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 4th ranked UConn 2-1. We notched our first victory (with many more to come 2nd 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
