The No. 8 Boston University men’s hockey team will look to rebound from a winless weekend out west when it hosts Sacred Heart University on Friday and No. 4 Quinnipiac University on Saturday.
After starting the regular season with a 6-1 victory over Colgate University, the Terriers (1-2) took a step back, dropping a pair of games to No. 6 University of Denver. In their 4-3 loss to the Pioneers (2-2) on Friday, BU surrendered 35 shots and logged eight more penalty minutes than their opponent. The next night, the Terriers failed to generate much offense in their 3-1 loss to Denver, scoring only once on a power-play goal from freshman forward Kieffer Bellows.
All in all, BU head coach David Quinn’s squad failed to impress in its first test against a ranked opponent, and he’s noticed what that the team needs to work on.
“One of the things I think that’s happened, not just through the Denver game but in the previous three games is that I don’t think we’ve established the offensive zone enough,” Quinn said. “We haven’t had enough offensive zone time. I think we compete, but I don’t think we’re hard to play against yet.”
Freshman defenseman Dante Fabbro said the Terriers need to limit their penalties, something that Quinn has harped on all season.
“I think the biggest thing for us last week was penalty-wise, we got away from what we wanted to establish in the game,” Fabbro said, “That kind of changed the complexity of the game. I think our focus going into this week is just playing hard, but obviously trying to stay out of that box and giving us the best opportunity five-on-five.”
The Terriers now prepare for two games at Agganis Arena this weekend. Sacred Heart (1-2-1) heads to Commonwealth Avenue having settled for a 4-4 tie in its last contest against Union College on Oct. 15.
The Pioneers, who went 13-20-4 and finished ninth in the Atlantic Hockey Conference last season, are led by a trio of seniors on offense. Forwards Justin Danforth and Evan Jasper have combined for three goals and three assists through four games, while fellow forward Jeff Carroll has a pair of assists.
Although the Terriers will enter Friday’s game as favorites to win, Quinn said his team knows better than to take any opponent lightly.
“I think we’re smart enough to realize that we’ve got a good opponent in front of us,” Quinn said. “I don’t care what the outside world thinks, I guys have enough respect for them and understand that they’re older, stronger, smarter players. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
Following the Sacred Heart game, all eyes will be on the Terriers and the Bobcats (4-1-1) for a matchup between two top-10 teams. Quinnipiac University heads to BU after a handful of games against Hockey East teams.
The Bobcats remain one of the top teams in Division I hockey after a trip to the National Championship last season. Senior forward Tim Clifton and junior forward Andrew Taverner have started strong, each having recorded three goals and two assists in five games.
After last weekend’s disappointing outing, Quinn is looking forward to taking on a Bobcats team that was the first team since 1997 to total just four losses last season. Needless to say, Quinnipiac is a poised and talented squad, and Quinn firmly believes that his team has to play the best teams in the country to prove that they’re one of the best.
Fabbro said the team is looking forward to the opportunity to redeem itself after last weekend.
“We got a lot of skill in that locker room, and I know a lot of guys are going to work hard for that game,” Fabbro said. “I think it just comes down to who’s going to want it more. I have a feeling that our guys are going to be ready to play, and I have complete confidence in how we’re going to play. Hopefully we can continue making steps in the right direction and make things pay off here.”