Dan Shulman

NewsTrack Post 1: Initial Analysis of The Guardian – London

Published on January 28, 2016 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

Updated 1.28.2016

The website I have been given to monitor for the semester is The Guardian – London. Publishing only about five stories a day, the website focuses on big events happening in the city of London. The website’s layout is very reader-friendly and incorporates easy-to-read highlights along with photos of the article.

In terms of multimedia, The Guardian incorporates several podcasts into its coverage of London news. The podcasts vary in subject and have a running time of about 45 minutes. The podcasts are designed to appear easier to readers in headline view. Normal news stories are in white while podcasts are in black. One podcast is about books and is hosted by Amy Liptrot and Emily Chappell. Featuring an introductory article, the podcast about books is quaint and features an image of Stonehenge.

There is usually one multimedia item (i.e. podcasts, videos) per day on the website. Videos are a critical part of the way The Guardian reports news. Videos are of all different lengths. One recent video featured protesters hosting a “die-in” for refugees at Pancras station in London. The video is short and effective at telling the story to readers, showing exactly what protesters were doing, from marching to the actual event and even some chants.

The website recently employed a color coding method to make it easier for readers to explore content. This helps to drive traffic for certain stories as well. Since there are just a few stories published every day, color-coding makes it more practical for readers to identify what each story is.

Features show up in dark-pink and are prevalent throughout the website. Four to five features are published each week and their popularity varies depending on topics. Two features were published on January 23. One focused on how politicians pawned the world’s rich, and that received 413 comments and was shared over 2,000 times on social media. The other feature took a look at photos of Jimi Hendrix. This one received only 16 comments and just 802 shares on social media. Had they perhaps spaced out the features by just one day, they each would have enjoyed more success.

Compared to other media, The Guardian published fewer articles, but is more concerned with features and the big stories rather than focusing on every little piece of news. The website is very user friendly and provides a great layout for readers to enjoy taking a look at some of London’s biggest news.

Why I Became a Journalist

Published on January 28, 2016May 8, 2018 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

Updated 07.06.2017

At the young age of six, my parents put me into an after school sports program that my elementary school offered. The program was run on Fridays from 3-5 in the afternoon and allowed students to play sports like floor hockey or kickball. However, I wasn’t interested in all that. Due to my short stature and the fact that I am not athletic, I opted to sit out of some activities. Grabbing a pen and a piece of paper, I sat at the edge of the stage and pretended to be a reporter at the game, slowly writing horizontal lines across the paper as if they were word in an article. From that point on, it’s been all journalism.

My father was the editor-in-chief of a newspaper called Hockey/USA. Run from his office in our house, he was constantly following sports, and taught me to do the same. I learned how to catch, throw, and hit a baseball at the age of two, thanks to my dad. I have always appreciated sports and have been lucky enough to attend many of Boston’s greatest sporting events in the modern era. My dad would sometimes report at these games as a freelancer.

From the age of 10, I have been around the college hockey media. My dad was the radio announcer for Merrimack College Hockey and I quickly became accustomed to the media scene and familiarized myself with everyone. When I was 12, I attended my first event as a member of the media; fittingly, the NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Northeast Regionals in Worcester. With a pad of paper, I wrote notes for an article I wrote at home, and one my dad published in his paper.

From that point on, it has been clear to me what I want to do with my life. I love to write, broadcast, and share sports with people any way I can. I am a people person (for the most part) and enjoy writing articles or doing play-by-play for games. My work has appeared in The Boston Globe, WEEI, SB Nation, WTBU Radio, Inside Hockey, and the Daily Free Press as well as broadcasts for WTBU and Boston Neighborhood Network.

Professional Sports Articles Published in the Newspaper

Published on October 26, 2015July 11, 2017 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

Revolution, still in search of playoff berth, face New York City FC

By Dan Shulman GLOBE CORRESPONDENT OCTOBER 25, 2015

With the regular season coming to a close Sunday, the Revolution travel to Yankee Stadium to face New York City FC, with a playoff berth on the line for New England.

