FanHouse brings you full coverage of the 2009 NCAA Men's Frozen Four in Washington, D.C.The "No one respects us" mantra is way overused these days in sports. No matter what happens in Washington this weekend, no one on Boston University will be able to use it. The Terriers are the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament, and the only top seed to advance past the four regionals held some two weeks ago.
Sometimes, it stinks being the favorite, but it certainly helps when you are clearly the most talented team left, and you happen to have a legendary, well-grounded coach like Jack Parker.
In his 36th year at BU, Parker knows his team is the favorite. It doesn't bother him.
"When the tournament first started we had the label of being one of the favorites," Parker said. "Bottom line is that it has to do with people's opinions, and it has to do with track records. It has to be determined with my team versus their team on the ice."
As long as his players share this attitude, little can stop the Terriers.
Why Boston U. Will Win
Outside of having the most experienced and well-known coach, the Terriers are blessed with some of the best talent anywhere. Forwards like Colin Wilson (Hobey finalist), Nick Bonino, Jason Lawrence, Chris Higgins, Brandon Yip, and Chris Connolly bring great balance to the offense. A defensive corps led by senior and Hobey favorite Matt Gilroy and youngsters Kevin Shattenkirk and David Warsofsky doesn't give up much, and they contribute a lot to the attack.
"It's a solid team in all phases of the game," Parker said. On his blue-liners, he notes they "may be the best six defensemen I've ever coached."
Freshman goalie Kieran Millan hasn't given up much, carrying a .923 save percentage into the Frozen Four.
Why Boston U. Won't Win
Simply put, BU has all the talent, and they are superior at every position. They have experienced players, good leadership, and one of the best hockey coaches on the planet.
Overconfidence can sink them, as can a hot goalie.
"Any given night in any league, anybody can beat anybody," said Parker, who has been around long enough to know that his team is the heavy favorite.
BU has had a bit of an issue with penalties, and even though their penalty kill sits at nearly 88 percent for the season, it's not an area you want to play a lot of games with in tournament hockey. Parker feels his team has been "very, very good" on the penalty kill lately, but he can't be pleased with the prospect of letting an underdog hang around by going in the box too much.
Perhaps Vermont has a bit of an edge because they've played Boston University three times this season. Gilroy acknowledges how odd it is to see conference opponents in back-to-back national tournament games.
"It's pretty crazy," he said. "Having to go through our league to get here, and if we want to play for the national championship, we have to beat someone from our league again."
What Will Happen
It's never a sure thing. Parker knows this, and so do the other three number-one regional seeds, who were top seeds for a good reason, but all failed to get past the first round of the tournament.
If Boston University needs any motivation to continue their march toward a national championship, they need look no further than those three teams. No one is accusing Denver, Michigan, or Notre Dame of taking anything for granted, but they still serve as a cautionary tale for the Terriers.
BU is talented, hard-working, and very intelligent. They beat Vermont in the semifinals, and get past Miami in the championship game.
