The No. 7 Boston University women’s hockey team finished off a weekend slate of games on an impressive note, as the team finished Friday night’s match against No. 6 Harvard with a 1-1 draw, while later besting conference foe University of New Hampshire in a 6-2 showing Sunday at Walter Brown Arena.
The Terriers (9-3-2, 6-2 Hockey East) opened the homestand against the Crimson (2-1-2). Though each team scored just one goal and skated to a tie, BU coach Brian Durocher stressed how impressed he was with his team’s performance.
“That was the way we are supposed to play hockey,” Durocher said. “It was a real thorough effort in all three areas. We didn’t give them that many opportunities, and we played smart hockey. It was a thorough effort with plenty of shots and opportunities. Some nights, they don’t just go in.”
The Crimson got on the board first on a power-play goal after sophomore center Maddie Elia was sent off for checking just over six minutes into the game. Harvard’s leading scorer, forward Miye D’Oench, bested Terrier sophomore goaltender Victoria Hanson on a one-timer from the top of the left circle 7:48 into the first period.
This jolted the Terriers awake, as they took control of the game from there on out, but netminder Emerance Maschmeyer kept Harvard in the game, turning aside shot after shot.
“Tonight, [Maschmeyer] was back to her old self and made some really good plays,” Durocher said. “She got some loose pucks that went to favorable spots and were just under or over our stick. Without a doubt, she is an outstanding goalie who played very well tonight.”
BU was able to finally best the Crimson goalie at the 10:27 mark of the second period when it had a power-play opportunity of its own. Freshman forward Victoria Bach patiently held the puck along the right side of the net and fed a cross-ice pass to sophomore forward Samantha Sutherland at the back door, who fired one home to knot the game at one.
Regulation and overtime would not prove enough to decide a winner, as both teams settled for a point apiece in the contest.
“The way to build is to repeat it… We have to make sure we aren’t taking anyone lightly or playing outside of yourself or less than thorough or smart,” Durocher said after Friday’s game. “We have to make sure all those things are firing come Sunday.”
BU indeed came out firing Sunday afternoon against UNH (3-11-1, 1-7 Hockey East), which resulted in a tad more decisive result, as the Terriers manhandled their way to a 6-2 win.
“Certainly, the power play influenced the game,” Durocher said. “Probably for both teams, because they scored a couple power-play goals, and we got five, so obviously hats off to those people and the job they did. There was real good puck movement, good support, and all the way through, there were goals that got it done.”
The Terriers came out flying in the first period, compiling 23 shot attempts to UNH’s eight. About four minutes into the game, it paid off, as Bach beat goaltender Vilma Vaattovaara for what would be the only even-strength goal for either team to put BU on top 1-0.
BU added another tally in the second period when junior winger Sarah Lefort netted a power-play goal, her first of three on the day, after a quick tic-tac-toe play in front of the net with junior forward Kayla Tutino and senior captain Marie-Philip Poulin.
The final frame was when the floodgates really opened. After the Wildcats converted on the man advantage four and a half minutes in to cut the lead in half, the Terriers regained control. BU was given a power-play opportunity of its own, and made the most of it, as senior defenseman Caroline Campbell fired a shot from the blue line that benefitted from the help of a screen and found its way to the back of the net at 8:16.
Just 21 seconds later, Lefort notched her second of the game, another power-play tally, to extend the lead to 4-1. Two minutes later, UNH added another goal, but the Terriers were in a good position to keep calm. Two more power-play goals – Bach’s second marker and Lefort’s third – helped BU secure the victory, its sixth in conference play.
Durocher and Lefort agreed that keeping it simple was what led to BU’s 5-9 success rate on the man advantage Sunday.
“[You] need to take what a team gives you and make sure you’re getting into positions to support the puck and put passes tape to tape,” Durocher said. “Those kids are talented kids. They understand what needs to be done, and as long as they don’t try too hard, try to look for things that aren’t there, they know how to make tape-to-tape passes and score goals and make plays.”
Lefort added that the Terriers’ strong results on the man advantage were due to the team simplifying its gameplan.
“We were struggling with it, just having trouble connecting the puck, passing from one to the other, and we just kinda calmed it down this week,” Lefort said. “Coach, that was his emphasis, just put the puck in the net and pick up those rebounds, so I think that’s what we did. We just kept it simple.”
Nice girl, tries hard, loves the game. Judy covers men's hockey for The Daily Free Press. When she's not writing, she's quoting "Miracle" in conversations and living in a constant in a state of wonder at everything Patrice Bergeron has ever done. Follow her on Twitter at @judylee_c
