All signs are pointing to Boston University having no trouble getting to Grand Forks this weekend. Flights at Boston Logan are back on as scheduled and the Terriers are expected to arrive tomorrow.
Another good sign: Their gear has already arrived. They shipped it today.
As for the team, it’s a little bit of an unknown. UND hasn’t played Boston University since 2008, when BU hosted the Ice Breaker to start the season. UND lost to BU 5-1.
BU’s last trip to Grand Forks was December 1996. UND won and tied. Later that year, UND would go on to beat the Terriers 6-4 in the national championship game.
UND is still expected to be without forward Michael Parks, who has been sidelined with a leg injury he sustained in an exhibition game.
For Thursday’s paper, I’m writing about the art on the goalie helmets. It is pretty unique stuff and we had a lot of questions about it during our live chat last week.
For Friday’s paper, I’ll get into the preview material, including the note that former UND star T.J. Oshie and former BU star Kevin Shattenkirk — both now teammates with the St. Louis Blues — are coming to Grand Forks for the series.
The Q&A will be with Bryn Chyzyk, and if you want to get a head start on everything and check out this week’s press conferences, the videos are posted here.
On the women’s side, there’s a huge showdown between No. 9 UND and No. 4 Clarkson. Coach Brian Idalski warned that if UND splits or gets swept, it could mean a huge uphill battle in order to earn an NCAA tournament spot.
Monique Lamoureux also talked a little bit about how frustrating it has been not putting the puck in the net as often as usual. She hasn’t scored a goal in six games now – the longest drought of her career.
Idalski said no further updates on Michelle Karvinen or Leah Jensen, UND’s top-end players who have missed the last few weeks with leg injuries.
I remember going to that UND-BU series back in 1996. I attended the Saturday night game which I believe was a 2-2 tie.
Hopefully, BU’s return to G.F. this season is a good omen for UND.
If my memory serves, didn’t we beat BU along with BC in a regional out east about 10 years ago?
Yep during the 2006 season.
Actually, I think it was 04-05, Hakstol’s first year.
Will Dan Hammer get a chance to do an interview with Oshie like Sweeney did a few years back? “Remember that Fabes?”
It’ll depend if Oshie is coherent enough for an interview…its arguable that he wasn’t last time!
He was one Bud short of a Pile! It was entertaining.
Watched BU vs. Gophers in the regional semi’s last year at the Xcel Center, they have some big bodies on that team… should be a good test!
Was that Ice Breaker tourney when there was fog or something in the arena?
No, the “Fog Game” was a regular season game at BC early in the 2007-08 season. I was there. One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen at a hockey game. Called the game as a 0-0 tie after the 2nd period. We played at Northeastern the next night.
The Friday night game against BU in ’96 was my first Sioux game ever. I remember heckling BU players as they warmed up, and then I got a puck flipped up at me by one of their guys that hit me in the chest!
We got the last laugh as UND came back in that one to win 6-4, much like they did in the championship game later that season.