BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

[defkit]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

Does anyone remember Keith Emery? I was just converting the 2000 Beanpot championship game (coming soon to a Google drive near you ) and he got into a major fight at the end of the game. I don't recall him at all, despite the fact he played in 103 games from 1997-2001.

Sean

I put him in the Chris (Kris?) Werner category - completely forgot about him until watching a game.

[defkit]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

I just watched the BU - Lake St game in the 1995 NCAA QF, Kai Linna's hat trick game. ESPN displayed a graphic stating it was his 3rd career hatty. Sean?

Boy that doesn't sound right. Any defenseman with a HT is pretty rare, which is what made that game when both Schaefer and Whitney had one even crazier (Princeton?).

Linna was one of my favorite D-men of that era (after Brennan), but I don't think he was that offensive. If he did have 2 others, I feel like one might have been at Matthews.

[defkit]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

Looks like a I'll be road-tripping to watch BU at UConn the next 4 years. My older son just made his college choice, and he is staying within Hockey East (not a hockey player but has been to many BU games with me).

[buoldtimer]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

Boy that doesn't sound right. Any defenseman with a HT is pretty rare, which is what made that game when both Schaefer and Whitney had one even crazier (Princeton?).

Linna was one of my favorite D-men of that era (after Brennan), but I don't think he was that offensive. If he did have 2 others, I feel like one might have been at Matthews.

Wasn't there a BU poster on this site who thought Linna was awful?

[defkit]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

Wasn't there a BU poster on this site who thought Linna was awful?

Yes, although it might have been on the old AOL boards? He was adamant that Linna was one of the worst defensemen he had ever seen. I met up with him at a Regional or FF once. We agreed to disagree.

I have another memory that could be way off. During Linna's freshman season (91-92), I think that was the year that BC upset us at home in the first round of the HE tourney (they had a bad year, maybe they were #7 and we were #2 seed?). When the outcome was no longer in doubt, there was a small skirmish in the Section 8 (student) corner of the ice. BU was obviously frustrated with the result, even though they knew they were going on to the NCAAs. Someone from BC kept shoving Linna, I think in the cage area (think Marchand and the Sedin twin from 2011SC finals). Linna finally decided he had had enough, and laid into the kid pretty good and took him down. It was small consolation for the BU fans. That was Cegrlaski's last year, so his team gave him a bit of a parting gift with that win.

[Scarlet]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

I know he didn't get a hat trick but I recall that BU's last loss in 1995 was in Providence Presidents Day Weekend. I think they lost something like 8-1? And Linna scored the only goal. On the way home, my friends and I stopped to get something to eat and I said I was going car shopping that weekend. Bought a new (red) car that Monday, and BU didn't lose again that year.

[buoldtimer]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

I know he didn't get a hat trick but I recall that BU's last loss in 1995 was in Providence Presidents Day Weekend. I think they lost something like 8-1? And Linna scored the only goal. On the way home, my friends and I stopped to get something to eat and I said I was going car shopping that weekend. Bought a new (red) car that Monday, and BU didn't lose again that year.

That loss was BU's first game after winning the Beanpot, right? They were godawful from start to finish. After reading JP's postgame comments, that must've been some bus ride home.

[Sean Pickett]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

[

I just watched the BU - Lake St game in the 1995 NCAA QF, Kai Linna's hat trick game. ESPN displayed a graphic stating it was his 3rd career hatty. Sean?

Boy that doesn't sound right. Any defenseman with a HT is pretty rare, which is what made that game when both Schaefer and Whitney had one even crazier (Princeton?).

Linna was one of my favorite D-men of that era (after Brennan), but I don't think he was that offensive. If he did have 2 others, I feel like one might have been at Matthews.

Wasn't there a BU poster on this site who thought Linna was awful?

Yes, although it might have been on the old AOL boards? He was adamant that Linna was one of the worst defensemen he had ever seen. I met up with him at a Regional or FF once. We agreed to disagree.

I have another memory that could be way off. During Linna's freshman season (91-92), I think that was the year that BC upset us at home in the first round of the HE tourney (they had a bad year, maybe they were #7 and we were #2 seed?). When the outcome was no longer in doubt, there was a small skirmish in the Section 8 (student) corner of the ice. BU was obviously frustrated with the result, even though they knew they were going on to the NCAAs. Someone from BC kept shoving Linna, I think in the cage area (think Marchand and the Sedin twin from 2011SC finals). Linna finally decided he had had enough, and laid into the kid pretty good and took him down. It was small consolation for the BU fans. That was Cegrlaski's last year, so his team gave him a bit of a parting gift with that win.

No, Linna only had the one hat trick; it's likely that ESPN meant to say 1st career hat trick on the graphic. His only other multiple goal game was his freshman season when he scored 2 goals on 6 December 1991 at Matthews Arena.

Yes, I remember that BU poster; I believe that after graduation he moved (back?) to Georgia. I had some online conversations with him, but I never met up with him. Beside Linna being the worst defenseman he had ever seen he repeatedly stated that BU would never win a NCAA title with him on the team. After BU won in '95 I mentioned his statements to him and he refused to admit he was wrong and said that BU won despite Linna (ignoring that BU had won WITH Linna on the team).