The Revolution have failed to punch their ticket to the MLS playoffs over the last four games, going 0-3-1.

New England can clinch a berth with a win or draw against NYC, or an Orlando City draw or loss at Philadelphia. However, the Revolution have a plus-8 goal differential, so even with a loss and Orlando City win, New England could still make the playoffs.

“We win, we’re in — that’s the mentality,” said center back Andrew Farrell. “We want to take this big step.”

There are nine scenarios that could play out on Sunday, seeing the Revolution finish anywhere from fourth place to sixth place and facing one of four possible opponents. All Eastern Conference games begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

This will be the Revolution’s second visit to Yankee Stadium. On March 15, New England was the opponent for expansion NYC’s first-ever home game. The Revolution lost, 2-0, as David Villa and former Revolution draft pick Patrick Mullins scored.

The last meeting between the teams was July 18 at Gillette Stadium. Lee Nguyen scored in the 12th minute to lead the Revolution to a 1-0 victory.

NYC, which has been eliminated from playoff contention, is led by designated player David Villa. The former Spain international and FC Barcelona star has 17 goals this season, more than a third of the team’s total.

New England, meanwhile, has scored only twice in its four-game winless streak. The Revolution are hoping a win against NYC can boost momentum entering the playoffs.

“Going into the playoffs, it’s not necessarily how you’ve done in your last five games but your last game,” said Farrell. “You want to get that momentum going. It’s a really important game for us. We’ve got to take care of business.”

If the Revolution make the playoffs, they would play a knockout-round match Wednesday or Thursday.

“It’s crunch time,” said midfielder Scott Caldwell. “We know we need to step up.”

Revolution at New York City FC

■ When, where: Sunday, 5 p.m., at Yankee Stadium, New York.

■ TV, radio: CSN

■ Records: Revolution, 13-12-8 (47 points); NYC, 10-16-7 (37 points).

■ Coaches: Revolution, Jay Heaps; NYC, Jason Kreis.

■ Goalkeepers: Revolution, Bobby Shuttleworth; NYC, Josh Saunders.

■ Formation: Revolution, 4-2-3-1; NYC, 4-2-3-1.

■ Referee: Jair Marrufo.

■ Out: Revolution — D Darrius Barnes (knee). NYC — D George John (knee), F Tony Taylor (knee), D Shay Facey (knee), M Ned Grabavoy (knee), M Andrea Pirlo (adductor), D Andoni Iraola (calf), Pablo Alvarez (calf).

■ Miscellany: The Revolution are 4-10-2 on the road . . . The Revolution are 1-1-0 vs. NYC this season.

Professional Sports Articles Published in the Newspaper

Published on October 26, 2015July 11, 2017 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

Huge crowd expected for Revolution-Impact match

By Dan Shulman GLOBE CORRESPONDENT OCTOBER 17, 2015

On Saturday, the Revolution will play their final home game of the season in front of what could be a record-breaking crowd at Gillette Stadium, as Didier Drogba and the Montreal Impact come to town.

Both New England and Montreal will be looking to clinch a playoff spot Saturday.

A win or tie will be enough for the Revolution to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Montreal needs a win to ensure a berth. Both teams could have clinched a spot Friday night, but Orlando City beat visiting NYCFC, 2-1.

According to Revolution president Brian Bilello, attendance Saturday could reach 40,000, which would be the largest crowd in team history. New England’s current record for a regular-season game is 39,256 for an Aug. 30, 2008, game against David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“You can feel the difference when you are on the field,” said Revolution defender Jose Goncalves. “It’s extra motivation. I like to play in a stadium that’s full, packed with big ambience. It will be a really good game and I’m excited for that.”

This will be the third meeting of the season between the Eastern Conference rivals, with Montreal holding a 1-0-1 advantage. The Revolution hosted the Impact on March 21 in their home opener, playing to a 0-0 draw despite being a man up for much of the second half.

