Before Saturday’s game against the University of Connecticut, Boston University coach Brian Durocher of the No. 10 women’s ice hockey team arrived at a sudden realization ‘-‘- yet another of his team’s top defensemen would be unavailable for BU’s second leg of a home-and-home series against UConn.’
Senior co-captain Melissa Tetreau was sidelined with an undisclosed injury suffered in Friday’s game against the Huskies. She joined sophomore defenseman Tara Watchorn, who has been out with a foot injury since the mid-November. The pair’s absence has left the Terriers’ defense with big skates to fill.
Fortunately for the Terriers, sophomore Kasey Boucher, freshman Britt Hergesheimer, senior co-captain Sarah Appleton, sophomore Carly Warren and freshman Kathryn Miller were up to the challenge, earning Durocher’s praises for their efforts even after BU suffered its first shootout loss of the season.
‘I was pleased with our effort,’ Durocher said. ‘I told them I thought we played a really good game. We were shorthanded on the blue line [because] Melissa Tetreau was a late game scratch because of an injury that happened [Friday night]. We were hoping that she’d be fine but there were still just a few symptoms that necessitated the doctors to keep her out of the lineup.
‘So we’re down to five defensemen on the second night. It was great to see Kathryn Miller and Brittany Hergesheimer and certainly the other veterans all step up and play a real good game on the blue line.’
Since Watchorn went down for the remainder of the 2009 fall semester, players have stepped up to fill the void left by her absence.’
‘The kids have responded and everybody has taken up the extra minutes and put forth the great effort,’ Durocher said last week.
The Terriers gave up leads against UConn in both games. On Friday, BU was ahead, 2-0, but ended up losing, 4-3, and on Saturday, it led, 1-0, through the first two periods only to surrender a late goal in the final frame and then eventually fall in a shootout.
Yet Durocher preferred to look at the positives, citing a difference in his team’s effort on Saturday.’
‘We were a little more accountable with our effort [on Saturday],’ Durocher said. ‘[Friday night], we were probably just a little looser in our system and we weren’t backing each other up. That usually turns into odd-man rushes or extra opportunities.
‘[Saturday] I think [we] backed each other up. Sometimes it happens on offense when we’re hoping that we’re going to get an offensive chance rather than roll back up high. If we get an offensive chance, we’re ready. If defense is needed, we’re also ready. I think that was the biggest difference.’
The Terriers’ defense was unable to prevent the Huskies from tying the game at the 12:16 mark in the third period, leading to questions of whether fatigue may have led to this defensive breakdown so late in the contest.’
‘[UConn] played last night as did we,’ Durocher said. ‘I felt really good about our physical condition of our team. The only thing that might have led to any fatigue was the fact that we’re playing five defensemen. When you’re playing smart and you’re playing sharp, it doesn’t come into play.’
Was Durocher disappointed that his team gave up a lead for the second time in as many days?
‘No, not majorly disappointment,’ Durocher said. ‘To give up one goal in a game, it means you did a pretty good job from the goaltender out. I don’t think we gave up a bunch of grade-A chances as the game went on. We did a good job of minimizing those.’