When the 2007-2008 campaign came to a screeching halt in the semifinals of the Hockey East Tournament at the hands of the UVM Catamounts, the BU Terriers had to quickly prepare for change.
For starters, the team would lose seniors and point leaders Pete MacArthur and Bryan Ewing to graduation. Second, head coach Jack Parker was ready to sever ties with freshman goaltender Brett Bennett, who came to the school as a top prospect but disappointed with his 16-10-3 record.
The turnaround that the Terriers made in 2008-2009 was nothing short of remarkable, going 29-6-4 and ending the season on a 16-game unbeaten streak. The Terriers won their 29th Beanpot on their way to winning the Hockey East regular season title and securing the No. 2 ranking in the country.
The impetus for the success was twofold: stellar offensive seasons from a pair of sophomore forwards and a breakout season for a freshman goaltender.
The forwards, Colin Wilson and Nick Bonino, rank first and third in points in Hockey East with 49 and 44, respectively.
With four other players – senior forwards Chris Higgins, Brandon Yip and Jason Lawrence and senior defenseman Matt Gilroy – all tallying more than 30 points, BU has outscored opponents by a dominating margin of 154-78.
That 76-goal differential easily bests that of second-place Northeastern's 32-point gap.
The Terriers' offense has been supported by superb goaltending from freshman Kieran Millan, who finished the regular season first in goals against average (1.90), first in winning percentage (.875) and third in save percentage (.920).
The success was surprising for fans and coaches alike, as preseason reports indicated that Parker had not yet chosen his starting netminder during the week of the season opener.
Millan shined in Hockey East play, posting a 15-1-3 record, with the only loss coming early in the season to Vermont.
How they got here
The Terriers did not own first place in Hockey East until the very last day of the season, when a 3-0 win over Providence leapfrogged them over Northeastern in the standings.
Though the team experienced a minor scare last Saturday with a loss to Maine in the quarterfinals, the Terriers regained their composure to beat the Black Bears 6-2 in the decisive Game 3.
How they fared
BU will face a familiar foe in the semifinals in Boston College. The Terriers have gotten the best of the Eagles this season, posting a 2-0-1 and outscoring BC 9-4.
The Terriers have gone 2-2 in their four matchups with the Eagles in the history of the Hockey East Tournament. Their most recent postseason meeting ended in a 6-2 win for the Eagles in the 2007 quarterfinals.
Though they had a quiet regular season with an 18-13-5 record, the Eagles are eight-time tournament champions and always seem to step up their play in the postseason.
Potential Tournament MVP
Kieran Millan's save percentage took a hit in the second game of the quarterfinals when he allowed six goals, but the freshman responded quickly in Game 3 by stopping 24 of 26 shots. Given what the 19-year-old from Edmonton has shown all season, there is no reason to believe he can't put together another pair of strong performances.