The next meeting came Sept. 19, when the Impact throttled the Revolution, 3-0, in a rain-soaked match at Montreal’s Stade Saputo, as Drogba had a goal and an assist.

Drogba was acquired by Montreal in a trade with Chicago July 27, and in nine games he has tallied a team-leading nine goals.

However, it is unclear whether Drogba will factor in Saturday’s clash. Coach Mauro Biello was cautious the last time his team played on turf, giving Drogba only 30 minutes of playing time in a 2-1 loss at Orlando City.

The Revolution are looking to clinch a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive game. After going 0-2-1 in their last three matches, they hope to find their form as the postseason approaches.

Revolution midfielders Jermaine Jones and Lee Nguyen are coming off a midweek stint with the US national team, which lost to Costa Rica, 1-0, Tuesday. Jones started but played only the first half, while Nguyen came on as a substitute for the last 18 minutes.

“This is what you play for,” said Revolution coach Jay Heaps. “We’re excited that it’s going to be a good crowd, and we want to go out there and punch our ticket.”

Hockey Beat Articles – Month of October

Published on October 26, 2015 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

PLUS/MINUS: FOUR TAKEAWAYS FROM BU VS. UCONN

By: Dan Shulman

Jittery, Shaky Starts

For the fourth game in a row, including exhibition games, the Boston University Terriers experienced jitters in the early stages of the first period on Saturday. It certainly wasn’t a slow start, as the teams raced up and down the ice. However, UConn gave the Terriers an early scare, as Evan Richardson rung the crossbar in the opening seconds. Despite the shaky start, the Terriers were able to get the game’s opening goal for the first time in this regular season.

Net front presence in defensive zone

Both UConn goals on Saturday night came as a result of poor coverage in front of the net. The defense was unable to clear loose pucks away from the crease, resulting in two goals from former Terrier commit Max Letunov. Regardless of whether the issue is poor coverage or failure to clean up the garbage in the net-front area, the Terriers need to work on better protecting their own cage to keep opponents off the scoreboard. However, the defense has looked much improved overall since the exhibition mishap against the US Under-18 Team.

Potent Special Teams

Last season, the Terriers special team units both thrived, as they were among the leaders in power play and penalty kill percentage in the nation. With a different look this season, BU doesn’t seem to have missed a beat. Scoring two power play goals on Saturday, the Terriers not only showed the ability to draw penalties, but also to capitalize on the man-advantage, converting at 21.4% on the young season. On the flip side, the BU penalty kill has been stellar this year, killing at a rate of 92.3% while allowing just 16 shots on 13 opportunities.

Life after Eichel

The Terriers found themselves in a mode last season where if things went wrong, Jack Eichel would save the day. As Eichel has moved on to the greener pastures of the NHL, the Terriers have reacted well to the loss of such of prolific player. With an entirely different offensive approach, where all four lines are balanced and either one could be the best on any given night. BU has shown good poise without such a top player, taking a more team oriented approach that, in due time, will be tough to stop.

Hockey Beat Articles – Month of October

Published on October 26, 2015 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

BU MEN’ ICE HOCKEY LOOKS TO OPEN HOCKEY EAST PLAY ON HIGH NOTE VS. UCONN

By: Dan Shulman

BU Men’s Ice Hockey vs. University of Connecticut (Hockey East) October 24^th & 27^th

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Location – Storrs, Connecticut; Mascot – Huskies; Last Year’s Record – 10-19-7 (7-11-4 HE); 3-11-3 on the road, 5-6-3 at home; Fun Fact – This is UConn’s second season in Hockey East…BU holds a 2-0-1 record vs. the Huskies

PREVIEW

The Boston University Terriers Men’s Ice Hockey Team will open up Hockey East play this weekend as they host University of Connecticut on Saturday.

The Terriers will play a disjointed home-and-home series with the Huskies, travelling to Connecticut, Tuesday, to wrap up the season series.

