CHESTNUT HILL – Halfway through the first period of the No. 5 Boston University women’s hockey team’s game against No. 6 Boston College, neither team had scored.
After a tough weekend where the Terriers fell to No. 1 University of Wisconsin and only scored one goal in two contests, the game against BC symbolized more than just a win against a rival: it meant getting back on track and kicking off the Hockey East competition on a solid note.
“It is obviously very important [to start off well],” said BU coach Brian Durocher. “This is a team that at the beginning of the season was picked right up there near the top with us.”
Two minutes later, senior captain Jenn Wakefield eased the pressure when she picked up a pass from senior defenseman Carly Warren and took it down the ice to give BU a 1-0 advantage.
While the goal gave the Terriers a much-needed lead, it had an even greater significance than Durocher or Wakefield even knew.
The tally was Wakefield’s 100th in her career, making her the first player to ever reach that mark in the Hockey East Conference.
“Oh, really? I didn’t even know,” Wakefield said of her latest achievement as a Terrier. “I guess that’s like a really big honor.”
Wakefield now has the second most career goals among active skaters and is 12th all-time.
“Playing here at BU, it’s, I don’t know, like playing with such great players and [I’m] able to have the opportunity to shoot the puck that much. I guess it’s a good feeling.”
The Pickering, Ontario native, who transferred to BU from the University of New Hampshire last season, has consistently performed well for the Terriers. In the 44 games that she has played with BU, she has averaged 1.59 points per game while scoring 41 goals and tallying 29 assists.
So far this season, Wakefield has scored nine goals, five of which were power-play tallies and one that was a shorthanded goal. The five power-play goals lead the nation.
On Tuesday, the power forward was named the Hockey East Player of the Month for leading the conference in points and goals with 10 and six, respectively, during October.
Wakefield also had three multi-point games during the month, including a four-point game against Niagara University on Oct. 8. She also had a five-game scoring streak from Oct. 7 to Oct. 22.
While Wakefield has been a constant performer for the Terriers, BU is depending on her to maintain her offensive prowess with sophomore forward Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored the second largest amount of goals – second only to Wakefield – last season, out until December.
Last year, Wakefield and Poulin combined to score 56 goals, 42 percent of the team’s offensive output. In the process of doing this, Wakefield broke the BU single-season records for goals and points.
The Terriers will face a challenge this coming weekend as Wakefield will not play in the second half of the home-and-home series with the Eagles. Wakefield will join Team Canada for her fourth Four Nations Cup.
For Durocher, Wakefield is not only a talented player on the ice, but a leader in the locker room.
“That is great for her,” Durocher said. “She has been an impact player in her two years at New Hampshire and her two years here. She is a kid who we count on to be a leader by example.
“That is exciting for the team and good for us. We hope she continues to shoot the puck and score goals.”
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