know what #13 is capable of doing.

Sometimes we don’t know which Corey Lowe is going to show up, but as the old adage goes, big players step up at big times. Well, Saturday afternoon in Hartford was one of those big times, and Corey Lowe is one of those big players. The America East quarterfinal meeting between BU and Hartford was a recipe for disaster for the Hawks. The Terriers came in with six wins in their last seven games while the Hawks had dropped five of their last six. When the curtains were rolled back and the stage was set for the last conference tournament of Lowe’s illustrious career, the senior played one of the best games he's ever played. Behind Lowe's 26 points (9-12 FG, 7-9 three point FG), 5 rebounds and 4 assists, BU ran Hartford out of Chase Family Arena, embarrassing them on their home floor 87-46 and sprinting into Sunday's semifinal matchup with Stony Brook.

MEN'S HOCKEY: BU Sweeps Northeastern In Regular Season Finale

Kevin Gilroy tallies first goal of season to propel Terriers to HE third seed

by Chris Aliano

In a season full of unlikelihood, it took the unlikeliest of heroes to close the second chapter of the year on the right foot. 

On a day that three other Boston University athletics squads celebrated pivotal playoff victories of their own, it was the men's hockey team--defending national champions looking to gain some momentum heading into their own postseason--who is headed back to the Hockey East playoffs looking to defend the title it took last season.  Thanks to the efforts of sophomore forward Kevin Gilroy, the Terriers (16-15-3, 13-12-2 HEA)  will begin the road back to TD Garden at home, as his late goal on Saturday night at Matthews Arena helped the Terriers edge Northeastern University (16-16-2, 11-14-2 HEA) 4-3, clinching a home-ice playoff spot in the process and setting Boston University up with a quarterfinal round date against Merrimack College.

Last season, it was Kevin's older brother Matt Gilroy who head coach Jack Parker turned to time and time again when the Terriers were in need of a little magic.  But this year, it was younger brother Kevin who lit the lamp in dramatic fashion, tallying arguably the most important goal of the 2009-10 campaign.  With the score notted at 3-3 in the third period, Gilroy took a pass from fellow sophomore Ross Gaudet and deposited a shot over the glove of freshman netminder Chris Rawlings (38 saves).

Northeastern junior Wade MacLeod sent the 3100 fans in attendance to their feet at just 1:36 of the first period, taking a pass from freshman Garret Vermeersch and putting it by sophomore Kieran Millan (21 saves).  The Terriers responded later in the first thanks to junior Nick Bonino, who netted his tenth goal of the season after taking a pass from sophomore Chris Connolly.  Northeastern took the lead into the locker room, however, after senior Kyle Kraemer increased his team lead with his 16th goal of the season at 13:41.

Despite a dominant second period which saw Boston University outshoot its opponents 16-3, the visiting team could manage just one goal to tie the contest at 2-2.  Senior forward Zach Cohen ran up his team-leading goal total with his 15th of the season at the 7:09 mark of the period, setting the Terriers for a late-game run.

It didn't take long for BU to take its first lead of the night in the final stanza, as freshman Alex Chiasson received a pass from Connolly and slipped it by to put the terriers on top 3-2.  Just a bit over three-and-a-half minutes later, Northeastern drew it all even with Kraemer's second goal of the night.  That set Gilroy up for his late-game heroics, and the Terriers weathered a storm of late penalties down the stretch to eliminate the Huskies from postseason contention and assure themselves of the third seed.

The Terriers entered the weekend with its postseason plans up in the air.  Playoff scenarios placed the Terriers finishing as high as third, or as low as ninth and missing the playoffs altogether.  A single win assured them a spot in the Hockey East playoffs, while they needed to sweep and hope for some help from UMass-Lowell and Massachusetts.

Those results panned out for BU, and with UML's three-point weekend against Vermont and the Minutemen's sweep of Maine, not only will the Terriers host a quarterfinal series against sixth-seeded Merrimack, but Northeastern will miss out on the playoffs entirely, capping a disappointing campaign marred by injuries and subpar special teams play, culminating in one holiday tournament title and a Beanpot consolation win.  The lone bright spot for the Huskies was the emergence of Rawlings, who came into the year looking to fill the hole in net left by former Hobey Baker finalist Brad Thiessen.

Moving forward, the Terriers will open up the best-of-three series against Merrimack College on Friday night at Agganis Arena.  Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.  Stay tuned to WTBUSports.com for coverage of the men's hockey postseason and more as we preview the 2010 Hockey East tournament all week long.

