By Kevin Dillon/DFP Staff
Back in March, it was uncertain that senior defenseman Ryan Ruikka would even return to the Boston University men’s hockey team. The Chelsea, Mich. native had just finished a dual major bachelor’s degree in economics in mathematics, but he decided to come back to the University to work on a master’s degree in economics and play another year under BU coach Jack Parker for the hockey team.
Now, it is apparent that Ruikka will not only return to the team, but he will be one of the team’s leaders, as he was named assistant captain for the 2012-13 season on Thursday. The fifth-year senior will serve his position alongside senior captain Wade Megan, who was named BU’s captain back in April.
Ruikka only played in 29 games last season, as he was a healthy scratch for 10 of the team’s 39 games. In those 29 games, the defenseman notched five assists while having an even plus-minus rating.
BU also announced the final roster of the hockey team on Thursday, which includes only one surprise. Freshman forward Nick Breed made the team as a walk-on, becoming the team’s 16th forward.
Breed led Maine Class B hockey with 34 goals in his senior year with Cape Elizabeth High School and was named to the All-State team.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound forward is the team’s 10th member of its freshman class, which makes up 38 percent of the team’s 26-man roster this year.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Colby Cohen comes to defense of Jack Parker, BU hockey program
By Tim Healey/DFP Staff
In light of the whirlwind surrounding the Boston University men’s hockey team in the last week — first the task force report and then a Boston Globe article with what was supposed to be confidential details — former Terrier Colby Cohen has spoken out against the task force and in defense of coach Jack Parker.
Cohen first voiced his displeasure with the task force via Twitter on Wednesday when he called the findings “a joke,” adding “Boston University should be ashamed of the way they have handled this from the start.”
He went into more detail Saturday night in an interview with The Daily Free Press.
“This whole thing has been very, very much exaggerated,” Cohen said via phone.
Cohen played under Parker for three seasons between 2007 and 2010 before signing with the Colorado Avalanche and forgoing his senior year. He said in his time at the school he had good relationships with many students and professors, some of whom he is still in contact with.
He said he never had any incidents similar to the womanizing ones described by the Globe, and he spoke to the idea of a brotherhood that often prevents players from getting themselves into bad situations.
“That kind of stuff is taken very seriously amongst guys, amongst players professionally, in college, in juniors,” said Cohen, who is now in the Boston Bruins organization. “Guys police each other for that kind of stuff. A couple guys’ lack of judgment, I don’t think it creates a culture like is being said.”
In light of the whirlwind surrounding the Boston University men’s hockey team in the last week — first the task force report and then a Boston Globe article with what was supposed to be confidential details — former Terrier Colby Cohen has spoken out against the task force and in defense of coach Jack Parker.
Cohen first voiced his displeasure with the task force via Twitter on Wednesday when he called the findings “a joke,” adding “Boston University should be ashamed of the way they have handled this from the start.”
He went into more detail Saturday night in an interview with The Daily Free Press.
“This whole thing has been very, very much exaggerated,” Cohen said via phone.
Cohen played under Parker for three seasons between 2007 and 2010 before signing with the Colorado Avalanche and forgoing his senior year. He said in his time at the school he had good relationships with many students and professors, some of whom he is still in contact with.
He said he never had any incidents similar to the womanizing ones described by the Globe, and he spoke to the idea of a brotherhood that often prevents players from getting themselves into bad situations.
“That kind of stuff is taken very seriously amongst guys, amongst players professionally, in college, in juniors,” said Cohen, who is now in the Boston Bruins organization. “Guys police each other for that kind of stuff. A couple guys’ lack of judgment, I don’t think it creates a culture like is being said.”
Read more at dailyfreepress.com.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Boston Globe reports details from task force investigation
By Kevin Dillon/DFP Staff
When the hockey task force released its findings on Wednesday, it said there is “a culture of sexual entitlement” among some players on the team. Those findings were further detailed in a report from the Boston Globe on Friday, which cited investigation documents and described multiple incidents that reflected that statement.
Among these incidents was a female student who told the task force that a player had “shoved his hands down her pants at a party and refused to stop even as she was punching him.”
The story also notes a student who mentioned a Facebook posting in which hockey players refer to their sexual conquests as “kills”.
According to the Globe, there was a post-NCAA championship party at Agganis Arena in 2009 in which “dozens of guests drank from kegs in the locker room showers and took to the ice naked to shoot pucks.” BU coach Jack Parker initially denied hearing about the party, but later admitted he knew of “a few guys drinking in the locker room.”
Later in the article, Parker was criticized by a team member, who said he “cares too much about hurting the important players’ feelings … He’ll criticize, then apologize.”
The team is not commenting on the story at this time.
When the hockey task force released its findings on Wednesday, it said there is “a culture of sexual entitlement” among some players on the team. Those findings were further detailed in a report from the Boston Globe on Friday, which cited investigation documents and described multiple incidents that reflected that statement.
Among these incidents was a female student who told the task force that a player had “shoved his hands down her pants at a party and refused to stop even as she was punching him.”
The story also notes a student who mentioned a Facebook posting in which hockey players refer to their sexual conquests as “kills”.
According to the Globe, there was a post-NCAA championship party at Agganis Arena in 2009 in which “dozens of guests drank from kegs in the locker room showers and took to the ice naked to shoot pucks.” BU coach Jack Parker initially denied hearing about the party, but later admitted he knew of “a few guys drinking in the locker room.”
Later in the article, Parker was criticized by a team member, who said he “cares too much about hurting the important players’ feelings … He’ll criticize, then apologize.”
