A loss against BC in any context is always brutal. It's just one of those games you never want to come out of on the wrong end. Yet inevitably, we somehow often do. But rather than dwell on a hard fought battle, I'll give you some of my reasons to take this and get more angry for the next meeting in 18 short days.
1) Matt O'Connor is more than just a sexy goalie. This is probably the most obvious one I'll bring up, but I'm bringing it up anyways. Save after save this kid was keeping us in the game all night last night. Not to say that I didn't have faith in him before, but after last night, I'm officially on the Matt O'Connor train. Can't tell you how many times there was gasps of breath in that arena during a BC breakaway or an awful turnover from us that were immediately silenced by a huge save. And yeah, I admit it. Sometimes you just wanna smack the kid across the face for winking all the time (...I could be on my own on that one...) because it makes him seem so god damn cocky. But realistically after last night, kid can wink, salute, blow kisses, give out his phone number, take off his jersey, whatever the hell he wants. Because it's all in good fun and yeah, he sure as hell can back in up.
2) The team is acting as a team and aren't allowing themselves to get out skated. Granted there are times when we're all freaking out in the stands because we think we could've received that pass cleaner (you probably couldn't, by the way) but on the whole, I'll take the consistent effort from this team. I mean, I'm comparing this season to some pretty scary ones in the past. And what I'm seeing is such a breath of fresh air. The boys aren't giving up anymore, taking a bad turnover as a reason to end the play. They aren't giving up on the battles for the puck. And even if it doesn't create an immediate play, they're throwing their sticks on the ice, redirecting opposing passes, and just being nuisances. Some games that effort won't get them a win, but there's no way it'll hurt.
3) We don't go to Newton University. We don't have a Captain that takes multiple penalties a period. We don't participate on the Diving team. We don't have piss colored Tshirts, crap colored jerseys, and just all around blinding ugliness.
4) Matt Grzelcyk. Right, I'm biased. Call me out on it all you want. But just hear me out on this one. We've got another kid that grew up right around the corner, dreaming of playing college hockey. He worked his way up, competed hard, and is realizing his dreams every day he wakes up. No, that's not a unique thing. Don't get me wrong, it's awesome, but we've seen it before. But the last time BU fans had the "fortune" of seeing a kid like this, his name was Charlie Coyle. I think most of us have gotten past him wanting to play juniors, it happens. But to see someone who wanted to wear Scarlet and White more than anybody growing up finally getting that and then just pissing it all away...yeah, that's annoying as shit. Those jerseys aren't just their jerseys, they're ours. And I don't appreciate letting someone want us so bad, having us oblige, just to then have them decide we're their number two choice. I get it, people change their minds, but nobody should turn their back on this team, this program, and this school in the manner that he did. So back to Grizzy. If you didn't see his tweet from the other day, go read it. This kid wanted nothing more than to play in this game. He got his chance and he wasn't wasting it. I bet you a million dollars he's got the Garrett Noonan syndrome right now, though. Despite how hard he might've worked and how many goals he might've scored, he didn't leave a game versus BC with a W so none of it even matters. And THAT is the kind of person I want wearing my god damn jersey.
5) The atmosphere in Agganis lately has been electrifying. I almost can't comprehend the number of chills I've been getting from that place this season. Sometimes that air is stale, the fans tired, the team thusly dead. But not once this year have I wished we played some place else, some place louder. We've made that place absolutely explode this year. We all get excited and we all get jumpy, but last night I could feel the stands rattle. I'm not kidding - O'Connor would make a save and my feet were MOVING from the ground underneath them. As per usual, seeing that place go nuts after a goal or two was warranted and appreciated. We've been building on energy on each play. Somehow, someway, we dig deeper and scream louder. Even after a gut wrenching empty netter, we still didn't shut the hell up. Now not only do we have one of the nicest rinks in college hockey, some of the most diehard fans in college hockey, we're now working our way up to some of the loudest. If that continues, Agganis will be the most intimidating place to play and no one, I mean NO ONE will feel comfortable playing out there in anything but Scarlet and White.
All in all, tough pill to swallow yesterday. But it hurts that much more because we put so much into it. I'll take these heartbreaking loses when I know that my team will learn something from it, rebound, and keep plowing forward. I know everyone keeps saying BC is in a tier all their own, but don't be giving up on the Terriers this early. We have got a lot of fight left in us and we've now got twice as much desire to win, courtesy of the Eagles.
Shake it off, suck it up, and get ready for UVM on Friday.
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