Notes and Notables
Connolly recorded his 20th and 21st assist of the season tonight, second to only Bonino on the team and propelling him to third in total scoring. . . Gaudet's assist was only his second of the season. . . The Terriers outshot Northeastern 42-24.

Women's Hockey: Melissa's Get It Done

By Paul Ryan

For most of the season, two players on the Boston University Women’s Hockey team have stood out above the others and today’s game was no different. Seniors Melissa Anderson (’10) and Melissa Haber (’10) were the stars of the game for Coach Durocher’s squad and helped the Terriers move on to their first Hockey East Championship game in the program’s history.

Although they may be two completely different players, one being a goalie and the other a forward, the Melissa duo contributed equally to the Terriers win on Saturday afternoon. Anderson scored two goals in the game while Haber stopped all 17 shots she faced, earning her 9^th career shutout.

“Melissa Haber made some fantastic saves in that game,” BU Head Coach Brian Durocher stated. “We really built off of that. We continued to improve, we killed off some penalties and we were finally able to put one in.”

Haber was truly stellar in the game, making several remarkable saves on UNH stars Kelly Paton and Micaela Long. Both Paton and Long had 50+ points this year and Haber was able to keep them both off the scoresheet. The high-flying offense of the Wildcats was shut out for the first time this season, something that Haber was not aware of. 

“I didn’t know UNH hadn’t been shutout all season so that feels good,” Haber said with a chuckle. “The shutout wasn’t going through my mind at all, though, especially in a big game like this. My team was there for me and the whole team was blocking shots. I think the biggest thing for me was just the team winning.”

Melissa Anderson, on the other hand, was the big gun on the offensive end. The senior forward scored twice, the first on a breakaway and the second on an empty netter. Anderson really has showcased her hands in the past couple weeks and talked about her two goals in-depth in the post-game press conference.

“On the first goal, I was all the way on the right, so I decided to take it all the way to the left,” Anderson said. “Luckily she didn’t poke check me and I slid it in. That was exciting. On the second one, I wanted to get Lauren [Cherewyk] into it because it’s fun to get your linemates into it. I’m just glad we won the game.”

One thing I noticed in the post-game press conference was the composure and the poise that these girls have. Both Haber and Anderson are extremely mature and handled these questions with the experience of seasoned veterans. Everyone could tell that these two were student-athletes, but they have a certain maturity about them that makes them seem much older. Each of them put the team before themselves and that will be key for this team if they want to beat Connecticut and win the Hockey East Championship. 

Women’s Hockey: Terriers Advance to First Hockey East Final in Program History

by Sandeep Chandrasekhar

In the Hockey East semifinals, the Boston University Terriers defeated the University of New Hampshire Wildcats 4-0 at Schneider Arena in Providence College on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Terriers advanced to their first Hockey East Final in program history, in which they will take on the Connecticut Huskies on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 pm.

Both teams began the game on a rough note, as they attempted a combined 10 shots in the first period. Neither team was able to establish an offensive rhythm, and the Terriers failed to even attempt a shot on both of their power play opportunities in the period. Regarding the slow first period, BU coach Brian Durocher said, “I think [the Terriers] were a little bit tentative and didn’t let some of our ability step out, while UNH looked rusty, after not playing a competitive hockey game in two weeks.”

After a scoreless first period, the Terriers struck first in the second period. After a tripping penalty by senior forward Melissa Anderson (’10) in the final moments of the first period, senior forward Laurel Koller (’10) connected on a shorthanded goal in the first minute of the second period to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead. On the play, Koller snatched the puck from a UNH defenseman at center ice, which led to her breakaway opportunity.

On Koller’s goal, coach Durocher said, “I think it’s very fitting that Laurel [Koller] scored that goal. She has worked extremely hard for us throughout her time here, and she made a fantastic play on the puck to give herself a great opportunity to score. She was then able to shoot the puck past the UNH goaltender to score the first goal of the game.”

Then, the Terriers received a golden opportunity to extend their lead six minutes into the second period, as UNH forward Kelly Cahill received a game misconduct penalty for hitting BU freshman forward Jill Cardella (’13) from behind. That led to a five minute power play for the Terriers. However, the Terriers were unable to capitalize on that sequence, as they could not even attempt a shot on goal during the extended power play. Neither team scored the remainder of the period.

The Terriers took over in the third period, scoring three goals to put away the game. First, junior forward Jillian Kirchner (’11) connected on a goal with 6:16 remaining in regulation to give the Terriers a 2-0 lead. Sophomore forward Jenelle Kohanchuk (’12) and sophomore defenseman Carly Warren (’12) assisted on the goal. Two minutes following Kirchner’s goal, the Terriers converted a 2-on-1 fastbreak opportunity, as Melissa Anderson squeezed the puck past UNH goalie Lindsey Minton, after receiving a pass from junior forward Lauren Cherewyk (’11). Carly Warren also assisted on the goal.

