The No. 5 Boston University women’s hockey team is riding a nine-game unbeaten streak into its matchup tomorrow at Boston College. This is the first time the teams have met as ranked opponents.
BU rocketed into the polls for the first time in program history earlier this season, and now the Terriers will try to solidify their position as a Top-10 team with a win over the No. 8 Eagles.
The Terriers won three of four outings against the Eagles last season, including a first-round victory in the Beanpot Tournament. Now that both teams are in the polls, BU will look to defeat its rival on the national stage.
The last time the teams met, the Terriers pulled off an improbable blowout win over the Eagles. BU posted a 4-1 victory over their rival behind then-sophomore Melissa Anderson’s three-goal performance. However, this came after a 4-0 blowout win by the Eagles at Walter Brown Arena the night before.
Senior goaltender Allyse Wilcox earned Pure Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honors for her perfect stand against Princeton University on Nov. 14. Wilcox had 30 saves in her first shutout win of the season and the sixth of her career.
Her performance, along with goals from senior Erin Seman and sophomore Jillian Kirchner, helped lift the Terriers to a 2-0 victory over the Tigers.
The Terriers kept rolling in their next game against Quinnipiac University. Seman’s two goals and Anderson’s three assists were the highlights in BU’s dominant 5-1 performance against the Bobcats. Seman scored her sixth goal of the season, helping her team extend its record-breaking streak.
BC has had a much less successful week leading up to tomorrow’s game with two tough Hockey East outings. The Eagles came close to dropping their first conference game of the season on Nov. 13 against the University of Connecticut.
After going up 3-0 off goals by freshmen Danielle Welch and Megan Shea and another by junior Kelli Stack, the Huskies came roaring back and cut the lead to 3-2. UConn nearly tied the game in the final minute, when they pulled their goalie to get a man-advantage against the Eagles but came up short.
BC was tested again Nov. 16 against the University of Maine. This time, however, the Eagles were the ones who could not keep up with their opponent. BC could not catch the Black Bears, who scored three times in the first two periods while the Eagles could only answer with one goal from Stack.
The Eagles fought back in the third period, scoring two quick goals to tie the game ‘-‘- both by Stack. However, the Black Bears pulled away to earn a 5-3 victory. The upset was a significant loss for the Eagles, dropping them to No. 8 in the polls.
This season’s matchup between the Terriers and the Eagles should prove to be evenly matched. With both teams in the polls and the heated rivalry thrown into the mix, the games are sure to be epic.
Both teams have several players topping Hockey East in scoring and goaltending. The Eagles have two players ‘-‘- Stack and fellow junior Allie Thunstrom ‘-‘- occupying the top two spots in scoring. The pair, along with several standout freshmen, should be tough tests for Wilcox.
But the Terriers have an impressive lineup of their own. Breakout star Lauren Cherewyk ranks fifth on the conference scoring list, while Anderson, Seman and senior Gina Kearns are sure to make their presence known. Freshman Tara Watchorn has carved out a name for herself, adding to an already potent Terrier offense.
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Let’s go Terriers keep it going!!!