Departments
Sports
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5 Dec. 1997 - 8 Jan. 1998 |
Vol. I, No. 14 |
Sports
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BU will try to stem Crimson Tide in rare Walter Brown Arena gameGame Preview by Brian Fitzgerald Boston University's 1-2 record is deceptive: its two losses were against nationally ranked UConn and Rhode Island. The University of Alabama isn't a Top 25 team, but the Crimson Tide could rush into Boston and engulf the Terriers if they aren't careful. Alabama is a dominant force in the Southeastern Conference. It has advanced to the NCAA or NIT tournament 21 out of the past 24 years. The Tide has received a bid to the NCAA tournament six times in the past eight years and is one of three SEC teams to win more than 100 games in the past five seasons. BU, with one of the nation's rising basketball programs, won a University record 25 games last season -- a far cry from 11 victories in the 1993-94 season. Indeed, under Coach Dennis Wolff the Terriers are enjoying a rapid three-year turnaround and are favored to repeat as America East champions. Last year BU played in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1990. "One of our first goals three years ago was to play better defensively," says Wolff. "Our improvement in this area has put us in contention for the league title over the past two years and will be pivotal to our title defense this year." Last season BU led the conference in team defense, allowing an average of just 62 points a game. The Terriers will have home advantage against Alabama, but not the kind they've enjoyed since 1993, when they moved from Walter Brown Arena into Case Gym and went on to compile a 35-11 record. Against Alabama, BU will be back in cavernous Walter Brown Arena for the first time in more than three years. The arena isn't as cozy as Case Gym, where BU won 15 straight games before losing to Rhode Island, 86-63, on November 30. But a quality opponent such as Alabama is sure to draw not only fans from the BU community, but also a horde of hoops hounds from all over eastern Massachusetts. BU is once again offering free tickets to faculty and staff and their families. All children attending the game will receive a free gift. For information, call 353-GoBU. |
Athletes of the Week
Tom Noble, Tommi Degerman, and Jeff Kealty
Hockey goaltender Tom Noble (COM'98) didn't paint a bull's eye on his uniform before BU's game against Clarkson on November 28, but he certainly was a target: the Golden Knights had a 32-18 edge in shots over the Terriers.
But the native of Hanover, Mass., was also on target, surviving three five-on-three situations and earning his second shutout of the season as BU blanked Clarkson, 4-0. He also relieved an injured Michel Larocque (MET'99) the following night, stonewalling St. Lawrence in the second period. Although he allowed two goals in the third, the Terrier offense was able to maintain a fairly comfortable lead and ensure a 6-3 victory.
Forward Tommi Degerman (SMG'00), from Helsinki, Finland, scored two goals against Clarkson, including a power-play swoop to the right post, where he took a feed through the crease from Mike Sylvia (SMG'98).
Fellow forward Jeff Kealty (CAS'98), from Framingham, Mass., scored twice against St. Lawrence, helping the Terriers to their best start (9-1-0) since their 1977-78 season, when they posted a 21-0 record and won the national championship.
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