BU Red Dogs

The past couple seasons for the BU Club Ice Hockey Team have been filled with ups and downs, and unfortunately, not many wins.  Last year the team finished with a record of 5-15 while going 4-15-1 the season prior.  The team is ready to put the past behind them and to finally start winning some hockey games.

The 2014-2015 season is particularly unique for the team since there are no seniors on the roster.  There will be a heavy reliance on the team’s fourteen juniors, most of whom now have two years of experience under their belts.  Tryouts were competitive and there were lots of good players that came out to compete for spots on the team.  Newcomers such as Scott Woods, a transfer from Connecticut College, are hoping they will be able to make an immediate impact for the team.  Additionally, the defense corp added some much needed size in Onni Rauhala, who hails from Finland.

So far, the team is looking strong and seems to be heading in the right direction.  Despite being winless in league play the past two seasons, team morale and confidence are high. “Our goal is to not only be competitive in our league, but we believe we can make it to nationals.  We have the talent, we just have to come together, execute and play as a team.” – said new team captain and president, Matt Fineberg.  While the team has proven in the past that it can hang with some of the best teams in the country, consistency issues have been a big problem.  The Terriers are hoping that their wealth of experience and newly added talent will help solve some of these problems.

There are lots of things to be excited for this season, but one weekend that sticks out on the schedule is October 17/18.  During this time, the Terriers will head to Ft. Myers, Florida to play Florida Gulf Coast University.  Yes, hockey and ice do exist in Florida.  In fact, FGCU was runner up to UNH (who is in our division) in the national championship last season.  This road trip will definitely be one of the highlights of the year and will provide a tough test on the ice and a great bonding opportunity off the ice.

To kick off the season, the Terriers will see their first action in a pair of exhibition games this weekend against Bridgewater State and Quinnipiac.  Both games will be held at Walter Brown Arena (285 Babcock Street), and the schedule for them may be found below. Come on out to cheer on and support BU Club Ice Hockey!

BU vs. Bridgewater State – 9/19, 6PM,

BU vs. Quinnipiac – 9/20, 12PM

Tryouts for the 2014-2015 season will be held at Walter Brown Arena (285 Babcock Street) on the following dates:

Saturday September 13: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Sunday September 14: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Full equipment will be required and you must bring a valid insurance card.   Please arrive at least one hour early on the first day to allow time for registration and hear a few words from the captains.

Tryouts will be $40 and must be paid before you get on the ice.  This year we are using BU's online platform to handle everything regarding payment which may be found here: https://myfitrec.bu.edu/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/wbsplash.html (see directions below)

Under the “Adult Programs” drop down menu select “Sports”

Search by “Club Sports”

There you will find Club Ice Hockey - and may proceed to pay for tryouts

Any further questions should be directed to the team captain and president, Matt Fineberg (mdf16@bu.edu)

All new players trying out must:

1.) Complete the online medical questionnaire (See below)

2.) Bring a completed Health History and Physical Examination Report signed by your physician (the form you filled out when coming to school with your immunization records on it)

3.) Bring a current insurance card

If you have any questions regarding this please email acleitch@bu.edu.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE ONLINE MEDICAL HISTORY QUESTIONNAIRE:

1. Follow this link to access the PatientConnect system: http://www.bu.edu/shs/patientconnect/index.shtml
2. Click the GREEN arrow labeled "Log on to Patient | Connect"
3. Agree to the Terms of Use; click "I agree to these terms of use."
4. Login using your BU login and Kerberos password
5. On the home screen, click "Forms" in the left-hand navigation bar.
6. Click the appropriate form name (you should only have access to one of the following):
   1. FRESHMEN/TRANSFERS: History Questionnaire – NEW Athletes
   2. RETURNERS: History Questionnaire – RETURNING Athletes
7. Complete the form, making sure to answer all questions and give descriptions to "YES" answers
8. Click "Submit Final" at the bottom.  (You may also click "Save Partial" to complete later).

MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION MESSAGE AFTER CLICKING SUBMIT.  If you do not, you must scroll through the questionnaire and complete any questions you might have skipped accidentally.  These will be highlighted in RED boxes.  You will lose all work if you close the browser window without receiving the completion confirmation.

Anyone who is interested in trying out for the team this season should stop by our table at the Club Sports Expo this Monday to meet some of the players and learn more about the team! It will take place from 12-3 PM on the sidewalk in front of FitRec (or inside on the 4 court gym in the case of rain).

The first semester saw a lot of struggle with some bright moments indicating good things to come for the Boston University Club Ice Hockey Team.  Our record was a mere 1-8-1, with no wins in league games. Our poor record was due, in part, to the relative inexperience of our roster and numerous injuries. The team added a total of 13 rookies, including 12 freshmen, to the roster in September, all of whom were expected to contribute immediately. There were growing pains as well as debilitating injuries. Our reigning defensive MVP, AJ Gates missed 7 games with a concussion, returning players Anthony Sardo and Sean McCarthy missed a handful of games with injuries, defensemen Andrew Reiter was forced to have shoulder surgery keeping him out for the remaining of the year, and defensemen Hunter Grosvenor missed time with a fractured wrist.

Despite all of the hardships there were bright spots for the Terriers. We tied long-time rival Northeastern University, who is currently ranked #2 in the country. We had a heartbreaking, but team building loss to league rival and 4^th ranked UConn 2-1.  We notched our first victory (with many more to come 2^nd semester) against UMass Lowell with a last second game-winning goal by senior captain Nick Ennis. The boys have been hitting the gym hard over break and are looking forward to improving our record with our eyes focused on the annual Club Hockey Beanpot the first and second Tuesdays in February.

We are also happy to announce the two newest players to the squad, Matt Fineberg and Eric Schwabe. Matt is a skilled forward who saw great success in prep school with Lawrence Academy. Eric Schwabe is an experienced D-man who will bring more skill, depth, and hard work to the defensive core of the team. When asked about Schwabe joining the team, Captain Nick Ennis claimed,  “his eagerness and love for the game is infectious.” The team developed a new level of chemistry during the first semester as players began to gain more confidence in one another. With the second half of the season ready to begin, the boys plan to make up for a difficult first semester and have a winning record during the second semester and bring the Club Beanpot back to BU!

Ryan O'Lear
BU School of Management 2016
rolear@bu.edu