Coming off a loss to No. 1 Wisconsin Saturday, the Boston University women’s hockey team looks to rebound against Brown University Tuesday in the first matchup between the two teams since 2011.
The Terriers (5-7-2, 3-5-2 Hockey East) had won three straight prior to the 4-2 loss over the weekend. The Brown Bears (1-9) present BU with an opportunity to get back on track.
“I think one of the best things we’ve been doing is playing sound structurally,” BU head coach Brian Durocher said. “The kids have competed pretty hard.”
Durocher highlighted the play of freshman goaltender Corinne Schroeder, who holds a .937 save percentage. The Terriers are 5-2-2 in Schroeder’s nine starts this season.
Durocher also noted that the Terriers have performed especially well on the penalty kill, and said they have overcome early-season jitters that led to overthinking. BU has allowed 11 power play goals in 56 opportunities this season.
On the flip side, Durocher said he would like to see his team perform better on its own power plays. The Terriers have 10 goals in 56 opportunities.
In particular, Durocher said mindset is crucial.
“I’d like to see us be more threatening on the power play,” Durocher said. “As a group, the five people all have to trust their ability, trust their instinct and the puck’s got to move and then be delivered to the net. I’d love to see us be good there.”
Preparing for a 1-9 Brown team, Durocher said it’s important to be ready, regardless of any opponent’s record.
He mentioned that the Brown Bears’ schedule has been tough thus far, and that as a Division I team, they should not be overlooked.
“On any given night, they’re going to give us a battle,” Durocher said. “They’ll be hard working because they’ve had the past week off, and I know they’ll be well-rested, so we’ll have to combat their energy and their fresh legs.”
This season, Brown has allowed nearly three times as many goals (58) as it has scored (20). Opponents have averaged 5.77 goals per game while the Brown Bears have averaged only two.
Despite Brown’s scoring discrepancy, Durocher said defense remains the key and that if the Terriers stay focused on the back end of the ice, the goals will come.
“Let’s take care of business on the defensive end,” Durocher said. “Just about every game, we’ve created opportunities offensively, and that includes this past weekend … I know we can get the firepower and do a good job, but let’s not sacrifice anything on the back end of the ice to do that.”
With only five wins in the team’s first 14 games, Durocher said he is looking for each player to step up. Over the weekend, senior forward Victoria Bach stepped up for the team, and scored five goals and had one assist.
One important component, he said, is patience.
“It’s just a matter of them relaxing,” Durocher said. “Sometimes when you’re early in the season or early in your career, and you don’t have that immediate luck or success, you push the panic button a little bit and you try too hard.”
With more than half the season remaining, Durocher emphasized the importance of remaining structurally sound on the ice, a strength thus far.
As long as the Terriers leave it all on the ice, Durocher said, they can live with the results.
“We’re generating our opportunities,” Durocher said. “If you just stay the course, you can’t get back those losses that have already occurred, but you can prevent future ones coming if you’re doing things properly. If we do that, we continue to show up every night and we don’t get as much success as want, we can live with it. But if you show up a little bit soft or you show up ill-prepared, that’s not good.”
With a struggling Brown coming into town on Tuesday, the Terriers have a chance to build confidence before a key matchup against Boston College over the weekend, with some much-needed momentum.
“If we’re going to gather enough wins and get above .500 and keep moving up the ladder in Hockey East, we’ve got to be very consistent and very thorough in our performance,” Durocher said.