Schaeffer and Whitney both had there only career hat tricks on 30 November 2003 vs Yale.

Yes, it was the 1992 tournament where #5 BC came into WBA and beat #4 BU, 5-2. One of the most disappointing losses I've seen by a BU team. BTW, don't bother looking at the standings on the Hockey East website, they retroactively "corrected" the standing to reflect Maine's retroactive forfeits several years later. Here are the actual standings:



As can be seen BU was tied with Providence, but they lost the tie breaker and were seeded fourth. Here are the "corrected" standings:



As can be seen the major change is New Hampshire winning the regular season and BU tying Maine for second (and taking the second seed as they win the tie breaker). Providence drops from second to fourth, while none of the lower place teams change positions. So, BU would have played Northeastern in the quarterfinals and not BC. BU was 0-2-1 vs BC in the regular season, while they were 4-0 vs NU, although the last two were one goal games. So, BU would likely have had a better chance of beating NU, but if they had then they would most likely have faced Maine in the semifinals, against whom BU is 0-forever (although they were only 0-1 at that time).

Sean

[Sean Pickett]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

I know he didn't get a hat trick but I recall that BU's last loss in 1995 was in Providence Presidents Day Weekend. I think they lost something like 8-1? And Linna scored the only goal. On the way home, my friends and I stopped to get something to eat and I said I was going car shopping that weekend. Bought a new (red) car that Monday, and BU didn't lose again that year.

That loss was BU's first game after winning the Beanpot, right? They were godawful from start to finish. After reading JP's postgame comments, that must've been some bus ride home.

Yes, it was the first game after the Beanpot and BU lost 8-1. As I recall, it's wasn't so much the team played poorly (they had 38 shots on net), but they had no luck, PC did and Herlofsky didn't have the best of nights.

Sean

[srsterrier]

Linna was one of my favorite D-men of that era (after Brennan)

Glad you mentioned Brennan. Was always one of my favorites too. A good, soft-spoken kid who stayed 4 years even though he probably could have left early. Good thing he did ... definitely an important piece of the 95’ championship team.

And kudos on the Kris Werner reference. We don’t get too many of those on this board.

[buoldtimer]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

Glad you mentioned Brennan. Was always one of my favorites too. A good, soft-spoken kid who stayed 4 years even though he probably could have left early. Good thing he did ... definitely an important piece of the 95’ championship team.

And kudos on the Kris Werner reference. We don’t get too many of those on this board.

Over the past week, we've had references to John Preston, John Mattorazzo and Kris Werner - a historic week. And don't forget Kris's brother Kurt.

The Werners were from Fergus Falls, MN. I wonder if Fergus Falls is anywhere near Frostbite Falls, MN, hometown of Bullwinkle J. Moose.

[Scarlet]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

Over the past week, we've had references to John Preston, John Mattorazzo and Kris Werner - a historic week. And don't forget Kris's brother Kurt.

The Werners were from Fergus Falls, MN. I wonder if Fergus Falls is anywhere near Frostbite Falls, MN, hometown of Bullwinkle J. Moose.

Kurt!! I was trying to remember his name.

When BU played at Minnesota in January of 2004, I was there and we were hanging in the hotel lobby with a bunch of people and some former Terriers were there, Ryan Priem for one. And one of the Werners was there. I don’t know which one. But I did go up to him to say hi and that I knew he was one of the twins and he was surprised I knew who he was.

[Sean Pickett]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

Over the past week, we've had references to John Preston, John Mattorazzo and Kris Werner - a historic week. And don't forget Kris's brother Kurt.

And yet, you've already forgotten my mention of Keith Emery! Now I don't feel so bad that I completely forgot him.

Sean

[buoldtimer]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

And yet, you've already forgotten my mention of Keith Emery! Now I don't feel so bad that I completely forgot him.

Sean

How could I forget. I think Emery played more games than the other three combined.

[defkit]

Re: BU Off-Season: Forward to the Past

Watching old games and thinking about those title and near-title-winning teams, it's clear to see the impact when a large recruiting class sticks around for 4 years.

I've probably missed some names, but here goes my best recollection:

87-88 freshman class: Dave Tomlinson, Ed Ronan, Phil von Stefinelli (sp?), Mike and Chris Lappin (transfered after 2 years I believe), Tom Dion (missed a year with injury so was only a Junior during 90-91), Kevin O'Sullivan, Joe Sacco (turned pro after Junior year). Was Chris McCann in that group? Matt Peskelewis? Was John Bradley in that class? I think so.

91-92 freshman class: Steve Thornton, Mike Prendergast, Rich Brennan, Kaj Linna, Adrian Aucoin (left for MJ (?) after one season), Mike Pomichter (turned pro after Junior year), Note: Joubert was a senior on that team but transferred in. I think McKersie and Herlofsky were in that freshman class no? Was Nick Vachon in that class? Dave Dahlberg's name comes to mind from a game when that year, but I don't think he was a freshman.

So clearly they still lost some players, but the number of quality seniors on those teams was a huge contributor to their success.