The Terriers have faced UConn three times, winning twice. The lone tie came last season at Agganis Arena, as BU battled back to take a late lead before UConn tied the game with just under four minutes to go in regulation leading to a 4-4 score line.

Connor LaCouvee got the nod in net for the Terriers in that game, making 22 saves. For the Huskies, Shawn Pauly and Trevor Gerling scored twice and had two assists each. Goaltender Rob Nichols recorded 30 saves.

Two weeks later, the teams met again at XL Center in Hartford as the Terriers shutdown UConn in a 5-2 rout. BU forward Ahti Oksanen had three points in the game and fired nine shots on goal.

This season, the Huskies enter the contest at 2-1-0. Following a split on the road against Alabama-Huntsville, a series where both teams earned a 5-2 victory, the Huskies hosted Arizona State last Friday, winning 5-1.

UConn is led by freshman Max Letunov and sophomore Spencer Naas. Letunov, originally a BU recruited, committed to UConn in the summer and has been the star so far for the Huskies, registering three goals and three assists. Naas, who was third a season ago with 17 points, has two goals and two assists so far in 2015-16.

BU is fresh off their first win of the season over Wisconsin last Saturday. The victory saw ten different Terriers record a point, including freshman Bobo Carpenter’s first career goal.

The Terriers will look to stick to their winning ways as they start Hockey East competition.

PREDICTION

The Terriers will struggle in the opening period Saturday, as the speed of UConn will be difficult to slow down. However, the Terriers are definitely more physical and the Huskies prolific offense has yet to be given a real test. With BU’s improving defense, the teams should play a close game on Saturday before the Terriers take home a big win on Tuesday.

BU’s THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

Shut down the Huskies offense
- so far, the Huskies have played a weak schedule. The Terriers must keep a confident UConn team off the scoreboard in order to bring the Huskies back to earth
Play Physical, Yet Disciplined
- UConn is a small but fast team. The only way to slow them down is to play physically. Still, the Terriers must remain disciplined as last year’s draw came as a result of a UConn equalizer on the power-play.
Test the Huskies goaltender
- regardless of who starts in net (likely Rob Nichols), the Terriers need to fire pucks on goal to test the goaltending, which currently has a combined 2.67 GAA and a 0.884 SV%.

Hockey Beat Articles – Month of October

Published on October 26, 2015 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

PLUS/MINUS: FOUR TAKEAWAYS FROM BU VS. NTDP AND WISCONSIN

By: Daniel Shulman

Sloppy Passing

The Terriers were handily beaten at the hands of the NTDP on Friday night. Head Coach David Quinn described his teams play as “immature”. One of the biggest issues, prevalent in both games last weekend, was passing. Distribution of the puck was either poor, too casual, or led to an icing. The Terriers experienced a lot of indecisiveness when passing, and a lack of communication as well.

Getting Shots on Net

BU certainly had its chances to score plenty of goals last weekend, firing 89 shots on goal. However, not many of those shots were considered to be quality. Again, there was an issue of being too casual in possession of the puck, choosing to skate deeper into the zone rather than shoot, which led to turnovers in the offensive zone. When the Terriers did shoot, most of the time they were just bland wrist-shots right at the goalie. BU has done well this season to put pucks on net, but the quality of their shots must improve.

Special Teams

Despite going 1-for-7 on the power play Saturday, the Terriers displayed a potent power play, firing 21 shots while on the man advantage. The physical play improved tremendously from Friday to Saturday, as BU frustrated the Badgers to draw eight penalties. The Terriers also remained more disciplined Saturday, even with an increased physicality. The penalty kill held Wisconsin to just three shots on the Badgers three power plays.

Defensive Zone Breakdowns

Both nights saw BU allow goals off defensive zone breakdowns. More apparent on Friday night, the Terriers turned the puck over inside their defensive numerous times, three of which led to goals. There were also lapses in coverage on both nights, as often times opposing forwards would have the puck without a defender. Even with a defender, they opposition was easily skating around the protective defensemen. Finally, there was little to no defensive presence in front of the BU net. When Terrier goalies gave up a rebound, or a puck became loose in the crease, the BU defense was reluctant to scrap for the puck and when they did, it was lackadaisical at best.

