The Boston University women’s hockey team left Gutterson Fieldhouse with three of four possible points, as Saturday’s encounter with the University of Vermont ended in a 3-3 overtime draw and Sunday’s reverse fixture concluded with a 6-2 win.
The weekend served as a bounce back of sorts, as BU (14-8-2, 11-4-2 Hockey East) began 2016 with a loss to No. 1 Boston College, but head coach Brian Durocher said he still felt as though Vermont (6-17-2, 4-9-2 Hockey East) nipped a crucial league point.
“We probably look at it as a tie and win in the new year. That’s not quite as good as we want,” Durocher said. “We have high expectations and maybe we came into this weekend thinking we could get four, but give Vermont some credit.”
Fast starts were par for the course against the Catamounts, and a rapid-fire pace dictated Saturday’s game. Sophomore forward Rebecca Leslie, junior forward Samantha Sutherland and sophomore forward Victoria Bach all tallied within the game’s first 20:34, and Vermont kept up the entire way.
Leslie’s goal 1:02 into the first period was quickly answered by two Vermont finishes, and Bach’s power-play goal early in the second period was negated by defenseman Taylor Willard’s second goal of the day.
With the score knotted at three apiece, the teams settled for a five-minute overtime period, and some brilliance from goaltender Madison Litchfield kept the Terriers at bay. The junior finished with 32 saves on the afternoon, stymying several goals that appeared destined for the net.
“Mentally we were a little bit soft in the first and didn’t compete as good as we could have,” Durocher said. “ … We turned it on in the third, and the goalie made a couple circus saves that kept us from getting the go ahead late in the game. If we grab that, who knows, we’re coming out of here with two points and not one.
Given the quick turnaround, Durocher looked for his team to dig deeper, knowing that gratification wasn’t far away. That’s exactly what he observed come Sunday, as BU revved up its compete level and relied on depth to secure a crucial conference win.
The third forward line of senior Dakota Woodworth, freshman Sammy Davis and Sutherland stole the show, as they accounted for five goals and three assists. Junior defenseman Alexis Crossley also grabbed her second goal of the year, showcasing BU’s ability to distribute the wealth.
“Having three lines going well is great, and very subtly [senior forward] Jordan Juron was on the ice with them and responsible for maybe helping out with a couple of goals,” Durocher said. “It carries not only to those three, but to other contributors too. The more the merrier. When people are feeling good about their play, it helps grow all the positive feelings on the team.”
While the Terriers suffered a mental lapse in the second period, paving the way for two Catamount goals, they nonetheless ended the weekend on a positive note.
Looking forward, BU has little time to rest on its laurels, as a perennial powerhouse awaits Wednesday morning. No. 4 Quinnipiac University will host Durocher’s team, with the latter surely looking to avenge last year’s 4-1 win in favor of BU.
“We’ll get a little bit of rest tomorrow, a skate in Tuesday and we’re off for an early game against a real, real good team in Quinnipiac,” Durocher said. “The bounce back will be important, but we’ll be relatively pleased with three of four on the road.”
Jonathan's a New Englander who writes about sports, features and politics. He currently covers men's hockey at BU, worked as Sports Editor during the spring 2016 semester and is on the FreeP's Board of Directors. Toss him a follow on Twitter at @jonathansigal.
