Senior athletes honored with day

By Katrina Ballard and Lyle Moran

PUBLISHED by The Daily Free Press

As ice rinks and basketball courts give way to sunnier days and greener fields, senior athletes are beginning to reminisce about their time playing for Boston University teams and look forward to their plans after graduation.


The finale for each sport culminates every year in Senior Night, a special ceremony for fans to recognize the accomplishments of the graduating seniors.

"For any sport, I think it's important to recognize that you've been there for four years and had the trials and tribulations of balancing schoolwork," Terriers ice hockey forward and School of Management senior Craig Sanders said.

Men's hockey had its Senior Night on March 7, which was the end of the regular season -- a win against Providence College.
Defender Kevin Kielt, a Metropolitan College senior, said Senior Night was "tough" for him because he didn't get to play, but it was a positive experience overall.

"It was good to be there the last night and soak it all in," Kielt said. "It was the last time we played in front of the fans in that building . . . It was the parents' night to congratulate us and be proud, with everything they helped us accomplish."

Women's ice hockey coach Brian Durocher said the team's Senior Night, a game March 1 against Northeastern University, recognized School of Management senior Stephanie Armstrong and College of Arts and Sciences senior Julie Poulin for their courage to transfer to BU and play for a brand-new team. Women's ice hockey is only in its third year of varsity play.

Durocher said Senior Night is especially important for the women's team because there is no professional hockey league for players to join after graduation.

"Some guys I've coached are going on to play professionally, but on the women's side its kind of an ending in a lot of ways," he said. "It's hopefully a fitting and appropriate ending and gives the fans a chance to clap for them and to shake hands."

Senior Day for the women's basketball team took place on March 8 when the Terriers played the University of Albany. Prior to the game, seniors Kasey Devine, Cheri Raffo and Corinne Jean were given gifts and led out onto the court with their parents, Devine said.

The underclassmen on the team also decorated the locker room and posted their favorite quotes from each senior.

"Senior Day is an extremely special day because you are dealing with young women you have just spent the last four years with," women's basketball coach Kelly Greenberg said. "It is the culmination of a lot of hard work, a lot of hours and a lot of memories are shared. It is also a day where coaches and younger teammates can really say thank you."

Later in the day, the team, coaching staff, family members and a select group of supporters headed to the George Sherman Union for a reception dinner. The dinner was a time for the juniors and Greenberg to reflect on what they will miss most about the graduating players.

"What I said to our team after [the season ended] is that if the younger players can learn anything from the three seniors, it is how they came prepared and ready to play hard at practice at every day for four years," Greenberg said.