Men’s Hockey: Terriers set for two-game trip to Northern Michigan

By Owen Gund

The Boston University men’s hockey team (3-5-0, 2-4-0 HEA) will head to Marquette, Michigan this weekend for a two-game road swing on Friday and Saturday night against the Northern Michigan Wildcats (2-5, 2-4 CCHA). 

“I think the team is really excited about going on the road and getting out of Boston for a little bit,” BU head coach Albie O’Connell said in his weekly media availability.

The team took a two-hour private charter flight to Marquette to cut down on travel time. The trip will be the first time the team has traveled via plane since January of 2020. 

O’Connell mentioned that he sees the road trip as an opportunity for the team to lock in on the task at hand while also building their chemistry.

“It just gets you focused on hockey and the team,” O’Connell said. “It always ends up being a good bonding experience for the guys, and I don’t think they mind staying in a hotel, so it’s not the worst thing,” he added.

Friday will mark the first time BU plays against Northern Michigan at Berry Events Center. The two teams have squared off just four times in history, and this weekend will be BU’s first trip to Marquette since 1988.

O’Connell said he is expecting “a really crowded building and a fun environment” when the two teams square off on Friday.

After last Saturday’s loss to UMass Lowell, O’Connell referred to his roster as “beyond banged up.”

All signs point to the Terriers being shorthanded once again this weekend. O’Connell didn’t have any injury updates to give other than saying, “I think that maybe we’ll get a guy or two back, but we’ll still be a little bugged with injury for a little bit longer.”

O’Connell mentioned that this problem is “part of hockey” and that the 21 players who dress in each game this weekend will need to be ready to go.

O’Connell emphasized execution and starting on time to his team in practice this week.

“We’re trying to hopefully get out there and start on time on Friday night,” he said.

I think it’s important to understand what the other team is doing, but if we can’t execute what we’re trying to do in our forecheck, in our neutral zone, and on our breakouts, we’re really worried,” he said.

“You can’t win consistently until you can’t beat yourself,” he added.

While O’Connell said that the majority of focus in practice this week was on his own group, he did say that he was impressed by what he saw from Northern Michigan on film.

“They’re an up-tempo team. They’re good off the rush. They attack,” O’Connell said. “They pose a lot of different threats. They’re organized in what they do, and they’ve got a lot of talent, so we’re going to have to be on our toes,” he added.

Puck drop for Friday’s game is at 6:30 p.m. ET from Berry Events Center.

Featured Image by Ryan Gregory.