The Boston University women’s hockey team will look to carry its momentum from last weekend’s 6-2 win against the University of Connecticut as it will face its challenging crosstown rival No. 3 Boston College Saturday afternoon and the University of New Hampshire the next day.
Over the weekend, the Terriers (1-4, 1-4 Hockey East) were able to snap their four-game losing streak against UConn (3-3-1, 0-2-1 Hockey East) and put up the most goals the team has seen this season.
Senior forward and captain Rebecca Leslie notched her second career hat trick and freshman goaltender Corinne Schroeder had her collegiate debut between the pipes making 26 saves.
BU head coach Brian Durocher said the win has certainly put the team in better spirits.
“Obviously it generates a positive feeling right now,” Durocher said. “You know some of the top players [like] Rebecca Leslie, Victoria Bach had wonderful games. I think Nina Rodgers had her best game of the five so far and you have a freshman who got the job done in [her] first start so those four individuals feel positive.”
The Terriers will need to continue their success against BC (4-0-1, 1-0-1 Hockey East), who has won all of its games except pulling out a draw against UConn.
In the rest of their wins, including a sweep of the University of Minnesota Duluth, the Eagles have put up four goals in each contest.
BC freshman forward Daryl Watts and sophomore forward Caitrin Lonergan lead the team with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
The pair was imperative to the Eagles 4-2 win against the University of Vermont over the weekend as Watts and Lonergan each tallied four points after having a hand in every goal.
While BU found an offensive burst over the weekend, the team will need to continue to find the back of the net against BC’s senior goaltender Katie Burt who posts a .929 goal save percentage and 1.97 goals against average.
“I always think that when you’re playing against the good ones, you have to make sure you’re getting extra traffic to the cage,” Durocher said. “They don’t give up shots from midrange that often. Pucks they can see, they usually stop, but you’ve got to get there where you can either completely screen her, deflect the puck, tip a puck, hit a rebound.”
Forwards Leslie, senior Victoria Bach and freshman Nara Elia lead the Terriers in goals with three apiece. Elia has scored these goals in BU’s last four contests.
“The biggest thing you notice with her is the fact that she’s a big strong kid when she gets going out there and she also shoots the puck extremely well,” Durocher said.
The next day the team will travel to Durham, New Hampshire and take on UNH (4-1-1, 2-1-1 Hockey East) who currently sits second in the Hockey East with five points after beating Vermont (2-5, 1-3 Hockey East) in overtime and splitting its series against Merrimack College.
The Wildcats are no strangers to the Terriers as the two teams played each other six times over the 2016-17 season including the Hockey East quarterfinals in which BU fell in the first contest, but pulled out two consecutive wins by margins of one goal.
Despite this success last season, the core group of players that return for UNH have been imperative to the Wildcats’ early progress this season and a few blowout wins.
UNH beat the College of the Holy Cross 9-1 and Dartmouth College 6-1, leaving the Wildcats’ offense averaging 4.2 goals per game.
Senior defenseman Julia Fedeski, sophomore forward Meghara McManus and junior forward Devan Taylor lead UNH in goals with four while Fedeski and McManus have picked up five assists each.
Durocher said shutting down the offense over the weekend will involve the entire team, but emphasized that the defense must remain confident.
“That can be the toughest position in the game sometimes because you spend half your day skating backwards or turning to go get a puck when people bearing down on you,” Durocher said. “They’ve got make good decisions, confident decisions and I’m certain they will.”
After Schroeder’s successful performance on Sunday, allowing just two goals — with one on even strength — the question remains: who will be in the net during the weekend?
Durocher said Schroeder will appear in the net soon, but he remains uncertain about what will happen this weekend and if senior goaltender Erin O’Neil will be between the pipes for both contests.
“It’s still early in the year and with the two off weekends it’s been kind of a funny situation, but I think both these goalies are going to be heard from along the way,” Durocher said.