Hockey Beat Articles – Month of October

Published on October 26, 2015October 26, 2015 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY: PLAYER RATINGS VS. NTDP, WISCONSIN

By: Dan Shulman

TOP – Ahti Oksanen

GRADE – B+

WEEKEND STATS – 13 shots on goal, 2 goals, 1 assist, +1 for the weekend, 0 PIM

Oksanen was a huge factor for the Terrier offense last weekend. He was always looking to get pucks on net, and was rewarded with a pair of goals. The Finnish forward also stayed disciplined, and led to positive play from the rest of his team. Oksanen, along with his top line partners Jordan Greenway and Danny O’Regan, were prolific on Friday night and the NTDP had no answer. Saturday, the trio held a more reserved role, but still combined for 12 shots thanks to the efforts of Ahti Oksanen.

TOP – Brandon Fortunato

GRADE – A-

WEEKEND STATS – 3 shots on goal, 1 goal, 1 assist, -2 for the weekend, 0 PIM

Fortunato saw his first action of the season Friday against the NTDP. Despite going -4 on the night, no goals were directly from any mistake by Fortunato. He played with three different defense partners on Friday, and saw action on the first power play unit. His speed and ability to take the puck up the ice quickly led to him scoring his second career goal on Saturday. His more confident play led to another goal Saturday when Fortunato had his shot deflected by Chase Phelps, into the back of the net. Paired on the second defensive line with Doyle Somerby, look for the tandem to kick start the blue-liners with a balance of speed and physicality.

BOTTOM – A.J. Greer

GRADE: C-

WEEKEND STATS: 4 shots on goal, 0 points, -3 for the weekend, 2 PIM

Greer has had a difficult start to the season. The highly touted sophomore was poised to be one of the top players on a very talented team. Instead, he has yet to record a point this season and was demoted to the third line. In the game on Friday against the NTDP, Greer had three giveaways in the Terrier defensive zone, two of which led to goals for the other team. He was sloppy when in possession of the puck and chose to hit the opposing players rather than go for loose pucks. Saturday, his play improved slightly as his physical presence was felt. However, his play still lacked urgency and he effectively ended a Terrier power play with a crease violation.

BOTTOM – John MacLeod

GRADE – D+

WEEKEND STATS – 3 shots on goal, 0 goals, 1 assist, Even for the weekend, 4 PIM

MacLeod is a draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning and featured on the top defensive pairing a year ago. This season, MacLeod has found himself on the third defensive line, and likely the first defenseman out when Matt Grzelcyk returns. On Friday night, he looked in awe of the speed the NTDP forwards displayed as they easily skated around MacLeod. The second goal was a direct result of that. He ruined power play momentum by failing to keep a puck in the offensive zone. Both games saw MacLeod take boarding penalties, showing his frustration. His clearance passes were sloppy both nights as well, leading to odd-man rushes for the opposition.

SURPRISE – Chase Phelps

GRADE – B-

WEEKEND STATS – 2 shots on net, 1 goal, 0 assists, +1 for the weekend, 0 PIM

The physical, fourth-line sophomore was one of the biggest surprises coming out of preseason camp. His improved play was on display this weekend. Taking a reserved role on Friday with two extra-forwards dressing, Saturday, Phelps and the fourth line were the top unit on the ice. Along with senior center Mike Moran and freshman winger Bobo Carpenter, the trio contributed to a pair of Terrier goals, with Phelps scoring one, then delivering a hit to give the Terriers the puck in the build-up to the team’s fourth goal of the night. The sophomore’s continued improvement makes Phelps a denizen on the fourth line.

