Chloe Wojanik
Boston University News Service
Boston University has hosted 75 different programs since its first college hockey game in 1918. When Boston University and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) meet in the first round of the NCAA Men's Hockey Championship Tournament, that total increases to 76 different programs.
The Tigers, who won the Atlantic Hockey Championship last Saturday, moved from Division II to Division I during the 2005-06 season, but have only appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times before this year. Therefore, the terrier did not have much of a chance to face this new enemy.
“We haven't looked into it too much yet,” BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said. “Obviously we won't see them during the regular season, so we're going to watch some video on them and start preparing like most teams.”
The Terriers will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing 6-2 loss to BC in the Hockey East Championship Game. BU allowed Boston College to score on all four power play opportunities, but BC freshman Will Smith put on a clinic for the Terriers, scoring four goals of his own in the win.
“It's better to have a poor memory this time of year,” Pandolfo said. “We still have a lot of work to do in hockey, and we want to get it done. For us right now, it's on the back burner. We're going to have to work hard as a group on how we play and I think I understand what success looks like, so I have to get back to that mindset.”
RIT has an impressive defenseman on the team that BU will need to be careful about, especially when he puts the puck on his stick in the Tigers' offensive zone: fifth-year defenseman Gianfranco, a transfer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. – Cassaro has scored 17 goals and has 19 assists in 39 games this season. Cassaro leads RIT in power play goals with eight, more than any other defenseman in the country. Yes, he has more goals than BU's star defenseman Lane Hutson.
BU is a very young team. The team's best player, Macklin Celebrini, who was recently named Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, is only 17 years old. On the other hand, RIT has 11 players over the age of 23 in his starting lineup. It will be a challenge for BU's young team to play with the mature style and level that RIT brings to the ice.
“It's been like that all year,” Celebrini said. “Every team has older players and younger players. Obviously, they're an older team. More experienced, more mature. We'll play them and see what they bring to the table. I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
Although the New England region has two regional venues in Providence, Rhode Island and Springfield, Massachusetts, the tournament selection committee decided to send BU and RIT to play in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His three other Hockey East teams competing in the tournament had to hop on a plane and make quite the trip, while his team headed to the game by bus.
“I don't think it matters too much to us,” Celebrini said. “Wherever they put us, we're going to be put. We just have to deal with it and bring our best game.”
“It's amazing,” said graduate forward Sam Stephens, who played for the Sioux Falls Stampede during his junior hockey days. “Sioux Falls is a good place. We're looking forward to going there. It's going to be fun.”
The puck will drop between BU and RIT at the Denny Sanford Premier Center on Thursday, March 28 at 5 p.m., and BU fans can watch all the action on ESPNU and ESPN+. The winning team will face the winner of Minnesota vs. Omaha in the second round of the tournament.
