The Boston University women’s hockey team downed the No. 4 University of New Hampshire, 5-2, Saturday at the Whittemore Center. Senior forward Melissa Anderson led the Terriers with two goals and classmate Melissa Haber stopped 33 shots to help boost BU to an overall record of 11-8-10, and 7-6-4-2 in Hockey East play.
Coming off a heartbreaking shootout loss to Northeastern University in the first round of the Beanpot on Feb. 2, the Terriers looked sluggish for the first two periods against UNH (15-6-5, 9-5-2-0). Although BU took the first period lead thanks to an early goal by junior Holly Lorms, UNH dominated in shots 11-2.
Haber bounced back from her tough performance against Northeastern, giving up just two goals against a UNH team that leads Hockey East with 3.12 goals per game.
“Haber’s presence was best felt in the first period when she herself was very strong and assertive, by that I mean stepping into the puck, not sort of fading back toward the goal line and that had a calming influence on her game personally but also on the team,” said BU coach Brian Durocher.
“She continued that into the second period, when again I didn’t think we brought our composure. Melissa [Haber] held the fort. Even down in the stretch run at 4-2, they get a power play, make it 6-on-4, then they go 6-on-3, she had a couple of stops in there and couple of plays where she definitely influenced the game.”
The Wildcats clawed back in the second period with two straight goals, which forced Durocher to call a timeout in an attempt to settle his team.
“After we got out of the first period in pretty good shape I thought we would settle down our game, but unfortunately we seemed to play with less than a sense of urgency,” Duorcher said. “I didn’t think we had a lot of poise or composure out there.”
Shortly after the timeout, the Terriers scored a four-on-four goal to even up the game at two apiece. Lorms sent a pass to senior Laurel Koller who put the puck past UNH junior goalie Kayley Herman.
Herman finished the night making only four saves, while giving up four goals.
BU wasted little time in the third period as a quick give-and-go from freshman Jill Cardella to Anderson gave the Terriers a one-goal lead.
Less than five minutes later, BU added an insurance goal when a wrist shot from junior Lauren Cherewyk somehow snuck by Herman.
“We probably got the lucky goal of the game [which] was a wrist shot from Lauren Cherewyk that seemed to have eyes or the UNH goalie would like to have back,” Durocher said. “It worked its way over the goal line and still I don’t think it ever reached the back of the net but it did get in there and the light went on.”
BU scoring and points leader Melissa Anderson added to her total as she converted an empty-net goal late in the game while UNH was on a 6-on-3 advantage. It was Anderson’s 10th goal in the last nine games.
“[Melissa Anderson] is someone who plays with a lot of intensity, has a whole bunch of talent and competes all the time,” Durocher said. “It is great that you sort of save your best for last and I say that for a couple of reasons. She is probably going to exceed the point total she’s had in the past, but more importantly she is doing it when Tara Watchorn was out with an injury and [sophomore] Jenelle Kohanchuk is gone now for a while.”
Saturday’s win was the first time in program history that the Terriers recorded a regulation victory against the Wildcats at the Whittemore Center.
“All in all it was a game where I didn’t think we brought our best,” Durocher said. “But maybe for one of the few times, if not the only time this year I think we got something in an unjust way. We haven’t had a lot of timely bounces or lucky bounces and maybe a few of those happened [on Saturday].”