SURPRISE – Ryan Cloonan

GRADE – B

WEEKEND STATS – 1 shot on net, 0 goals, 2 assists, Even for the weekend, 0 PIM

If you look at the Terrier’s team leaders in offense, Cloonan, who some slated to be on the bench at the start of the season, is currently the team leader in points. With a goal and two assists thus far, Ryan Cloonan has been a pleasant surprise to say the least. Promoted to the second line for Saturday’s game, his speed was too much for Wisconsin to handle. Assisting on two Terrier goals, the freshman resembled the style of linemate Matt Lane. Along with Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, the second unit looks to be one of the fastest in the nation. As Cloonan matures, his play will only improve.

My Most Recent Column for the Daily Free Press

Published on October 26, 2015October 26, 2015 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

Indirect Kick: Who’s to blame for the Bruins’ poor start?

The 2015-16 NHL season is finally underway and one of the biggest storylines is the number of winless teams through the first few weeks. The Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins were all 0-3 to start the season.

Joining this trio with three emphatic home losses in five days was the Boston Bruins. After being outscored 16-7 through three games, the Bruins finally notched one in the win column with a 6-2 victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 14.

This rough start to the season is just the tip of the iceberg for the Bruins. They missed the playoffs last season, overhauled their front office this summer, traded half the team away and wasted three consecutive draft choices on prospects who won’t see NHL action for a few years. At the center of this controversy is head coach Claude Julien.

Julien has been behind the Bruins bench since the start of the 2007-08 season, and has led his team to the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons. But, after winning two Prince of Wales Trophies and a Stanley Cup, the clock is about to strike midnight on the Julien Era.

It’s an unfortunate truth but it’s a move that must be made. And it has nothing to do with Julien’s ability to coach. If that was ever in doubt, he would never have been hired. Instead, it’s an issue of a new front office bringing in its own coach.

However, I believe Julien deserves to stay. I mean, come on. You can’t finish a puzzle if you aren’t given all the pieces. If anything, Julien should remain coach just on the sheer principle of the way Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and the new front office has blown up his team.

The Bruins really need to fix themselves quickly, but consider all the other teams who are off to rough starts. There is still hope for the Bruins and it’s not impossible for them to make the playoffs this year.

Looking at the situation statistically, the Bruins are certainly struggling defensively. Goaltender Tuukka Rask, despite his abysmal goals-against average, cannot be blamed for the poor defensive showing on the part of the black and gold.

Against the Winnipeg Jets, of the six goals the Jets scored, two came directly off a turnover in the defensive zone, one came on a breakaway and another went into an empty net. In essence, Rask was only to blame for two tallies.

The same goes for the games against the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, where defensive lapses were prevalent. However, in Colorado, something finally clicked and the Bruins blue liners only conceded twice against the Avalanche with Jonas Gustavsson between the pipes.

The Bruins are missing Dennis Seidenberg, who is dealing with a back injury. An experienced defenseman, his contributions are extremely missed at the moment, as evident in the Bruins’ struggle to tame opposing offenses.

Captain and defenseman Zdeno Chara is also working back to full health. Breaking a rib in preseason, the 6-foot-9 Slovakian has struggled to play at full capacity due to his ailment. His contribution, albeit limited, is evident through his three assists in his first three games.

Even with Chara and Seidenberg at full health, there are still only five defensemen on the roster who have full-time NHL experience. Five. You need six defenseman. This is a huge problem for the B’s.

The team traded away Johnny Boychuk last season for god knows who, and this past offseason, the team parted ways with Dougie Hamilton as well. Those are two defenders who should still be donning the spoked B. But alas, all they got in return were some draft picks.

The motto “defense wins championships” really should be carved in stone, framed and given to both former GM Peter Chiarelli and Sweeney because they destroyed the Bruins.

Offensively, the Bruins lost a few key elements and some of their long-time players are underperforming. However, that isn’t any concern, as goals will come like they did against Colorado. Goaltending is also something to be confident about. For the first time in two years, the Bruins have a legitimately talented tandem between the pipes.

So let’s not get distracted here. It is clear that the real problem is defense. Not goaltending, not offense and certainly not Claude Julien. The front office needs to wake up, make a big splash by acquiring a notable defenseman, and revive the Bruins.

