Transfer shines in new setting

A new school.  A new team. A new uniform. A new rink.

Isabel Menard has experienced all of these changes in the past few weeks as a transfer student at Boston University.

The junior forward, who had two impressive seasons at Syracuse University, laced up her skates for the first time at Walter Brown Arena this weekend in her first two games as a Terrier. Not only did Menard prove that she could skate with the No. 2 BU women’s hockey team, she also proved that she could enhance an already competitive program.

“She’s the new kid here,” said BU coach Brian Durocher, “but she is not new to the game or new to college hockey.”

This weekend, as BU took on No. 7 University of North Dakota, the Ottawa, Ontario native had four points, one goal and three assists, and several solid chances to jump start her career as a Terrier.

“It was great that she seemed relaxed, seemed content out there in her role,” Durocher said. “She obviously is a very intelligent player . . . Everybody can see that she’s got that puck possession poise ability that is usually with the top players.”

On Friday night, Menard made noise on the score sheet in the second period when, along with senior forward and captain Jenn Wakefield, she assisted senior forward Jenelle Kohanchuk score the Terriers’ first goal of the season – a power-play goal that tied the game 1-1. 

About seven minutes later Menard added on another point with an assist on a goal by sophomore forward Louise Warren.

“She made a no-look pass on her backhand that I didn’t think there was any angle to get it to Jenelle and she did,” Durocher said of Menard’s first two assists. “Then she carried on the second one, hung on to it, hung on to it and threw it at the net and Louise was able to get a goal.”

Menard earned her third point of the game when she passed the puck to Wakefield across the ice for the Terriers third tally of the game.

“Three points is three points,” Menard said, “but I thought I played pretty good and was playing with some good players so, I mean, just playing with those girls . . . They see the play really well and we just get the good chances every time we’re on the ice.”

On Saturday, in a game that BU would ultimately lose 5-1, Menard had several strong scoring chances in the first and second period. Eventually, with 6:09 left in the third period, Menard’s attempts paid off as she notched her first goal as a Terrier and stopped BU from being shut out.

“It was nice to get the zero off the board and avoid getting shut out,” Durocher said. “But again, Isabel played a solid game.”

Before coming to Boston, Menard was a star player in the College Hockey America conference. As a freshman at Syracuse, she was named the CHA Rookie of the year and was a unanimous selection for the All-Rookie Team.

As a sophomore she was named to the All-CHA first Team and All- Tournament team. She was also nominated for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which honors the top Division I women’s hockey player.

“She is one of the top players who just can hang on to [the puck] and wait and it allows her linemates to make cuts and rive to the net and potentially pick up good opportunities,” Durocher said.

For Menard, the goal in coming to BU is to become a more polished athlete, not just a hockey player.

“I want to develop as a player and not just be a hockey player and play hockey,” Menard said. “Coming from a program that wasn’t really too keen on hockey-specific training, but here it’s really good, it’s where everything is on the ball.”