The Terriers of old have not appeared lately, and it seems that their return might not come any time soon.
After dropping a 3-2 loss to UMASS Amherst last Friday, Boston University tanked Tuesday night, getting shutout by Notre Dame. It was the first time the Terriers were shutout in exactly 100 games. It was also sophomore goalie Kieran Millan’s first back-to-back loss.
The Terrier offense struggled immensely. BU out-shot the Fighting Irish 34-16, but the shots were not on target. The Terriers looked timid near the goal, constantly passing around the net. Very rarely would the offense take a direct shot without passing three or four times.
Now I’m not putting down passing, but the Terrier’s puck-game was atrocious. There was no clear, crisp passing, and BU had a hard time settling the puck and keeping it in their possession. Also, passing does nothing if you have a clear shot at the net.
The Terriers also did very little to take advantage of the power play. BU had eight power play opportunities, including a five on three advantage during the second period, and each time it seemed as though the Terriers were fighting to keep the puck in Notre Dame’s zone.
Boston University coach Jack Parker said that he felt the Terriers didn’t “show up” until they were down 2-0 in the second period. Some fans and critics are already counting out the Terriers this early in the season. I think the Terriers just need to meld together as a team.
For one, several key players are gone from last year. Jason Lawrence and Brandon Yip, BU’s top two goal scorers from 2008, are gone. Matt Gilroy and Colin Wilson have gone off to NHL to pursue bigger and better things. Now the Terriers have to find an identity.
What happened on Tuesday wasn’t a sign of a bad team. The Terriers played poorly, but there is potential. Freshman Alex Chiasson netted his first two goals against UMASS. David Warsofsky and Colby Cohen had several solid shots against Notre Dame. The real problem is putting all these pieces together.
It may be easier said than done, considering the expectations the crowd has of the Terriers this season. Repeating a National Championship will be no easy task, especially with a tough schedule and half of last year’s team gone.
