The Terriers lost to the Friars, 3-1, at Walter Brown on Jan. 20. Kristyn UlandayThe Boston University women’s ice hockey team has a chance to exact revenge.
BU (8-11-3, 5-5-1 Hockey East) travels to Providence College’s Schneider Arena tonight, 11 days after the Friars (11-10-3, 6-3-2) beat the Terriers, 3-1, at Walter Brown Arena.
Despite junior goaltender Allyse Wilcox’s 33 saves, the Terriers struggled offensively and were outshot by a 36-27 margin on Jan. 20. Special teams played a key role in the game, as BU allowed two goals on four PC power plays while failing to score on five of its own man-advantages.
Sophomore goaltender Melissa Haber will start tonight.
“I think we have to get a little bit better prepared,” said BU coach Brian Durocher. “We came off a tough loss against [the University of Connecticut on Jan. 19] on a funny bounce that cost us a game. It cost us a lot of energy and we didn’t rebound from it.”
The Terriers need an improved effort against PC tonight if they hope to gain security in the Hockey East standings. BU resides in fourth place — and is in sole possession of the conference’s final playoff spot. The Terriers, who trail Providence by three points for third place, need a successful weekend to distance themselves from fifth-place Boston College.
Providence senior captain Kathleen Smith, who notched two goals and an assist along with nine shots in the Jan. 20 win over BU, presents obvious challenges to the Terriers. Smith is an offensive-minded defenseman who has put up impressive numbers, leading the Friars in both goals (11) and points (23).
“Kathleen had two great shots, one in the top corner and one in the bottom corner, both on similar situations: one-timers from the point,” Durocher said. “We’re going to have to make sure if and when they slide her a puck that we’re absolutely in the lane and get our feet, shin pads and stick on it to block the shot.”
One development working in the Terriers’ favor tonight is the return of forward Erin Seman, who missed both games against the University of Maine last weekend with a right knee injury. Durocher juggled the lines during Seman’s absence in an attempt to find new scoring options. Seman’s return provides stability to the top two lines, while her experience and gritty play are second to none on the BU roster.
“It gives us a real top forward and somebody who is a proven commodity as an upper-classman and plays a good, hard, strong game,” Durocher said. “It’s certainly going to strengthen our forward lines and give us a little more volume than in the last couple of games.”
Providence has been hot of late, despite losing its last game to league doormat, the University of Vermont. The Friars have lost just twice in their last eight games.
The Terriers rank third in Hockey East in scoring, one spot ahead of the Friars. BU is second in the league in power-play conversion, while Providence ranks second in penalty kills. With both teams battling for playoff seeding, tonight figures to be a hard-fought contest.
“I think from top to bottom, from defense to the neutral zone and in the offensive zone, we just have to have a little bit more conviction to get across the ice,” Durocher said. “We have to demand the puck and make good decisions.”
