In its final series of 2016, the Boston University women’s hockey team will match up against a dominant No. 2 University of Minnesota team at Walter Brown Arena this weekend.
Coming off a tough 2-1 loss to the University of Connecticut last Saturday, which snapped a six-game winning streak, the Terriers (11-6-1, 7-6 Hockey East) look to end the semester on a positive note.
The Golden Gophers (14-2-2) have only one fewer win than the nation’s No. 1 team, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Terriers are 0-4 lifetime against the Gophers, highlighted by a 6-3 loss against a 41-0 Minnesota team in the 2013 NCAA championship.
BU head coach Brian Durocher is ready for an exciting series, and aware of the test that lies ahead.
“I think the biggest thing we’ve got to do is compete at a little over 100 percent, if that’s possible,” Durocher said. “We’re dealing with a team that year after year has been half a notch ahead of the field. They don’t usually have a flaw. They can skate, they can think, they can make plays, they’ve got better-than-average size and they’re a well-coached team.”
Another key, Durocher said, is not folding under pressure.
“If and when they score, you really have to be mentally strong and kind of lock down the hatches so one goal doesn’t become three,” he said. “They can change a 1-1 game and make it 4-1 in the blink of an eye. A lot of that is just not letting one goal bother you, but keeping the focus and making something like that not happen.”
With such a tough opponent coming to town, Durocher has maintained his season-long message that defense, which includes strong goaltending, is of the utmost importance.
Durocher highlighted senior Alexis Crossley and junior Savannah Newton as the leaders of the defense, and also noted senior Sarah Steele and freshman Abby Cook as crucial components.
“I think it’s always important that your goaltender plays well,” Durocher said. “They have to in a game like this, because you can play the perfect game and you’re probably still going to give a team like [Minnesota] 30, 35, 40 shots. So you need that person to play well.”
Durocher mentioned three key players on Minnesota, starting with redshirt senior Lee Stecklein, who was the youngest player on the 2014 U.S. Olympic women’s team. He also named forwards Dani Cameranesi and Sarah Potomak as players that Crossley and company must keep an eye on.
“[Cameranesi and Potomak] are probably the two kids up front who are the most explosive and big name players they have,” Durocher said. “If you can keep them under some control, you might have a chance.”
Throughout the season, BU has been consistently stronger at home than on the road, holding a 6-2 home record, compared to a 5-4-1 road mark. Minnesota, too, is a stronger home team, with their only losses and ties of the season coming on the road.
“If we can get just a little bit of a home crowd flavor, knowing our rink — and you throw the BU band in there to keep a little atmosphere going — maybe it gives us a little bit of extra adrenaline, and a little extra focus as the game goes along,” Durocher said.
Going into the last series before a month-long break, the Terriers have an opportunity to end 2016 with confidence. Durocher stressed that while winning at least one game of the series would be a nice feat, important gains can still be made from competitive losses against a team like Minnesota.
“If you end up with a moral victory because you know you skated with this team or played with this team, that could be a positive goal,” Durocher said. “But it would be great to see if we could get points in this series.”
