The Boston University women’s ice hockey team will take on crosstown rival Boston College in a Hockey East matchup on Tuesday at Walter Brown Arena.
The season series between the two teams stands at 1-1. The Eagles (5-9-9, 4-5-4) claimed a narrow 2-1 victory on Nov. 2, but the Terriers (8-6-8, 4-4-3) shut BC out 4-0 in their last meeting on Nov. 18.
The Terriers have been on a tear since returning from winter break ‘- they tied Brown University, 5-5, on Jan. 8 and beat Yale University, 4-1, on Jan. 10. Since then, BU has had over a week to rest up.
The Eagles, on the other hand, have had three games in the past week, the most recent a 4-0 blowout at the hands of St. Lawrence University. According to BU coach Brian Durocher, the time off might not be such a good thing.
‘You could say that we’ve had too much rest,’ BU coach Brian Durocher said. ‘But we’ve had time to work in-between games, and hopefully that’s a positive.’
The Terriers played last weekend without sophomore forward Jenelle Kohanchuk and sophomore defenseman Tara Watchorn. Both will be back to play Tuesday night after competing with the Canadian National U-22 team in the MLP Cup in Ravensburg, Germany.
‘They’re obviously two really outstanding players,’ Durocher said. ‘We’re getting back their ability and energy and strength, so it should be obviously a plus for us. Now that we’ve got everyone in the house it gives us a little more depth, and the chance to be a little more aggressive.’
Kohanchuk leads the Terriers in scoring with 12 goals, and is second to senior forward Melissa Anderson in points with 18. Watchorn’s +9 is the highest plus-minus of any BU defenseman. In their absence, teammates like Anderson and junior forward Holly Lorms stepped up to contribute key goals, showing offensive depth that will serve the Terriers well in the final stretch of the season.
The Eagles have struggled this season, hovering below .500 all year and leading the conference in ties with nine. However, they have been slightly more successful in the Hockey East than in non-conference games: their power-play success rate is a dismal 8.3 percent overall, but 10.8 percent in conference play. While they have been outscored 63-43 over the course of the season, within Hockey East that margin is 32-25.
The goaltending matchup is fairly even between BU senior Melissa Haber and BC freshman Corinne Boyles. Boyles, despite her team’s record, is maintaining a .922 save percentage, and Haber has been solid for the Terriers, posting an 8-5-6 record. The most visible difference between the teams is offense ‘- BU has outscored opponents this year, 65-60, and the Terrier power play is over twice as effective as BC’s, at 20 percent.
Despite these statistical advantages, the Eagles are still two places ahead of them in the Hockey East standings. BC has also played two more games than the Terriers, but the matchup will still be an important stepping-stone in the second half of BU’s season. Any points in the tight conference race will be valuable.
The Terriers are tied with the University of Connecticut for fifth place and they trail first-place Northeastern University by only six points. All of BU’s remaining games are against conference opponents.
‘This league is very tight from top to bottom,’ Durocher said. ‘From first to sixth or seventh, it’s very close, and if you win your games you’ll be amazed at how close you are to jumping over people. What we’re trying to do right now is just put together a [winning] streak. I don’t believe we’ve had that yet this season.’
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