The team is not commenting on the story at this time.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hockey task force releases findings: The highlights
By Tim Healey/DFP Staff
The hockey task force called for by Boston University President Robert Brown in the spring released its report on Wednesday, which included a series of recommendations that BU and BU Athletics have already started to implement. For those of you that don't want to sift through the entire report and Brown's letter to the BU community, here are some highlights:
Background:
--Brown put the task force together in March following the December arrest of Corey Trivino and the February arrest of Max Nicastro, both for sexual assault charges.
--Given the arrests, the BU president wanted to look into the "culture and climate" of the team.
--The task force, led by BU Trustee Dr. Jonathan R. Cole and BU Provost Jean Morrison, was made up of 16 people, all of whom were either BU staff, faculty or trustees.
--The task force had six meetings as a whole and had further meetings within its three sub-comittees: one on performance and student life, one on team culture and climate, and one on sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Findings:
--There is a "culture of sexual entitlement" among some players on the team
--"Assessment of team members’ recent disciplinary history did not reveal a pattern of infractions that was significantly different, in type or number, from the undergraduate population as a whole."
--Members of the team often become isolated very quickly from the rest of the students "by virtue of their housing arrangements, having their own functionally exclusive training and competition venue, and the demands of team participation."
--The team's academic performance "falls below that of the undergraduate student body as a whole."
--The fact that some BU players have been drafted by NHL teams contributes "to a culture and climate in which players may not be fully engaged in the academic, intellectual and extra-curricular activities" the way other students are.
--No NCAA infractions were found.
Recommendations:
--Required "sexual assault prevention training on an annual basis" for the team.
--"A review of the processes and standards used by admissions for recruits" to make sure student-athletes "are academically prepared to be successful students."
--Men's hockey head coach Jack Parker should step down as the executive director of athletics.
--BU should not give student-athletes the option of enrolling in the Metropolitan College.
--BU should work with "local businesses, campus area bars, and restaurants" to "help ensure the safety of all students."
--The team should review and re-write team rules. Said rules should include "clearly articulated expectations for players’ behavior both on and off the ice, as well as the disciplinary actions" that could result if players went against team policy.
Reaction:
Both Parker and Athletic Director Mike Lynch sent out statements following the task force findings release.
Parker said: "I think their summary of findings is accurate. More importantly, I feel their recommendations for action will help our team, other student-athletes and the student body in general to ensure a better all-around experience.
"I fully agree with the NCAA and task force’s recommendation to split up my two jobs. When asked to choose one or the other, it was easy for me to choose my position as our head hockey coach. My staff and I endorse the findings and it is our job to implement and monitor the recommendations that are specific to the hockey team."
Lynch said the school has his department's full support as it begins to put the recommendations into action -- a process that has already begun.
"Throughout this process, we have ensured that the University administration and our athletic department continue to share the same goals in regards to our men’s ice hockey program and its future as part of BU’s campus life," Lynch said. "This has been a challenging year, but we are ready to move forward as an even stronger athletic program.”
The Daily Free Press will have more on the task force on Thursday.
The hockey task force called for by Boston University President Robert Brown in the spring released its report on Wednesday, which included a series of recommendations that BU and BU Athletics have already started to implement. For those of you that don't want to sift through the entire report and Brown's letter to the BU community, here are some highlights:
Background:
--Brown put the task force together in March following the December arrest of Corey Trivino and the February arrest of Max Nicastro, both for sexual assault charges.
--Given the arrests, the BU president wanted to look into the "culture and climate" of the team.
--The task force, led by BU Trustee Dr. Jonathan R. Cole and BU Provost Jean Morrison, was made up of 16 people, all of whom were either BU staff, faculty or trustees.
--The task force had six meetings as a whole and had further meetings within its three sub-comittees: one on performance and student life, one on team culture and climate, and one on sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Findings:
--There is a "culture of sexual entitlement" among some players on the team
--"Assessment of team members’ recent disciplinary history did not reveal a pattern of infractions that was significantly different, in type or number, from the undergraduate population as a whole."
--Members of the team often become isolated very quickly from the rest of the students "by virtue of their housing arrangements, having their own functionally exclusive training and competition venue, and the demands of team participation."
--The team's academic performance "falls below that of the undergraduate student body as a whole."
--The fact that some BU players have been drafted by NHL teams contributes "to a culture and climate in which players may not be fully engaged in the academic, intellectual and extra-curricular activities" the way other students are.
--No NCAA infractions were found.
Recommendations:
--Required "sexual assault prevention training on an annual basis" for the team.
--"A review of the processes and standards used by admissions for recruits" to make sure student-athletes "are academically prepared to be successful students."
--Men's hockey head coach Jack Parker should step down as the executive director of athletics.
--BU should not give student-athletes the option of enrolling in the Metropolitan College.
--BU should work with "local businesses, campus area bars, and restaurants" to "help ensure the safety of all students."
--The team should review and re-write team rules. Said rules should include "clearly articulated expectations for players’ behavior both on and off the ice, as well as the disciplinary actions" that could result if players went against team policy.
Reaction:
Both Parker and Athletic Director Mike Lynch sent out statements following the task force findings release.
Parker said: "I think their summary of findings is accurate. More importantly, I feel their recommendations for action will help our team, other student-athletes and the student body in general to ensure a better all-around experience.
"I fully agree with the NCAA and task force’s recommendation to split up my two jobs. When asked to choose one or the other, it was easy for me to choose my position as our head hockey coach. My staff and I endorse the findings and it is our job to implement and monitor the recommendations that are specific to the hockey team."
Lynch said the school has his department's full support as it begins to put the recommendations into action -- a process that has already begun.
"Throughout this process, we have ensured that the University administration and our athletic department continue to share the same goals in regards to our men’s ice hockey program and its future as part of BU’s campus life," Lynch said. "This has been a challenging year, but we are ready to move forward as an even stronger athletic program.”
The Daily Free Press will have more on the task force on Thursday.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)