Tag: Boston University hockey (Page 5 of 10)

Visiting D.C. Is Like So Hot Right Now

5 April, 2009 / Kat

7thstreetatnightnew_080417 So for those of you wondering where I have been the last few days, I have been finalizing my plans to travel to Washington D.C. this upcoming Thursday for the NCAA Men’s Hockey Frozen Four. Boston University clinched a space in the “Big Dance” by defeating the University of New Hampshire last Sunday in a game that definitely counted as a heart attack stress test.

Just like many of my friends and colleagues did in January, I am emptying my savings accounts to partake in a once-in-a-lifetime experience in our nation’s capital. Except my once-in-a-lifetime experience doesn’t involve watching the President’s inauguration, but watching a college hockey team. It’s one of those moments where I feel…hmm…less academic and more frivolous than most people. But what can you do?

If there is anything in particular you would like me to report back on from D.C., please let me know. Anything in particular that you want me to take pictures of? Let me know, and I will try to oblige.

The Everyone’s Favorite Goalie Watch: Oh, Mr. Thiessen. I Didn’t See You Over There

5 April, 2009 / Kat

After giving Everyone’s Favorite Goalie, John Curry, a fellow Hockey East alum earlier in the week – Northeastern senior Joe Vitale – the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins surprised us college hockey fans, and it seems others, by signing Northeastern junior goalie Brad Thiessen on Friday.

Although some had speculated he might leave school early (including myself very briefly last weekend before his team’s NCAA semifinal loss to Cornell), I don’t know if it was particularly expected. Especially a move to the Penguins organization, which seems to be stockpiling goalies like 1950s families stocked canned vegetables in fail-safe shelters. (At the end of the world, there is not such a thing as too many cans of creamed corn. Or, it seems, too many undrafted college goalies.)

What does this mean for Everyone’s Favorite Goalie? Is this a confirmation of his spot as the somewhat-revitalized Marc-Andre Fleury’s backup next season? Or does the Penguins organization think that they want to have some grand goalie cage match next training camp? Thiessen, Curry, Fleury, Dave Brown, Chad Johnson and Adam Berkhoel all go at it, and the two still standing get a chance in the NHL? That would make an amazing reality show…in Canada.

As for Thiessen, I’m kind of disappointed he won’t be back next year. Given the youth of Northeastern’s team, they were a lock to compete for the top spot in Hockey East again next year. Since Thiessen started every single game for the Huskies last year, no one is quite sure what type of goalies they have coming up behind him. Thiessen definitely was deserving of the Hockey East Player of the Year award, and really kept the Huskies in the mix all season long. Now the Huskies seem like a giant question mark heading into 2009-10.

Everyone Say, “Awww…”

22 March, 2009 / Kat

In reading the coverage this evening from Boston University winning the Hockey East Championship, I came across this photo in the Boston Herald:

Brandon Yip, Chris Higgins and Jason Lawrence celebrate BU's Hockey East Championship (Photo: Boston Herald)

I immediately thought of the following photo that I had featured in my blog last month. Wow, isn’t the above picture strangely familiar to this picture from their freshman year, isn’t it?

Lawrence, Higgins and Yip celebrate their first Beanpot win as freshmen in 2006. (Photo: Jamd.com)

Let’s all feel nostalgic and old now, shall we? Sniffle, sniffle.

Hanging Out in the Cheap Seats – The Hockey East Semifinal Liveblog

20 March, 2009 / Kat

I hate Duke. Darn dominant college basketball power…you know, Duke, you’ve had enough wins and titles and all of that. Why not just share the wealth? Let a team like Binghamton win once. Really, Coach K, don’t you want to like, take a vacation or something?

Now that I’ve gotten that bitterness out of my system, let me introduce you to the …On Being a Sports Girl Hockey East Semifinal Live Blog. I’m going to be there from the very beginning of the UMass Lowell Red & Blue Pigeons versus Northeastern Stick-Throwers game till the very end of the Boston University versus Boston College game. I honestly enjoy being in an arena for hours and hours on end, especially during early tournament games where I have like an entire section of the Garden to myself.

So to help out those of you unable to join me at the TDBanknorth Garden tonight, I’ll be sharing my witty observations (like if BC’s band breaks out any new pep band renditions of hip-hop songs) here through CoverItLive. I may not be delivering hard-hitting hockey analysis – I mean, I could if I wanted to, but what’s the fun in that? – but who needs that when I can muse about the fact that a riverhawk is really a pigeon?

Oh, but I will provide play-by-play at one point tonight – my favorite event of the Hockey East season, the Annual Mascot Game. My money is on the Skating Monk of Providence College – he had a rough year, and he may be out for revenge. I was hoping that Bananas the Bear might not be as depressed as he was last year, but I think he might be even more. Bummer Bananas – you really could be a contender in this game, especially if you pick up the patented Simon Danis-Pepin defense of literally sitting on the forward closest to you. Oh, and the Merrimack Warrior will inexplicably show up. Who invited him?

Oh wait, they’re still in our league? Oops.

Well, friends, join me at 4:30pm for what looks to be quite the evening of hockey.

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=a6d29e7e7e" >Hockey East Semifinals – The View from the Cheap Seats</a>

Blast from the Past: On Excitement and Nervousness

14 March, 2009 / Kat

It’s Hockey East quarterfinals time, and I found myself yesterday in a particular mood. One of excitement and nervousness, one that I have anytime a favorite team of mine is in the playoffs. This weekend, I have this two fold, as now only is Boston Univeristy in the Hockey East quarterfinals against the University of Maine (ye of the giants), but my undergraduate alma mater Binghamton University is playing in their first America East men’s basketball championship game this morning. Binghamton will secure their first ever NCAA berth with a win today. If this isn’t the biggest day ever for Binghamton, I don’t know what could top it.

Needless to say that this weekend, I have an excess of nervousness and excitement. Frankly, I’m a nervous wreck. I have channeled this excess excitement and nervousness into doing my nails multiple times. (I even went as far as to buy a new buffer. That means I’m serious.) But the nail filing and buffing isn’t working.

Last year to the day, I wrote a piece about excitement and nervousness, and how your favorite teams may ebb and flow throughout the years, the way you act when they’re in the playoffs may never really change. The original post (which I very much enjoy) is located here.

Now someone pass the top coat.