Without definitive primary and secondary scorers yet, the Boston University women’s hockey team will rely on all of its forward lines to contribute offensively.
Many of the Terrier forwards have already found offensive success in the first few games of the season. Freshman Caroline Bourdeau has netted a goal in each of the first two regular season games, and freshmen Nicki Wiart and Gina Kearns have scored in at least two out of the three games total.
“I think that our main offensive threats right now are Bordeau, Wiart, Kearns, [Cara] Hendry and [Erin] Seman,” BU coach Brian Durocher said. “They play all three zones well and are very consistent.”
Another player that Durocher has seen consistency from is sophomore Stephanie Armstrong. A transfer from Union College, Armstrong has brought her offensive prowess to the Terriers along with some experience to a brand new Division-I team. She scored a goal and got credit for an assist in the exhibition game against the Bluewater Hawks on Sept. 30. Although Armstrong has not tallied a point since, she remains one of the team’s top forwards.
“It has been a real group effort so far,” Durocher said. “Each of the forward lines has a player that has scored a goal or made an assist.”
BU also has a few forwards who have surprised Durocher through their early success. Although he expects each line to contribute, he did not anticipate some of them having such an immediate an impact as they have had, he said. Among the surprises are freshmen Genevieve Laing and Laurel Koller.
Laing netted a key goal late in the season opener against Northeastern University. It kept the Terriers alive in the final minutes of play before eventually losing, 4-3. Her late game heroics earned her the game’s Second Star honors.
Koller is currently the team leader in assists (2). Both assists came in the 2-2 tie against Qunnipiac University. The first was a touch pass to Wiart, who promptly scored, giving BU an early 1-0 lead. Koller’s second assist came on a power-play goal with 12:26 remaining in the second period.
While Laing and Koller have both contributed immensely to the Terrier offense, they do so in very different styles.
“They have both played surprisingly well,” Durocher said. “Laing is a quick and agile forward while Koller is more of a power forward with her strength.”
Other forwards Durocher expects to break out soon are freshman Maeghan Ouimet and junior Jessica Lortie. Ouimet made an excellent assist against Northeastern for BU’s first goal of the game. She found Bourdeau in front of the net for a backhanded goal while racing down the right side boards.
As a brand new team in Division-I competition, the Terriers will face a great deal of challenges offensively, especially against teams that have played in the talent-rich Hockey East for years. In order to play to their potential, the Terriers must avoid careless mistakes and capitalize on special teams.
“There are going to be some nights when we are challenged,” Durocher said. “Quickness and pace are key to the offensive success of our team. We also need to try and not make too many mistakes.”