In science, the concept of emergence considers how complex things can be wrought by small, simple interactions. For instance, one ant is powerless, but interactions between many ants result in vast, complex colonies. A single atom is almost powerless, but many atoms can interact to form the molecules, cells and organs that create life.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
In a way, the Boston University women’s hockey team has emerged in the 2008-09 season.
The Terriers achieved success for the first time in the Hockey East playoffs, thanks to a 2-1 victory over Northeastern University on Saturday in the first round at Walter Brown Arena.
‘I think it’s exciting for the program, and it’s a wonderful reward for the young ladies,’ BU coach Brian Durocher said of the win. ‘These kids are all very experienced, and probably that experience, once again, paved the way for us. They knew what they were up against. They knew it was going to be a tough game.’
The postseason win was a landmark in the Terriers’ four years as an NCAA Division-I program, adding to a list of successes that the team has accrued in its years of growth. This season saw BU achieve its second winning record in four seasons (18-10-7, 14-6-1 HE), its highest-ever Hockey East finish (third), and its first-ever national ranking (at one point No. 4 in the nation). All these triumphs came as the Terriers prepare to graduate their first class of four-year varsity players. Saturday was the seniors’ last game at Walter Brown.’
‘It means a lot,’ freshman Jenelle Kohanchuk, who scored the winning goal in the third stanza, said of the win. ‘I told [the seniors] before the game, ‘I want to do this for you guys. It’s your last game [at Walter Brown]. I’m going to give it all I’ve got.”
BU’s first-round win was far removed from its previous Hockey East playoff experience. The Terriers reached the conference tournament for the first time last season, but an 8-0 clobbering from the then-No. 2 University of New Hampshire sent them packing in the first round.
But that was a year ago. Saturday’s game against Northeastern saw a more poised, confident team take the ice at Walter Brown. It was a team that had faced trials and succeeded. It was a team that beat UNH, Boston College and Mercyhurst College during the regular season. And it was a team that had grown accustomed to functioning as a single unit.’
After the Huskies tied the game, 1-1, in the first period, BU remained focused. The Terriers were able to maintain the balance of trust, patience and confidence on the ice that allowed them to amass a collection of upset victories during the regular season. BU’s tenacity paid off with a goal from freshman wunderkind Kohanchuk in the final frame.
The clock ran out, and the Terriers claimed their first-ever playoff victory. The entire team skated out and gathered around the home goal. The image was fitting ‘-‘- the whole squad celebrating a collective success.
The 2008-09 season has seen the Terriers perform like never before. Over the course of the year, BU became a well-oiled machine, combining talent and depth to achieve unprecedented success. There has been no single star to carry the team on her shoulders. Junior goalie Melissa Haber has been just as important as senior and former Hockey East all-star Allyse Wilcox. Senior forward Gina Kearns and freshman defenseman Tara Watchorn have been equally valuable. On a team with diverse talents and ages, each Terrier has embraced her role and filled it with expertise.
Like each brick in a building, or each neuron in the brain, each player has contributed her small part to something bigger. In this way, the Terriers have emerged as something special.
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