A 5-0 loss to the University of New Hampshire caused a setback in the Boston University women’s hockey team’s hunt for a Hockey East playoff spot. Now, BU hopes to bounce back against Providence College in the first of two games this weekend at Walter Brown Arena.
The Terriers (7-8-3, 3-5-2 Hockey East) are currently in third place, while the Friars (8-4-2, 5-1-1 Hockey East) are atop the conference. BU lost to Providence earlier this season, 4-0, in the first of two consecutive shutouts. The team is now eager for a rematch.
“Now we have a sense of the pace they play at,” said BU coach Brian Durocher. “We also know who their top players are and who we must focus on.”
In their first meeting, senior Ashley Payton and junior Kristin Gigliotti, two of Providence’s top four goal scorers, found the back of the net against freshman goalie Karilyn Pilch. Gigliotti leads the team with nine goals and Payton is tied with senior Karen Thatcher for third with seven.
Even though Thatcher did not score a goal in the previous game, she did not go unnoticed. She scraped together two assists and is now the team leader with 12.
The Terriers also gave up a pair of power play goals off the sticks of sophomores Jenna Keilch and Rachel Crissy. Providence is the third best power play team in Hockey East, converting on 20-of-93 power-plays for a .215 conversion percentage. The Terriers must avoid the trouble they got themselves in with penalties against New Hampshire if they expect to keep up with the Friars.
“Against New Hampshire we were working hard to defend and some of our attempts at slowing the opposing players became hooks and holds,” Durocher said. “Some crossed the line of hard work to carelessness.”
BU cannot risk taking frustration penalties against Providence. Durocher’s focus is not only on avoiding shorthanded situations, but also in getting off to a fast start. The Terriers scored first in six of the their seven wins. On the flip side, BU has only scored first twice in its losses.
“We must avoid getting behind early,” Durocher said. “There is always more pressure on the better team if you keep it close.”
It is easier said than done to get on the scoreboard before the Friars do. Providence is outscoring its opponents, 48-34 and averaging 3.4 goals per game as opposed to its opponents’ 2.4. The Friars have also scored a combined 18 goals in the first period this season, as opposed to 15 in both the second and third periods.
The more the Terriers can do to stay competitive in the later stages of the game, the better chance they have of surprising Providence with a victory, according to Durocher.
“We need to play in shifts so that we don’t get worn down,” he said. “Hopefully we will play well enough to put pressure on them and give us some adrenaline.”
In the latter half of the weekend set, BU will take on Sacred Heart University of the Northeast Conference at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Pioneers (3-7-2) dropped every game in a six-game road trip earlier this season, but have come on strong lately with three wins in their last four games.
In just its third season, Sacred Heart is still a developing program. The team finished with a 10-15-1 record last year and a 6-18-0 record the year before. Sacred Heart began its first season at 6-6 before losing 12 straight to end the year.
“They have one solid line,” Durocher said. “We must come ready to play and do the little things.”
The Pioneers are led offensively by freshmen Gina Arnone, junior Michelle Panella and sophomore Katelin McLaughlin. Arnone leads the team in goals (9), but is second in total points (14). Panella is the team leader in points (17) with eight goals complemented by nine assists.
Also supporting Sacred Heart on offense are freshmen Kristina Feltz and Whitney Dziama. Feltz is tied with McLaughlin for second on the team in assists (6). Both Feltz and Dziama have two goals. The Pioneers have a deep offensive attack and it has shown in their games against tougher opponents.
“They played Vermont to a 3-3 tie, and Vermont is a team that has played us tight, so we have to come right back from the Providence game and focus on Sacred Heart.”
The defense, on the other hand, has been a problem for the Pioneers. They trail their opponents in goals scored, 65-33, and are giving up an average of 36.9 shots per game. Sacred Heart is averaging 25.5 shots per game.
Junior goalie Stephanie Boulay has a 4.82 goals-against average and a .862 save percentage. Allyse Wilcox has been one of the top goaltenders in Hockey East with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. The freshman has made defense the Terriers’ greatest strength.
The Terriers will look to score early and often against a struggling goalie and defense.