It was an adventurous journey filled with some expected downs and some unexpected ups. But it will all end tonight, when the Boston University women’s ice hockey team will play its final game of the season against the No. 1 University of New Hampshire at the Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H.
The Wildcats (27-2-1, 16-1-1 Hockey East) are on an 11-game unbeaten streak and have not lost since Boston College beat them, 3-2, in overtime on Nov. 5. The University of Maine held UNH to a 5-5 tie last month, but that has been the only blemish on the team’s 22-0-1 record since the BC loss.
Now the Terriers (12-16-4, 6-12-2), perhaps the most unlikely of spoilers, have the chance to break New Hampshire’s run and topple the best women’s team in the nation.
In their first two meetings, UNH outscored BU by an aggregate score of 10-1 and held the Terriers to less than 15 shots in each game. BU averages 25 shots per game on the season.
And even though the Terriers improved in the second game, they were still no match for the Wildcats.
“Certainly in the second game we were more prepared,” said BU coach Brian Durocher. “I like our odds better here at Walter Brown, but that’s the way the schedule falls.”
The Wildcats are by far the most well-rounded team in Hockey East. They have six players with 10 or more goals and five with at least 30 total points. On the other hand, BU’s highest point total is 28 for freshman Laurel Koller.
A pair of sophomores, Jennifer Hitchcock and Sadie Wright-Ward, is the most potent offensive threat for UNH. Hitchcock leads the conference in points (45) and the team in assists (26), while Wright-Ward paces the Wildcats with 21 goals. Her 141 shots are second best in Hockey East behind Sonny Watrous of Providence College.
But the forward who gave BU the most trouble was junior Shannon Clement. She has scored four goals, including a hat trick, and notched two assists against the Terriers in their previous two games. On the season, Clement has 15 goals and nine assists for 24 total points.
“We are not going to outscore them,” Durocher said. “We need to keep it a 2-1 game, but avoid a complete defensive mindset. There are games where we have been forced into this, though.”
The Terriers will have to get strong goaltending and a good performance from their defensive lines. Freshman goalie Allyse Wilcox played two excellent games against the Wildcats, and she will need to do more of the same tonight. She made a combined 56 saves and played the full 60 minutes in each contest.
Despite Wilcox’s efforts, BU cannot expect to keep the Wildcats’ offense at bay unless the defense plays a good game in front of her. There was an improvement in defensive play for the Terriers in the second game when they lowered UNH’s shot total by 10. This trend must continue, especially since they will be playing on Olympic-size ice at the Whittemore Center.
“We need to try not to stretch the defense across the entire rink,” Durocher said. “We have to work from the middle of the rink out.”
Against Maine this past weekend, BU got great defense from its first line of freshmen Caitlin Reddy and Amanda Shaw. Their play helped immensely in blocking shots and acting as a barrier between the Black Bear offense and Wilcox.
But when the defense is not playing at its best, Wilcox has been left to single-handedly keep the Terriers in the game.
Much of the dominance UNH has had over the Terriers this season has been a result of experience. The Wildcats have a deep roster with two seniors and several juniors who have been playing together for at least three seasons. BU has no seniors and only two juniors, including captain Cara Hendry.
“This is a young team and we need a little more experience before we can think about outscoring New Hampshire,” Durocher said. “With a void of juniors and seniors, it is hard to get experience out there.”
Since this is the last game of the season, there is still the question of whether or not all of the regular starters will play or if the reserves will get their chance. According to Durocher, he has not yet decided if he will start more of the reserves than usual.
“I need to chat with my coaches on that,” he said. “You want to reward people with playing time, but you also want to do your best to get a win. It is a game-time decision.”