The new year has not been kind to the Boston University women’s hockey team. After a tie against No. 6 Boston College and a loss against the University of Connecticut, the Terriers (12-8-4, 7-7-3 Hockey East) were hoping to turn it around with two home games against the University of Vermont.
They picked up two ties at Walter Brown Arena over the weekend, resulting in dropping out of the top 10 polls and leaving the team winless in 2017.
With the Terriers and the Catamounts (10-7-7, 6-3-5 Hockey East) tied for the third spot in the Hockey East standings, these two games were critical for both teams.
“The way the league’s set up, there’s not just the big three — BU, Northeastern, and BC — as there’s been in the past years. Everybody is a major player this year and so just gaining points is going to be very, very important,” said BU head coach Brian Durocher.
Catamounts forward Saana Valkama was able to capitalize off a loose puck with five minutes remaining in the first frame during Saturday’s game.
Meanwhile, the Catamounts’ defense was able to stifle the Terriers’ offense. BU senior goaltender Victoria Hanson remained a strong presence on the other end of the ice during a scoreless second period.
“I think it was important at that time that the game stayed 1-0,” Durocher said. “[Hanson] facing 40 shots and stopping 37 of them, those are all good numbers. Right now she’s got herself in a nice place at 93 percent [save percentage].”
Early in the third period, senior defensemen Sarah Steele scored her first goal of the season after capitalizing on a rebound, tying the game for BU.
BU got a penalty 26 seconds after tying the game, which gave way to a power play goal by Vermont’s freshman Eve-Audrey Picard. Eight minutes later, forward Alyssa Gorecki extended the Catamounts’ lead to 3-1.
As time on the clock diminished, it seemed like another loss in 2017 for the Terriers. But the team came back in the last five minutes.
“We all try to keep each other loose,” Durocher said. “I think, myself as a coach, my job is not to get them uptight and panicked. They don’t get down, they stay composed, and find a way to put pressure on and ultimately score a number of times this year.”
With four minutes left to play, sophomore forward Sammy Davis kept BU in the game with a power play goal.
With a minute and a half remaining, BU pulled their goalie for an extra attacker, junior forward Victoria Bach was able to shoot the puck past Vermont goaltender Melissa Black to even the score.
In overtime, Hanson kept the Catamounts at bay with five saves, forcing a draw.
“I think we’d like to probably cut down the shots a little,” Durocher said. “[We] gave 40 shots up tonight which is a few more than we wanted to but for us to try to limit them to a few less opportunities, a few less shots and see if we can maybe get the first goal in the game might help us.”
On Sunday, that’s exactly what unfolded.
Graduate student forward Mary Parker, after not scoring for four games, was back at it again as she netted BU’s first shot on goal 54 seconds into the opening frame. This marked Parker’s 18th goal of the season and her third point of the weekend.
Despite 15 saves from Hanson, freshman Picard was able to break through with less than three seconds remaining in the second period to knot the game for Vermont.
BU remained unable to bury any pucks past senior Madison Litchfield during the last 20 minutes, which led to the second overtime of the weekend.
For the Terriers, with an OT record of 3-0-3, the extended play led to another draw between the two teams.
“Today it was a hard fought, well earned point and it’s funny how both games went to 65 minutes before they were decided,” Durocher said. “Great weekend of hockey, a lot of credit to UVM, who’s taken a huge step this year and has got their team in third place right now.”
