Last Season: 16–18–4 (12–9–3 HE, fifth place); lost in HE semifinals
Head Coach: Albie O’Connell (second season)
Coaches’ Poll Projected Finish: Fifth
Losses
- G Jake Oettinger
- G Max Prawdzik
- D Dante Fabro
- D Shane Switzer
- D Chad Krys
- F Joel Farabee
- F Ryan Cloonan
- F Mark Cheremeta
- F Bobo Carpenter
- F Shane Bowers
- F Max Willman
Additions
- G Sam Tucker
- D Case McCarthy
- D Alex Vlasic
- D Domenick Fensore
- D Sean Driscoll
- F/D John Copeland
- F Jamie Armstrong
- F Trevor Zegras
- F Markus Boguslavsky
- F Robert Mastrosimone
- F Sam Stevens
- F Ethan Phillips
- F Alex Brink
By Adam Doucette
The Boston University Terriers’ 2018–19 season was the first with coach Albie O’Connell at the helm. Other than the coaching change, it was not the most memorable season for the Terriers. They didn’t notch a Beanpot win, they didn’t make it to the Hockey East finals, and they didn’t make the NCAA tournament. Their overall record was below .500 for the first time since 2013–14.
While a team cannot be expected to be elite right away under a new coach, BU has gotten used to contending. However, the team with the most Beanpot titles under its belt won’t have an easy time climbing back to the top of college hockey.
The Terriers are losing four of their five top point scorers from a year ago, including goal leader Joel Farabee (17) and assist leader Dante Fabbro (26). They are also losing the services of Jake Oettinger, their star goaltender who made 47 saves in last year’s Beanpot final against Northeastern.
The Terriers picked up two graduate transfers for this season. One is Alex Brink, a 6’0” forward from Brown University; the other is Sam Tucker, a 6’3” goaltender from Yale University. The team will also hold onto Patrick Curry, the lone remaining top-five point scorer from last year. The senior forward will serve as team captain for the 2019–20 campaign while senior Patrick Harper and juniors Logan Cockerill and Cam Crotty have been named assistant captains.
Bottom Line: It won’t be easy for the Terriers to build on last season after losing so many top players. Second-year coach Albie O’Connell will have to learn on the fly and figure out how to best use the new players. Expectations may not be as high as they were in past years, but the program is confident that O’Connell can lead them back to the top.