January 06, 2025
MEN'S COLLEGE HOCKEY

UMaine hopes to light up BU’s Curry Bears host Terriers for 2 games

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When the University of Maine men’s hockey team returns to the Alfond Arena this weekend for the first time since Dec. 6 there will be a new set of lights and an old rival.

Coach Jack Parker, who recently notched his 750th career win, and his Boston University Terriers will square off against the Black Bears under the newly installed fluorescent lights on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Bears, ranked second in the country, will hope the new lights can help them solve Terrier senior goalie John Curry, who has been lights out against them.

The 5-foot-11, 183-pound Shorewood, Minn., native has a 4-1-2 record against Maine with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. He has held the Bears to one goal three times.

The Terriers, ranked 12th, are 3-0-1 in their last four meetings with Maine.

Led by Curry and a veteran defense corps featuring seniors Sean Sullivan, Kevin Schaeffer and Tom Morrow, the Terriers have the nation’s lowest goals-against average at 1.72 per game.

Maine has scored 23 goals in its last four games to move into third in the country in goals per game (4.21).

“[Curry] always seems to play awesome against us,” said Maine senior right wing Keith Johnson. “He’s a great, all-around athletic goalie. He sees the puck well and he has a good glove. They’ve also got a real good defense corps we have to be aware of.

“We’ve got to shoot a lot of pucks from the outside and try to generate rebounds. We’ve got to go to the net hard. We’ve been playing well these past two weeks. We’ll be successful if we play our game,” added Johnson.

Maine junior left wing Billy Ryan, who was robbed by Curry on an overtime breakaway in their 2-2 tie on Nov. 4, said the BU goalie is “unorthodox.

“He’s all over the ice. You can’t really read him when you come down on him. You think you have him beat [and he’ll make the save]. He plays a Dominik Hasek style,” said Ryan referring to the Detroit Red Wings star.

Senior center Mike Hamilton said it will be important to screen Curry so he can’t see the shots coming.

“We’ve got to try to get him off his game. Hopefully, we can get one early and build on that,” said Hamilton.

Maine sophomore goalie Ben Bishop is looking forward to the task at hand.

“It’s always fun to play against the best,” said Bishop. “It will be a good challenge for me and for the team.”

He knows he will have his hands full with the Terriers.

“Every time they have the puck [in the offensive zone], they throw it on net and crash the net. They do a great job of that,” said Bishop.

Bishop and his mates are happy to be back home.

“I forgot what it feels like to play at home,” said Bishop. “It’s going to be great to have the fans behind us.”

“Hopefully, we’ll feed off them and have a good weekend,” said senior left wing and assistant captain Josh Soares.

He said the Terriers play an effective defensive system, clog up the neutral zone and are physical in all three zones.


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