In its final game before the annual Beanpot tournament, the Boston University women’s hockey team took a 5-1 loss at the hands of the University of Vermont Friday evening.
Both teams began the first period on relatively equal footing, striking back and seeing several scoring opportunities.
Vermont (9-16-4, 6-11-3 Hockey East) senior defenseman Taylor Willard fired a puck at Terrier (10-14-6, 6-11-5 Hockey East) freshman goaltender Corinne Schroeder that flew wide of net. BU senior forward Victoria Bach responded with a rush at Vermont sophomore goaltender Sydney Scobee, firing a wrist shot that went wide of the net.
Vermont later saw two scoring opportunities with dual power plays over the frame. Despite the 5-on-4 advantage, the Catamounts failed to yield any results.
BU got its own power play opportunity late in the period, but was also unable to capitalize. However, the team ramped up its offense and the puck remained within the Catamount blue line for much of the remainder of the period.
The Terriers took several sweeping shots, including a deflected slapshot from sophomore defenseman Abbey Stanley and a one-timer from senior forward Nina Rodgers that flew just wide of the post. But ultimately, both teams left the first empty-handed.
During the second period, Vermont countered with its own aggressive play on offense. The Catamounts landed multiple shots on Schroeder, including a slapshot by forward Ali O’Leary that Schroeder denied with her arm.
Vermont forward Eve-Audrey Picard eventually drew first blood on the power play, executing a fly-by on Schroeder with several short-range shots that each deflected off Schroder’s pad. Picard regained the puck on the rebound, skated up the boards and fired a slapshot from the point that saw the back of the net, giving the Catamounts a one goal lead.
BU, reinvigorated, responded with another spurt of offensive play, culminating in a goal from freshman forward Jesse Compher with an assist from Rodgers, tying the game up again at 14:32. The goal marked Compher’s seventh of the season.
Vermont, intent on regaining its lead, responded with a goal just three minutes later from forward Saana Valkama, who fired a shot into the top of the net, giving Vermont the lead again at 2-1.
The Terriers came onto the ice in the third period determined to remove the deficit. Despite several attempts at evening the playing field, it was ultimately the Catamounts who added points to the board, with Valkama firing the puck through traffic to see the top right corner and her second goal of the game on a power play opportunity.
With the score 3-1, the Terriers saw an opportunity for a comeback when a Vermont penalty gave them a man advantage. BU head coach Brian Durocher also pulled Schroeder to add an extra-attacker on the ice in an attempt to stack the deck against the Catamounts.
It was a calculated risk that didn’t quite pan out, as Picard took control of the puck and sunk one in to make the score 4-1.
“We did everything we could to make [the score] 3-2 there with the goalie out and six against four, but it didn’t jump in the net,” Durocher said.
The last several minutes of the game were marked by furious efforts from the Terriers to get points on the board, including a slapshot from senior forward and captain Rebecca Leslie that Scobee deflected, but caused her to lose her stick in the following scrum. Leslie fired another shot at a stickless Scobee, which skimmed over the crossbar and hit the back glass.
BU didn’t get any results from the nail-biting affair. However Picard again controlled the puck to the Terriers’ side and scored another goal, making the final score 5-1 and sealing the fate of the Terriers.
BU led the game overall in shots on goal with 36 to Vermont’s 29, but had little to show for it.
“They had some good fortune tonight.” Durocher said. “That wasn’t a 5-1 game. [Schroeder] has had a good run, but tonight they had some good puck luck.”
The 40th Annual Women’s Beanpot is up next for the Terriers, and they will face off against Harvard University next Tuesday.
“There’s still a couple of championships to play for,” Durocher said. “I like the fact that these kids stuck together. They work hard. We’ve just got to be a little more determined to get to a loose puck or a rebound to put it away.”
