Winning 10 consecutive games over a span of almost two months is an impressive feat, no matter what a team’s goal differential was over that stretch or who their opponents might have been. But the No. 3 Boston University women’s hockey team, which moved into first place in Hockey East last weekend, can boast that they’ve done more than walk away with the “W” every time they’ve taken the ice since Nov. 21. During that streak, they have recorded five shutouts, outscored opponents 40-11, and won seven games by more than one goal. And they’ve done it against some of the best teams in the nation.
BC (14-4-4, 8-2-2 Hockey East), the only Hockey East team to beat the Terriers (18-2-3, 8-1-3 HE) so far this year, was no match for BU when the rivals met for the third time this season on Jan. 15. Freshman goaltender Kerrin Sperry shut the door on all 22 BC shots, giving the Terriers’ potent offense the chance to bury the Eagles with four goals in the latter two periods of the game.
Sperry also earned a shutout in the previous Battle of Comm. Ave, helping BU edge the Eagles 1-0 at Conte Forum on Nov. 21. In 120 minutes of play, she has not allowed a goal to a BC team averaging 3.18 goals per game. On a national scale, she has the highest save percentage among freshman goalies, at .937, and the seventh-highest of any goalie.
The Terriers would not be where they are without Sperry, but sophomore goalie Alissa Fromkin has recorded two of BU’s last five wins, including her first career shutout against Brown University on Jan. 2. Together, the goaltending tandem has held opponents to 1.25 goals per game so far in 2011.
“I’ve said all year that they’re young kids – one’s a freshman, one’s a sophomore – and I’m not going to try to anoint one person as the goalie,” BU coach Brian Durocher said of Sperry and Fromkin. “If and when they determine that by their play it’ll make my job a little easier, make their team’s job a little easier, but right now I like to keep both of those kids going because they’ve got a lot of their career ahead of them. So far they’re both battling well and they’re both competing well, and that’s big for our team.”
Strong goaltending may not always win games if it’s coupled with mediocre offense, but with five straight games of four or more goals, BU’s offense is better described with words like “explosive.” Junior forward Jenn Wakefield has led the charge with six points in the last two games, and is one goal shy of breaking Melissa Anderson’s program record for goals in a season (20).
“She’s the consummate power forward,” Durocher said of Wakefield. “Great shot, and she has very fast, evasive moves as well, and she’s also playing with other quality people out there who are giving her chances on the power play with her line. I’m happy to see everything going extremely well for her. We talk about it, but she doesn’t need to be told – she shoots a lot, she likes to shoot, and we’re hoping she continues to.”
Eight of BU’s remaining 11 games are away from Walter Brown Arena (although three of those eight are within the greater Boston area), but that shouldn’t faze a team that has gone 7-1-1 on the road. Then again, it’s just about impossible to find a statistic that doesn’t bode well for the Terriers’ chances in the last few weeks of the season, no matter the arena or the opponent.
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