http://www.usa.net/gtwork/today/spt031.html > > Paralyzed teammate on Terriers' minds > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > By Steve Page > > > > Jack Parker isn't concerned about trying to hang onto the No. 1 ranking in > > Division I. > > > > The Boston University coach says the Terriers are just trying to keep their > > heads up and do whatever they can for Travis Roy. > > > > Roy, a freshman forward, was paralyzed when he broke his neck less than two > > minutes into BU's Oct. 14 season opener against North Dakota. Roy struck the > > boards with the top of his head, shattering the fourth vertebra in his neck. > > >> He can breathe on his own, but doctors for the 20-year-old say the prospects >> for recovering mobility in his arms and legs are poor. >> >> "Even though it's symbolic, we've tried to keep him around the team as best we >> can," Parker said before Wednesday's practice for the Terriers, 2-0 after >> beating North Dakota and Vermont. >> >> Parker said Roy's practice jersey hangs on the glass at the rink during >> workouts. When the Terriers play, his jersey hangs behind the team bench. >> >> "We're just trying to let him know when he sees a game on TV, that we're trying >> to keep him with us and in our thoughts as best we can," Parker said of Roy. >> >> The Terriers are not alone. A Boston radio station is holding a 12-hour, >> fund-raising radiothon, and Vermont donated its proceeds from last week's game >> against BU to the fund. >> >> Parker says playing is the best thing for his team right now. >> >> "We've all been in a daze, really," he said. "When we have games, at least they >> can forget about the tragedy for a while. >> >> "I think the team has really rallied around it. They've tried to focus on doing >> a good job day to day. We should be grateful we have each day." >> >> Parker said he had one message for his players when they elected to dedicate >> their season to Roy. >> >> "I just told them, `Let's make sure it's a nice team to be around.' " >> >> NO NO. 2 FOR RUUTU: Just when it appeared Michigan Tech's Jarkko Ruutu was >> going to become the test case for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's >> experimental fighting rule, league officials intervened. >> >> The WCHA fighting rule is much stricter than that of the NCAA, inasmuch as a >> player loses three additional games for his second fighting disqualification. A >> third fight ends his season. >> >> Ruutu, a freshman right wing from Finland, was disqualified from last Friday's >> game at Minnesota-Duluth. >> >> When MTU officials complained, league officials reviewed the incident, and >> according to Tech spokesman Steve Fischer, changed the wording from "fighting" >> to "entering an existing altercation and persisting when officials told him to >> cease." >> >> The DQ remains on his record, but the fighting part has been dropped, meaning >> he still has two strikes remaining. >> >> Said Fischer: "It was not right to disqualify him for fighting when no punches >> were thrown. They (WCHA officials) made the most right they could out of the >> wrong that had been done." >> >> Colorado College travels to Tech on Nov. 10-11. >> >> IT'S UNANIMOUS: Boston University and Colorado College are unanimous choices as >> the top two teams in the country. The Gazette Telegraph's composite poll >> combines the four national polls, and they all agreed the Terriers are No. 1 >> and the Tigers are No. 2. Maine, which was tied for second with CC a week ago, >> slipped to fifth after its 6-3 loss to Michigan last Thursday. > http://www.usa.net/gtwork/today/spt031.html > > -- > > charlie shub University of Colorado at Colorado Springs > [log in to unmask] -or- [log in to unmask] > (719) 593 3492 (fax) 593-3369 > > charlie shub University of Colorado at Colorado Springs [log in to unmask] -or- [log in to unmask] (719) 593 3492 (fax) 593-3369 HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.