Following a disappointing finish in the 2017 Beanpot Tournament, the Boston University women’s hockey team looks to rebound in a home-and-home series against the University of New Hampshire this weekend.
The Terriers (13-10-6, 8-8-4 Hockey East) are coming off a 6-6 tie in the Beanpot consolation game against Harvard University, and with only four games remaining in the regular season, the pressure is on. BU is currently in the thick of the Hockey East playoff race, tied for the fourth seed in the conference with New Hampshire (11-15-2, 9-9-2 Hockey East) and Providence College.
The Wildcats have also struggled this season. The two teams squared off back on Oct. 7, a game the Terriers won 5-1. In total, BU is 20-14-3 against New Hampshire, but when the puck drops Friday night, previous success and games are irrelevant.
“There’s a lot at stake, obviously,” said BU head coach Brian Durocher. “There’s plenty at stake here for who’s going to get the all-important home ice in a 3-game series.”
At this point in the season, Durocher said focusing on the games and not the standings is essential. This series, especially, presents BU with the opportunity to pull ahead in the standings. If the Terriers can win three of their last four games, the points will come.
“The best way to [secure a playoff spot] is to win, not to worry about the scoreboard,” he said. “We can win the season series and stay a number of points ahead of [New Hampshire] if we take care of business here.”
While a 6-6 tie is not an ideal outcome in a tournament in which the Terriers had high hopes of winning, Durocher did find positives in his team’s last performance. For one, scoring six goals is an accomplishment.
“You tip your cap to getting some goals and playing hard there,” Durocher said. “I think the other thing [Tuesday] was we possessed the puck much better as a group at forward.”
With an important series this weekend, Durocher is not looking to put the focus on any one specific player, such as junior forward Victoria Bach (40 points) and graduate student forward Mary Parker (36 points), but rather emphasize strong play from his entire team.
“I hope that our competitive fight, our competitive effort on defense, our willingness to stick our nose out there will continue to improve, and we continue to do the simple things,” Durocher said. “That’s really, really important.”
Despite the Wildcats’ underwhelming record, Durocher said his team cannot take any team lightly with so much on the line at this point in the season. He noted that New Hampshire’s rink is bigger than most college hockey arenas, which will force the Terriers to find good angles, avoid getting too stretched out on the ice, and as always, be ready to compete.
“I think they’re a very good skating team, all around,” he said. “They also, to me, have done a little better job scoring goals in the second half, as the years go along. They’ve got some confidence.”
With the playoffs fast-approaching, it ‘s must-win time for the Terriers, as they look to hold on to their four-seed. The Terriers and Wildcats face off Friday night in New Hampshire, and on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Walter Brown Arena.
Ultimately, Durocher’s expectations have remained consistent: “That we make sure that we compete, that we work extremely hard in a lot of gritty areas, stop them in front of the net areas, along the walls, and show determination to come back and fully defend a play.”