Melissa Anderson concluded the scoring in the waning moments of the game, as she connected on an empty net goal with 32 seconds left in the game. On her goals, Melissa Anderson said, “On the first one, Lauren Cherewyk saw me coming, had it, passed it over, and I was on the right and decided to take it all the way to the left. Thankfully, the UNH goalie did not poke check the puck from me and I was able score.”

“Then, on the empty net one, we had a two on none empty net fastbreak opportunity. I initially was looking for Lauren [Cherewyk], since I wanted to get her in on it,” Anderson added. “Unfortunately, I just shot the puck into the net, so I was a little disappointed not to see her on the score sheet. Nonetheless, it was a team goal and we won the game as a team.” Cherewyk had scored a goal in each of the team’s past three games.

Overall, the Terriers received exceptional goaltending from senior goaltender Melissa Haber (’10), who recorded 17 saves and her program-record ninth career shutout. “The shutout was not the first thing in my mind, as I didn’t even know that I had earned a shutout until after the game,” Haber said following the game. “My teammates really supported me throughout the game in front of the net and really made the game much easier for me. They deserve a lot of credit for the shutout.”

Despite the lopsided score, BU coach Brian Durocher believed that the score did not indicate the competitiveness of the game. “Everybody is going to pick up the newspaper tomorrow and see a 4-0 blowout win for us but more often than not, this is a game of inches and that was certainly the case today,” coach Durocher said. “They had multiple scoring opportunities throughout the course of the game, but they were just unable to get the puck into the back of the net.”

With the win, the Terriers extended their winning streak to five games, and they have not lost in regulation since the January 29 home loss to Connecticut, which happens to be their opponent tomorrow.

Women's Hockey: Postgame Video Recap

Sandeep Chandrasekhar talks about the Terriers 4-0 victory in the Hockey East Semifinals against the University of New Hampshire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEb8iYmZLpw

Men's Basketball Red Hot while Hawks are Red in the Face

by Jeff Cohen

#4 Boston University - 87. #5 University of Hartford - 46.

 Hours after the game, the final score continues to be jaw-dropping. Sure, BU was favored to win, but by 41 POINTS?! Against a Hartford team that not only was hosting the tournament, but also nearly defeated BU less than a month ago in Boston on February 13? How did it happen? It's actually very easy to explain.

1.) The stats don't lie.
Hartford was playing behind their home crowd in their home gym, but the Hawks never felt at home Saturday afternoon (technically, they were "away" because they had a lower seed, but that's beside the point).  The tournament's hosts shot an atrocious 29.3% from the field, which surprisingly topped their 5-25 effort (20%) from beyond the arc (hey, at least their three point shooting wasn't as dismal as the New York Knicks three-point percentage from Saturday).  It is also difficult to win when shooting 46.7% from the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, the Terriers were sizzling.  BU shot 49.2% for the game, engineered by going 18-35 (51.4%) in the first half.  Known for living and dying on their three-point shot, the Terriers were not only living, but were thriving, evidenced by their 14-26 (53.8%) performance from beyond the arc.  BU also shot 65% from the free-throw line, which is below their 73% average, but still satisfactory.

BU also swept the boards.  The Terriers snagged 50 rebounds compared to Hartford's subpar 29.  Additionally, the Terriers grabbed an abnormally-high 12 offensive rebounds.  The Hawks also didn't help themselves by backing into foul trouble.  Hartford committed 24 fouls compared to BU's 17.  The Hawks put themselves into the double-penalty less than halfway through the second half, allowing the Terriers to pad their lead even more.

2.) The predicted X-Factor players established the tone for their teams. 
Last night, I highlighted one player from each BU and Hartford as "Players to watch" for today's game.  BU's player, Corey Lowe ('10), shined.  Coming into the tournament with only an eight points per game average over the final seven regular season games, the America East second-teamer went off for 26 points on 9-12 shooting, including 7-9 from three-point range.  Lowe also added four assists and two steals.

Hartford's player, Joel Barkers, was non-effective.  The junior forward toasted the Terriers for 18.5 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game during their two regular season matchups, but only scored six points to go along with three rebounds Saturday.  Barkers did not have much of an opportunity, however, only playing six minutes.  The Terriers took a commanding lead early in the game, forcing the Hawks to use a faster lineup that could shoot three-pointers, neither of which Barkers is adept with.

