Re: Boston University Part IV: Off-Season or New Season?
Thanks very much to you folks sharing the stories from the 70s. It's amazing to think I have (semi-)direct access to people who were at those games.
I wonder what an internet chat room would have been like after some of those tussles (esp the '76 Minnesota slugfest) . . .
Our pleasure. BU from 1965 to 1978 was like BC is now. I will give you a couple of other memories that stick out for me:
(1) Dec. 1965: Boston Arena Holiday Tournament at the old Boston Arena (pre-Mathews do-over)
BU vs Michigan Tech in championship game. BU had 3 All Americans - Jack Ferriera in ghoal, Fred "The Bear" Bassi and Tom Ross. MT had Tony Esposito in goal and a host of Canadians to beat the band. They were the best team in the country by far and defending nat'l champions. Parker was a soph centering the 3rd line. BU lead 2-1 in the 3rd before MT put it into another gear and won 5-2. That was my very first college hockey game.
(2) Feb 1966: BU vs BC in my first Beanpot. The old-old garden when attendance # was 13,909. Back then BC fans outnumbered BU fans 3-1. Unlike today BU students never came out to the games. York is junior on that team and BC jumps to 3-0 lead. Middle of 2nd period, BC is bombarding Jack Ferriera and Jack takes one on the mask and flops like he's been shot. Timeout for 5 minutes. When he takes off his mask, Jack has a blackeye forming, but he goes back in goal and BU storms back to win 6-4 for 1st win over BC in Beanpot in years. BU then stomps Harvard 9-2 in championship game in the famous brawl when Tom Ross practically knocks out Tag Dement with one punch (yes college hockey allowed fighting back then).
(3) Dec 1966 BU Boston Arena Holiday tournament:
BU vs Cornell. This was Ken Dryden's debut in Boston as a sophomore. The old Arena configuration had the 1st row of the balcony in the near end zone literally right on top of the goal. We were in 1st row right on top of Dryden for 2 periods. It was a classic slugfest (no fighting) that goes back and forth; 1st with Cornell up 1-0, then BU taking the lead 2-1. Cornell then counter punched to lead 3-2 midway thru the 3rd. With 5 minutes left, BU gets 1 then a 2nd penalty. Cornell was content to just dump the puck to try and milk the clock when after a dump in, Cornell went for a line change and BU sophomore D-man Darell Abbott brings the puck up solo and ends up 1 on the 2 Cornell D-man. As he crosses the Blueline, the near D-man checked to see who was on his right, stumbles when he sees there is no other Terrier advancing (its only his other D-man). Abbott bursts around the d-man and roofs it nearside over Dryden's shoulder to tie the score. The old Boston Arena exploded.
The game goes double OT. I still remember the PA saying that the last Huntington Ave trolley would be leaving in 10 minutes at midnight ... and no one moved. They called the game after the 2nd OT. Still the best college game I ever saw. BU went undefeated in ECAC play, but of course lost to Cornell in the ECAC final and NCAA final.
(4) March 1977: ECAC Semifinals BU vs #1 in the country Clarkson at the old Garden (Still 13,909). Jerry York vs Jack Parker for 1st time in playoffs since their years playing at BC/BU. Clarkson had Tim Taylor who scored 100 points that season. BU had Ricky Meagher, Dave Silk and Mike Erurzione on the same line that year. Clarkson controlled the game leading 6-4 late int he 3rd when Ricky, Silk and Mikey took over. they scored with 3:30 to go then tied it at 6 with a minute to go and won it with 30 seconds later on a left wing blast by Silk. Erurzione did one of those dancing jigs like he did in the 1980 win over Russia when he scored and all the players mobbed Silk. It was so sudden and so stunning, Clarkson didn't know what hit them. The Clarkson players at the final horn were so deflated they just stood around watching the BU player celebration as they absolutely mobbed each other. Fans were doing Irish jigs in their seats we were all so giddy and stunned. And of course Parker was elated that his boys did it against his rival "Jehrwee". BU then went on to win the ECAC's the next night over UNH 8-6. A lot of scoring in those years.
I still say Ricky Meagher is the best college player I've ever seen. Paul Kariya only played one year, but they were the same type players. Silk was a scoring machine, but Ricky as both play-maker and scorer was simply one of kind. Someone already referenced the goal he scored in the 1974 NCAA FF semifinal vs Minny when he went the length of the rink to score. That was a regular occurrence. He was small like Kariya, but he skated with such authority and with such amazing vision.
As was said before, those teams from 1974 thru 1978 were so loaded with talent, its still amazing to me they only won that one title in 1978, and only after getting a reprieve by the NCAA after losing in the ECAC tourney to Providence. I believe that if Jack Kelly had stayed a few more years after the back to back titles in 71-72 that they would have won a few more. Parker did a great job, but even with the Leon Abbott debacle in 1972-73, BU was one clearly one of the top 3-4 programs in the country back then, so he inherited a juggernut.
Yes those were the days for BU hockey ... and these are not.
