BU's Parker to Retire at Season's End

Boston University head coach Jack Parker will be hanging up his whistle and clipboard when the 2012-13 college hockey season concludes.

“It’s been a great run,” Parker said at USCHO.com on Monday, his 68th birthday, on publicly announcing his retirement from coaching. “I’ve had a great time doing it.”

A former Terrier letterman and assistant coach, Parker has been at the helm of his alma mater for 40 consecutive seasons. There was a brief flirtation with the NHL’s Boston Bruins in the 1990s; but he ultimately remained behind the Terrier bench, and has led BU to three NCAA national titles (1978, 1995 and 2009), seven Hockey East Tournament championships, 21 Beanpot Tournament crowns, and a record 25 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Parker also coached the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" U.S. Olympic quartet of Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione, Jack O'Callahan and Dave Silk during their college careers at BU.

A Somerville, Mass. native and Catholic Memorial alumnus, Parker has also been the recipient of the Spencer Penrose Division I Coach of the Year Award three times, while compiling an 894-471-115 career record to date, the most wins by any college hockey coach at a single school. 

Parker also served as an executive athletic director during his tenure with the Terriers, from 2002 to 2012; but was relieved of those duties last season, after a pair of off-ice incidents involving first Corey Trivino and then Max Nicastro.

The Terriers (18-15-2 overall, 15-10-2 HEA) finished third in the conference this season, and will host Merrimack in the first round of the Hockey East Tournament this weekend, in Parker’s final home games at Agannis Arena.

Another BU Terrier Arrested

Twice in a decade, or ever, for something like this to transpire would be a lot for any college hockey program to deal with. But twice in the same season, and less than a dozen weeks apart?

Something is definitely wrong down that end of Commonwealth Avenue.

Just over two months after Corey Trivino was arrested for sexual assault and subsequently dismissed from the Boston University men's hockey team, the BU program was dealt another serious blow when Max Nicastro was arrested on Sunday and charged with sexual assault, according to College Hockey News.

Nicastro, 21, a junior defenseman from Thousand Oaks, Calif., and a 2008 draft choice of the Detroit Red Wings, was held on $25,000 cash bail and was due to be arraigned on Tuesday. He has been suspended indefinitely from playing with the Terriers, for whom he had tallied three goals and nine points along with 32 penalty minutes in 27 games so far this season. In 102 career collegiate outings, the former blueliner from Chicago (USHL) has collected 11-22—33 points and 115 PIM.

What's going on at BU is past the point of shocking or ridiculous. It's no longer a hockey issue, either, for head coach Jack Parker to take care of on his own. No, it's time for the university administration to step in. They won't kill the program—and they shouldn't—but things have to change with the entire culture of men's hockey at BU.

Two alleged sexual assaults from the same team in matter of months is frightening, and not just for the victims, although they should rightly be thought of first. Such heinous acts also paint other BU players, most of whom are probably law-abiding citizens, with a broad and unfair brush of guilt, just because they happen to suit up on the same squad as the alleged perpetrators. A number of college/pro athletes in general may carry enormous egos, but a sense of entitlement is a far cry from felony.

Even if the charges against Nicastro are ultimately unfounded, as was discovered with the Duke men's lacrosse team a few years ago after those players were publicly vilified before being exonerated of rape charges, the damage to BU Hockey has already been done—again. It's going to take a while for it to recover from another black eye, and hopefully there isn't a third such ugly incident just waiting in the wings.

Not now. Not ever again.

ADDENDUM: Nicastro was arraigned on two counts of rape on Feb. 21, with an automatic plea of not guilty, according to USCHO.com.

... And Another One Gone ...

Boston University sophomore forward Charlie Coyle, who won a bronze medal with the U.S. in last season's IIHF World Junior Championship held in Buffalo, has left school to play for the defending Memorial Cup champion St. John's Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, according to the Patriot Ledger.

A native of East Weymouth, Mass., Coyle played for the South Shore Kings of the Eastern Junior Hockey League before enrolling at BU in the fall of 2010. He also played for both Thayer Academy and Weymouth High School in the Massachusetts scholastic ranks.

Coyle tallied seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points in 37 games a year ago with BU, and had posted three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 13 outings so far this fall. He played his last game for the Terriers in a 5-1 win at Maine on Dec. 10, notching one assist, and finished with 10-27—37 points in 50 collegiate contests.

A first-round draft choice of the NHL's San Jose Sharks in 2010, Coyle's rights were traded to the Minnesota Wild in June. He was named to the preliminary roster for the 2012 U.S National Junior Team earlier this month, and that team will compete in the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. According to the St. John's web site, Coyle is expected to join the Sea Dogs following the tournament.

BU (10-5-1 overall, 8-4-1 Hockey East) is second in its conference, and is also ranked ninth in the nation by USCHO.com. The Terriers will return to action on Dec. 31 in a nationally-televised game at Notre Dame.

Trivino Booted from BU After Arrest

Boston University senior forward Corey Trivino has been removed from the Terrier hockey team in connection with an incident that occurred on Sunday night that resulted in his subsequent arrest.

"He is no longer associated with the BU hockey team,” said Terrier head coach Jack Parker on the university web site.

Trivino, who hails from Toronto, was charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery, two counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime, and one count of assault with attempt to rape after entering a female student's room without permission and kissing and groping her without her consent. Alcohol is believed to have been involved.

Trivino, who was leading Hockey East with 13 goals through his first 15 games this season, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, although he was forced to surrender his passport.

I've written here before about college hockey players getting in trouble with the law. We'll see what happens with Trivino, who's had problems with alcohol in the past, according to the Daily Free Press, and whether he's exonerated or not. Assuming he's not incarcerated, expect him to sign with the New York Islanders, who drafted him in 2008.

Trivino, who played on BU's 2009 NCAA title team, ends his college career with 31-42—73 scoring totals in 112 contests. He scored two goals in a 5-1 win over Maine in his final appearance on Dec. 10.

BU Blanks BC, 5-0

It was shocking, it was ugly, it was depressing.

Unless you're a Boston University fan, that is - then Sunday's 5-0 road win by the No. 16 Terriers at No. 2 Boston College probably made your weekend.

It was the first time BU has shut out BC in over 28 years, in an arena that no longer exists, back when both schools were members of the ECAC.

Wade Megan scored two goals for the visitors (4-4-1 overall, 3-3-1 Hockey East), including a power play tally and a shorthanded marker. Three other Terriers also posted two points apiece, while Kieran Millan made 21 saves for the shutout.

The Eagles (9-3-0, 7-2-0 HEA), who went scoreless in eight power plays, now have 19 days to get their act together before their home-and-home with the Terriers on Dec. 2-3. After today, there should certainly be no lack of incentive.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/939422-boston-university-hockey-blanks-boston-college-5-0