3.) BU's core showed up while Hartford's core went on Spring Break.
BU sophomore forward Jake O'Brien ('12) led all scorers with 28 points, pulled down seven rebounds and blocked three shots, including a block-and-steal on Hartford's Morgan Sabia.  John Holland ('11) added 12 points and nine rebounds.  Tyler Morris ('10) finished with nine points and seven assists.  Jeff Pelage ('12) dominated inside with 11 rebounds.

Hartford's core players compiled an embarrassing performance.  Sabia drained his first two shots, open three-pointers from the left corner, then promptly missed his final 14 shots.  The Hawks go-to player, Joe Zeglinski, could not escape Carlos Strong's All-Conference defense and finished with 11 points on a 4-13 shooting performance.  Milton Burton, who scored 11.4 points per game in conference play, finished with only five points.  Anthony Minor contributed close to nothing, as his only numbers on the stat sheet were four fouls and one turnover.

4.) Most of BU's team graduates in two months.
If you are looking for a motivating factor with the Terriers, this is it.  While Sunday's game against Stony Brook gives BU a chance to quiet the critics by improving on it's disappointing 1-5 record against the conference's top three teams (Stony Brook, Vermont, Maine), the next loss the Terriers endure will end the careers of nine BU players.  Lowe, Morris, Strong, Valdas Sirutis ('10), Brendan Sullivan ('10), Sherrod Smith ('10), Tunde Agboola ('10) , Mike Schulze ('10) and Scott Brittan ('10) are all seniors and will not have the opportunity to don the Scarlet and White jerseys again.  When this class entered in 2006, it was thought to be one of the most talented BU classes in recent memory, and it has.  However, the nine seniors have also never won an America East Tournament and marched onto the NCAA's.  This energy and determination was in full-force Saturday.  Hopefully for the team, it carries through Sunday and then the America East Championship Game next Saturday.  

Men's Bball: BU Lights Out in Quarterfinal Win Over Hartford

By Seth Orensky

Senior guard Corey Lowe (’10) turned and picked the ball up from under his feet and threw a shot up at the basket from the bench and then continued shaking hands. The shot hit nothing but net, a fitting end to a day in which the Terriers seemed to hit every shot, or at least 49.2% of them. BU the number four seed hit an America East Tournament record nine 3-pointers in a half and finished the game with 14, tying an America East record as the Terriers demolished the fifth seeded Hartford Hawks on their home court.

“Our seniors were ready to play,” head coach Patrick Chambers said. “I give them a lot of credit for this last week for staying focused and really looking forward to getting here and playing this game.”

Lowe led the Terriers barrage of 3-pointers going seven of nine from behind the arc including several threes from the Newman’s Own logo painted onto the floor 25 feet from the basket. The Newton native finished with 26 points breaking out of an eight game funk that had seen him average eight points a game and finish in double figures just twice. BU’s third leading scorer in program history also became the program leader in minutes played when he passed Tunji Awojobi early in a game that he filled up the score sheet with five rebounds and four assists to go along with his 26 points.

“I haven’t necessarily had to score this last month: just because John’s been scoring like crazy,” Lowe said. “So I’ve just been doing the other things need like rebounding and assisting and stuff like that. But today was just my day to hit shots.”

While Lowe was breaking Hartford’s fans hearts with his long threes, Jake O’Brien ('12) and the rest of the crew were just as efficient inside the arc and on the defensive end of the ball as the Terriers blew out the Hawks 87-46. O’Brien finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and three blocks as the sophomore used a myriad of moves in the low post to hit 11 of his 17 field goal attempts. Fellow sophomore Jeff Pelage (’12) managed to pull down 11 rebounds and score four points despite battling a cold, impressing Chambers in his first postseason game as a head coach.

“Jeff Pelage and Jake as sophomores are now juniors,” Chambers said. “It’s an old coach’s thing, but this late in March they are and they’re playing like it.”

While O’Brien and Lowe combined for more than enough points to beat the Hawks, it was a collective effort on the defensive end to completely shut down the Hawks. Hartford was held to 29% shooting from the field and 20% from the arc. The Terriers also owned the boards outrebounding the Hawks by a ridiculous 50-29 margin, the team’s second highest total just short of their 52 rebounds against Indiana back in November.

“Definitely people say defense wins championships and we’re seven and one when we play great defense and now if we could keep rebounding like this, I think we’d be in real good shape,” Chambers said.

