By: Alex Faust
March 6, 2010, 9:28 p.m. – the last game of the 2009-10 Northeastern men’s hockey season played on the Matthews Arena ice.
That night, with a playoff spot on the line, the odds looked favorable: A win or any number of other outcomes in Hockey East would secure a playoff berth. Yet in a season when the Hockey East standings shuffled wildly from week to week, everything that could go wrong did. As the out-of-town scores trickled in, the nauseating realization that the season could end that night slowly became a reality. Northeastern finished outside of the final playoff spot, and Boston University gained yet another home ice berth.
Thirty weeks later, we stand on the brink of a new season. Fans can only hope that missing the playoffs has driven this team to be hungrier than ever before. We’ll get our first glimpse at that hunger this Saturday when the Huskies host another Canadian school for a pre-season exhibition – this year, it’s Acadia University. So before you start screaming until your lungs bleed, here’s a primer on what to think about.
Saturday’s game will be the first look at yet another Northeastern recruiting class that many profess to be the best they’ve ever seen — on paper, at least. Ten new players join the roster, ranging from the much-talked about forward Brodie Reid, to the late commitment of forward Cody Ferriero, to the massive 6-foot-7 inch defenseman (and 17-year old) Jamie Oleksiak.
If there’s one thing we know about this group, it’s that it brings serious expectations. The players’ impressive performances at the prep or junior hockey level have fans dreaming big, but there will be an adjustment period.
Head coach Greg Cronin said last year’s new players were actually scared of their home surroundings – the deafening noise and intimidating crowds at Matthews Arena.
This year, players should use the exhibition game as a chance to relax and enjoy the moment. At no other point this season will a game be as meaningless as this one.
The new class of freshmen may be one of the deepest offenses we’ve seen at Northeastern in recent years, but let’s not forget that last year’s campaign was riddled with injuries, especially on the blue line. At times, there were barely enough healthy bodies to dress for a full defense.
Only nine players are listed on this year’s roster as defensemen, six of whom could occupy a starting position on any given night. Everyone – including the freshmen – will be expected to play at top form immediately. An exhibition game is the perfect venue to make sure that there are no holes to shore up.
Fans will undoubtedly be happy to see their favorite players return to the ice, but no player will receive a bigger ovation than sophomore forward Steve Quailer. The loss of Quailer to a season-ending ACL injury in last year’s exhibition game arguably kept the Huskies out of the playoffs.
The Huskies certainly could have grabbed a win or two down the stretch, but consensus has been that, with Quailer, the team would have easily made the playoffs.
With all that said, I’m done dwelling on the what-ifs of the past. This Saturday’s game is about starting with a clean slate. Let’s just hope everyone makes it through the game unscathed.
