BUFFALO – Early in Gavin McCarthy’s second season at Boston University, coach Jay Pandolfo believes the Sabres prospect put too much pressure on himself.

The Terriers, having just lost three defensemen from their Frozen Four squad, thrust the Clarence native into a bigger, more demanding role alongside freshman defenseman Cole Hutson last season.

kAm|4r2CE9J[ E96? ;FDE `h[ 2 E6?56C 286 7@C 2 D@A9@>@C6 😕 4@==686 9@4<6J[ C6DA@?565 3J DE2CE:?8 E96 42>A2:8? D=@H=J]k^Am

kAm“w6 AC@323=J 925 C62==J 9:89 6IA64E2E:@?D 7@C 9:>D6=7[” !2?5@=7@ E@=5 E96 %:>6D w6C2=5]k^Am

kAm%96 e\7@@E\a[ `hc\A@F?5 |4r2CE9J H2D?’E E96 @?=J @?6 DECF88=:?8] %96 %6CC:6CD[ 2 E62> 7:==65 H:E9 E66?286CD 25;FDE:?8 E@ E96:C ?6H C@=6D 😕 E96 }rpp[ DEF>3=65 @FE @7 E96 82E6]k^Am

kAmx? E96 @A6?:?8 H66@?8 }rpp 5676?D6>6?[ “H6C6 DE:== ECJ:?8 E@ 7:8FC6 6249 @E96C @FE]”k^Am

kAm!2?5@=7@ D2:5 86EE:?8 D4@C65 282:?DE =:<6=J D2AA65 D@>6 @7 E96:C 4@?7:56?46] qFE 2D E96 D62D@? AC@8C6DD65[ E96 5F@ 56G6=@A65 DEC@?8 496>:DECJ]k^Am

kAm“(6’C6 ?6H s A2CE?6CD[ :E ;FDE E@@< 2 H9:=6 7@C FD[ 2?5 @?46 H6 8@E E96C6[ x E9:?< :E H6?E C62==J H6==[” |4r2CE9J D2:5 yF=J ` 7@==@H:?8 2 D6DD:@? @7 56G6=@A>6?E 42>A 😕 {tr~| w2C3@C46?E6Ck^Am

kAm|4r2CE9J[ @7 4@FCD6[ 😀 E96 >@C6 5676?D:G6 AC6D6?46] $E:==[ 96 4@?D:56CD 9:>D6=7 2 EH@\H2J 5676?56C]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< H6 4@>A=6>6?E 6249 @E96C C62==J H6==[” D2:5 |4r2CE9J[ 2 E9:C5\C@F?5 A:4< 😕 a_ab[ geE9 @G6C2==] “(6 FD6 6249 @E96C 2 =@E 😕 E96 @776?D:G6 K@?6] … x ECJ E@ ;F>A 😕 E96 A=2J H96? x 42?]k^Am

kAm“qFE H96? 96’D 8@:?8[ 96’D 8@:?8[ 2?5 E92E H@C] p?5 H96? E92E’D 92AA6?:?8[ x ;FDE 8@E E@ A=2J H92E’D C:89E 7@C E96 E62> 😕 @C56C 7@C FD E@ H:?]”k^Am

kAm!2?5@=7@ D2:5 |4r2CE9J 25;FDED 9:D DEJ=6 2=@?8D:56 wFED@?[ H9@ C68F=2C=J E2<6D 492?46D 5@H? =@H 😕 E96 @AA@?6?E’D K@?6[ 2?5 AC@323=J D24C:7:46D D@>6 @7 9:D @776?D6]k^Am

kAm“w:D 4@?7:56?46 😀 F?C62=[ =:<6[ ?@ >@>6?E 72K6D 9:>[” |4r2CE9J D2:5 @7 wFED@?[ H9@D6 3C@E96C[ {2?6[ 2 |@?EC62= r2?25:6?D 5676?D6>2?[ C646?E=J H@? E96 r2=56C %C@A9J 2D E96 }w{’D E@A C@@<:6] “w:D D<:==D DA62< 7@C E96>D6=G6D – 9@H 8C62E @7 2 D<2E6C W96 :DX[ 9:D 6586D 2?5 AF4< 92?5=:?8] … w6’D ?6G6C 27C2:5 E@ ECJ 2?JE9:?8 H:E9 E96 AF4<[ <66A :E @? 2 DE:4< 7@C 9@H6G6C =@?8 96 H2?ED E@[ 2?5 96 42A:E2=:K6D @? :E 2 =@E @7 E96 E:>6]”k^Am

kAmxE’D ?@ 4@:?4:56?46 E96 %6CC:6CD 7@F?5 2 8C@@G6 2?5 C@2C65 E@ E96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A 82>6 – E96J =@DE E@ (6DE6C? |:49:82? &?:G6CD:EJ – 27E6C |4r2CE9J 2?5 wFED@? >@CA965 :?E@ @?6 @7 4@==686 9@4<6J’D 6=:E6 5676?D6 E2?56>D]k^Am

kAm“v2G:? D9@H65 E92E 96’D 42A23=6 A=2J:?8 H:E9 2 9:89\=6G6= A=2J6C =:<6 E92E[” !2?5@=7@ D2:5]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 wFED@?’D D=:4< 6IA=@:ED 82C?6C >@C6 2EE6?E:@?[ |4r2CE9J[ 2 C:89E D9@E[ 92D BF:6E=J >2EFC65 :?E@ 2 DEC@?8 }w{ AC@DA64E] w6 C68:DE6C65 E9C66 8@2=D 2?5 `e A@:?ED 😕 bh 82>6D =2DE D62D@?]k^Am

kAm“~?46 96 D6EE=65 :?[ W|4r2CE9JX 925 2? 6I46==6?E[ 6I46==6?E D62D@? 7@C FD[ 2?5 H6 6IA64E 6G6? 36EE6C E9:D J62C 7@C 9:>[” !2?5@=7@ D2:5] “w6’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 3:8 A2CE @7 @FC =6256CD9:A 8C@FA] (6’C6 2 C62==J J@F?8 E62>]”k^Am

kAm!2?5@=7@[ H9@ H@? EH@ $E2?=6J rFAD 2D 2 A=2J6C H:E9 E96 }6H y6CD6J s6G:=D[ D2:5 96 6?G:D:@?D |4r2CE9J H:== 56G6=@A :?E@ “2 >:55=6\A2:C 5676?D6>2?]”k^Am

kAm“w6’D C62==J 8@@5 5676?D:G6=J[ C62==J 8@@5 @? E96 A6?2=EJ <:==[” 96 D2:5] “w6 92D 6?@F89 @776?D:G6 23:=:EJ E@ 49:A 😕 @776?D:G6=J[ 3642FD6 96 42? >2<6 2 8@@5 A2DD] w6’D 8@E 2 8@@5 D9@E[ 8@@5 C6=62D6] …k^Am

kAm“w6’== 62E >:?FE6D[ <:== A6?2=E:6D] *@F 42? A=2J 9:> 282:?DE E96 @E96C E62>’D E@A A=2J6C 3642FD6 96 5676?5D C62==J H6==] %92E’D E96 @?6 2C62 96’D 8@EE6? 2 =@E 36EE6C 😀 9:D DE:4< 2?5 9:D 2?8=6D[ 3642FD6 96’D =@?8]”k^Am

kAm•••k^Am

kAm}6H=J 24BF:C65 $23C6D 5676?D6>2? r@?@C %:>>:?D H:== 92G6 9:D D2=2CJ 2C3:EC2E:@? 962C:?8 pF8] a[ 244@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^!F4<2><2/>2>

’