So for everyone looking for someone to point a finger at, you should be looking in the direction of the front office, not Julien.

Fans just need to take a breath and relax. There are 82 games in a season and a lot can happen between now and April. The Bruins will be fine. If not this year, then next, but it can’t get much worse.

Hockey Beat Articles – Month of October

Published on October 16, 2015 by Dan ShulmanLeave a comment

TERRIERS HOPE TO BOUNCE BACK FROM OPENING LOSS, HOST NTDP AND WISCONSIN

By: Dan Shulman

BU Men’s Ice Hockey vs. U.S. Under 18 Team (exhibition), Friday, October 16, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Location – Plymouth, Michigan; Fun Fact – The NTDP has faced three NCAA opponents this season, going 1-1-1 thus far…BU is 5-0-1 vs. NTDP all time

BU Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Wisconsin (non-conference), Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Location – Madison, Wisconsin; Mascot – Badgers; Last Year’s Record – 4-26-5 (1-11-1 in first half of last season) 0-1-1 vs. BU last season; Fun Fact – Terriers are 11-6-1 vs. Wisconsin all time

—

PREVIEW

The Boston University Men’s Ice Hockey Team will look to put its dismal season opening loss to Union behind them as they host the U.S. Under 18 Team in their final exhibition on Friday before returning to regular season play on Saturday against Wisconsin.

The Terriers played both opponents last season. They defeated the NTDP on October 18^th, 2014 by a score of 6-4. BU then took three points out of four from Wisconsin in January, tying 3-3 the first game and winning 6-1 the following night.

The NTDP fell behind 4-1 to BU at Agganis before Auston Matthews and Jeremy Bracco woke up, recording three points each to cut the deficit to one. But the Terriers were too much and held the duo in check for the remainder of the night.

This season, the U.S. Under 18 Team is extremely talented, highlighted by current 3 Terrier commits: forward Clayton Keller (4G, 9A), forward Kieffer Bellows (7G, 2A), and defenseman Chad Krys (0G, 5A). Their starting goaltender Jake Oettinger is also a Boston University commit, and he’ll get to see what life in Agganis is like when he stares down the Terrier attack.

After falling to Northern Michigan 4-0 on October 3rd, the NTDP rallied to beat Lake Superior State 2-1 in overtime the following night. The Under 18 Team most recently played to a 2-2 tie at Notre Dame on Sunday, the 11th.

The Terriers had a difficult bout with Wisconsin on January 9 in Madison last season. Ahti Oksanen scored two goals for BU with their own net empty in the third period to force a tie with the Badgers.

The next night, Wisconsin took an early second period lead before the wheels fell off. Behind Jack Eichel, BU netted six unanswered goals to down the Badgers.

Wisconsin has just three seniors on an extremely young roster this season. Junior Grant Besse, last season’s leading point-getter for the Badgers, returns from his eleven goal campaign. Both goaltenders from last year’s squad have graduated, and a void at goaltending remains.

Wisconsin battled Northern Michigan last weekend to a pair of ties. Besse scored with 42 seconds remaining in the first game and the Badgers scored three unanswered third period goals in the second contest to fend off the Wildcats.

The Terriers will try to right the ship against two young opponents before opening Hockey East play next weekend vs. UConn.

PREDICTION

BU defeats NTDP 3-2…this will be a test for the Terriers, but the experience and talent of BU should be enough to down the Under 18 Team

BU defeats Wisconsin 5-1…this game should be a confidence booster for the Terriers, who should easily outplay the Badgers who will be coming off a tough game vs. BC the previous night

BU’s THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

Energy – the Terriers are going to need to stay energized against the youthful NTDP and Wisconsin as both are dangerous third period teams
Defend, Defend, Defend – the defense suffered several lapses vs. Union, and will have to remain focused and solid to keep both opponents off the scoresheet
Get Pucks in the Net – without last season’s leading scorers, the Terriers need to find new ways to score using a more physical and balanced approach