BU jumped on the Hawks early as the Terriers hit three 3-pointers in a row to take a 15-8 lead with 14:09 left in the first half and never looked back. The Terriers stretched the lead to 21 with 3:49 before going on a seven to one run to end the half and officially end Hartford’s chances of making a comeback. For the half BU hit 51% of their shots and recorded just three turnovers, putting together their second best offensive half of the half with 48 points, just shy of the 50 the team scored against Hartford at Chase Gym the first time the two teams met.

Hartford would get as close as 24 with 14 minutes to go on a Joe Zeglinski (’10) 3-pointer before the Terriers started to put the defensive clamps on the Hawks. The home team made just one of their next 12 shots and BU pushed their lead to 30 points, before eventually stretching it to as many as 45 with four minutes to go.

With the win the team earned its 18th win of the season, the most wins for a Terriers team since the 2004-05 season when BU last made postseason play-an NIT appearance. BU will play in the semifinals Sunday at 5PM against the number one seeded Stony Brook Seawolves.

Men's Bball: Coach Chambers Breaks Down Victory over Hartford

Head coach Patrick Chambers talks about the team's balanced effort as BU beat Hartford 87-46. 

Men's Bball: BU Players Explain Their Quarterfinal Success

Sophomore Jake O'Brien ('12) and senior Corey Lowe ('10) talk about their success as the duo combined for 54 points in the team's 87-46 victory over Hartford.

Men's Basketball: Hartford's Head Coach Breaks Down BU Beatdown

Hartford head coach Dan Leibovitz breaks down the Terriers 87-46 quarterfinal victory. Leibovitz described the game as a "perfect storm" of events as BU seemingly couldn't be stopped.

Men's Bball: Hartford's Player's Postgame Thoughts After BU Win

Juniors Joe Zeglinski ('11) and Morgan Sabia ('11) talk about their feelings after BU crushed the Hawks 87-46. Zeglinski talks about the difference in Corey Lowe's game today as he had 26 points after struggling over the past eight games.

MEN'S HOCKEY: PROGRAMMING NOTE

The WTBU Sports Staff regrets to inform you that we will be unable to bring you our broadcast and live-blog presentation of the Terriers' regular-season finale at Northeastern tonight at 7 p.m. Due to circumstances beyond our control, it will be impossible for the sports staff to cover this event with both the men's and women's basketball team--as well as the women's hockey team--all advancing in their respective conference tournaments. Our staff has been stretched to its thinnest due to the spring break holiday coinciding with this monumental weekend of Terrier athletics, and unfortunately sacrifices had to be made. We assure you that WTBU Sports will have you covered throughout the men's Hockey East tournament and beyond, and again, we are deeply apologetic for the lack of broadcast tonight. Thank you for understanding.

-The WTBU Sports Staff

WOMENS BASKETBALL: Terriers Out-Run Retrievers 60-49 to Advance to Semifinals

By Erik Hinrichsen

The No. 3 Boston University Terriers (16-13, 11-5 AE) matched up against the No. 6 UMBC Retrievers (13-17, 7-9 AE) in an America East Women’s Basketball Championships quarterfinal showdown. BU avenged their two regular season losses to UMBC with a 60-49 victory to advance to the semifinal round of action where they will face the No. 2-ranked University of Vermont Catamounts.

The Terriers were led by sophomore guard Alex Young (’12), who tallied 23 points by knocking down 9-of-16 shots, including 4-of-9 from behind the arc, and freshman guard Chantell Alford (’13), who recorded her first career double-double, with 13 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with five assists and four steals.

Joining Young and Alford in double figures was freshman point guard Caitlynn Moran (’13), who scored 12 points, hitting three clutch free throws down the stretch to help seal the victory, while dishing out five assists and pulling down six rebounds.

Sophomore forward Caroline Stewart (’12), who has emerged as an elite rebounder for the Terriers over the last month, grabbed a career-high and game-best 15 boards to go along with her eight points. BU out-rebounded UMBC 43-35, something they did not do in both regular season contests against the Retrievers.

The Terriers scored the first basket of the game, but the Retrievers answered right back. Stewart’s lay-up with 16 minutes remaining in the first half gave BU the lead 4-2, and they never gave it back, though the game remained relatively close throughout, as both teams stayed within two possessions of one another. However, the Terriers ended the first half on an 8-0 run, taking a 28-18 lead.

BU opened the second half by expanding their lead to 15 points, but the Retrievers fought back to cut the deficit to eight with a little more than four minutes left in the game. UMBC was never able to get it any closer as Alex Young hit two threes to push the Terrier lead back to double figures. Just two minutes later, the Terriers were victorious, beating the Retrievers 60-49.

Boston University will take on the University of Vermont this Sunday at 11a.m. in a rematch of the 2009 America East title game.