Men’s Hockey: Three takeaways from No. 13 BU’s split with No. 1/2 BC

By Patrick Donnelly

The thirteenth-ranked Boston University Terriers (6-2) took four of six possible points against the now No. 1/2 Boston College Eagles (11-3-1) this past weekend.

The Terriers dropped a heartbreaker on Friday night, losing 4-3 in the final second of overtime, but managed to storm back with a thorough 3-1 victory on Saturday.

Here are my three takeaways from the weekend – all opinions are my own:

Realistically, you couldn’t have scripted a better weekend for BU

On Friday when BU’s lines were announced, I remember saying to BU Today’s Brady Gardner that I’d honestly be happy if the Terriers managed to take a mere point from the two games after seeing the team would now be without its captain, senior forward Logan Cockerill, it’s Hobey Baker candidate, senior defenseman David Farrance, and its freshman phenom in goal, Drew Commesso. This is as the Terriers were still without junior forward Jake Wise, sophomore forward Ethan Phillips and senior forward Jake Witkowski.

Without their three most important players. and key members of the supporting cast, the Terriers came out with gutsy performances both nights and played well in spite of the absences, with a freshman goaltender winning in his first ever start on Saturday, no less.

To take four of a possible six points against arguably the best team in the nation, with that many absences for the Terriers, BU had about as successful of a weekend as they could have asked for, outside of a sweep.

I also think it says a lot about the character and makeup of this year’s team. Last year, BU would easily fall into ruts, and it was easy to tell the play on the ice was uninspired. Not this year.

Alex Vlasic is coming into his own

I’ve been beating the Alex Vlasic drum since I saw him on the ice for the first time at BU. He had a solid year last year, but for someone with his skillset and size, it felt like there was more to be desired with just four assists in 34 games.

This year, the sophomore defenseman has two goals and four assists for six points in eight games, already beating last season’s production. He notched his first two goals over the weekend, first with a long-range, seeing-eye wrister from the point on Friday, before a dominant play on Saturday, keeping the puck in at the blueline, walking in and roofing a wrist shot.

The 2019 Chicago Blackhawks second round draft pick has taken on a much bigger role in the Terriers’ defense group this year, and has looked more and more comfortable each game, especially with the puck on his stick. For someone as big as Vlasic, his skating ability and puck control are extremely impressive.

He looks like he belongs in all three zones, and has emerged as one of the team’s best penalty killers. Pay attention to this guy.

So who gets the net?

Sophomore netminder Ashton Abel got the nod on Friday night, and looked solid for BU, making 29 saves and bailing his team out at times. Considering it was his first start since February of last year. Abel was fine.

Speaking of gutsy performances, freshman Vinny Duplessis went in goal on Saturday, and boy, was he impressive. In his first career start, he made 40 saves and neutralized the best of the best in college hockey, aside from a greasy goal that somehow found its way into the net.

Duplessis stole the show on Saturday, after Abel’s decent outing on Friday. So, the question facing head coach Albie O’Connell is who should take control of the net as long as Commesso is out? Do you ride the hot hand and give Duplessis the keys after one start? Or do you revert to a timeshare between the veteran and the newcomer until someone fully claims the net? We’ll have to wait and see.

The Terriers will return to action this weekend as they travel to Vermont for a pair of games.

Featured Image: Sophomore defensemen Alex Vlasic (7) and Dom Fensore (23) celebrate Vlasic’s goal in a win against Boston College at Walter Brown Arena on Feb. 6, 2021. Photo by Carolyn Mooney.

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