For all intents and purposes, the University of New Hampshire women’s ice hockey team is the class of Hockey East.
The No. 5 Wildcats (18-3-4, 10-1-1 Hockey East), unbeaten in conference play since Nov. 2, invade Walter Brown Arena tonight for the first time this season. For the Boston University women’s ice hockey team (15-8-2, 7-6-1), the matchup should reveal just how much the Terriers have improved since the last meeting between the two clubs, a 4-0 UNH win Oct. 29.
BU coach Brian Durocher and his team certainly remember the sound defeat that ended BU’s season-opening six-game winning streak. But did the Terriers learn anything from the blowout loss?
“I think the general sense of UNH being a good team is what our players remember most,” Durocher said.
Three months later, the Terriers will hope to use home-ice advantage to pull off the upset tonight. BU boasts an 8-3-0 mark on Babcock St. this season, including three straight wins against Hockey East foes.
“We are looking forward to the challenge of taking them on here at Walter Brown,” Durocher said. “The small ice plays a big factor. It’s such a big rink [at UNH’s Whittemore Center] that their talent gives them an advantage. Here, there’s a little less ground to cover, and we don’t have to chase them around.”
The Terriers proved they could beat a ranked opponent less than two weeks ago, when the team downed No. 8 Boston College at Walter Brown, 3-1. Surely, the confidence gained from that contest will serve BU well against the Wildcats.
“Confidence goes a long way . . . it sticks in the kids’ heads,” Durocher said. “You hope for a good bounce early in the game because anytime you can generate confidence, it’s an asset.”
Durocher plans to start goaltender Allyse Wilcox against the Wildcats. The sophomore has struggled to earn consistent playing time since Winter Break due to rookie Melissa Haber’s strong play. Wilcox, who sports a 7-6-1 record this season, has not started back-to-back games in nearly two months. She took the loss on Oct. 29, despite making 35 saves between the pipes.
UNH will counter with an experienced netminder in senior Melissa Bourdon. The veteran leads Hockey East goalies in goals-against average (1.36) and winning percentage (.875). Bourdon notched her 77th career victory last Saturday in a win over Providence College to set a new program record. The Bourdon-led Wildcat defense has allowed a mere 17 goals during league play.
BU’s defense will try to slow down a UNH offensive juggernaut led by sophomore forward Sam Faber (12 goals-20 assist-32 points), who headlines an offense averaging more than four goals per game. For a Terriers team averaging just 2.3 scores per contest, tonight’s game needs to stay low-scoring in order for BU to compete.
“We need to make sure we play smart and stay assertive from the blue line and red line,” Durocher said. “Maintaining puck possession in our defensive end is also crucial.”
Durocher’s confidence in BU’s ability to play with New Hampshire is sincere, as he believes the Terriers have closed the gap against the elite teams of Hockey East. That said, he acknowledges it will take a special effort from his club to come away with points against a UNH team he refers to as “the best team in the conference right now.”
“Everyone needs to pick it up about 10 to 15 percent,” Durocher said. “Hopefully we get a few bounces and put some pressure on them coming into our building.”