The No. 8 Boston University women’s hockey team is finally back on the road, traveling to Vail, Colo., this weekend to take on St. Cloud State University Saturday and No. 2 University of Wisconsin Sunday night.
It will be the first time in program history that the Terriers (9-1-1, 6-0 Hockey East) will play a game in Colorado. BU’s weekend series against the Huskies (1-8-3) and Badgers (8-2) is part of a two-day tournament set to take place at the Dobson Ice Arena.
St. Cloud State’s record at first may not impress most, but it has been the unfortunate victim of playing in arguably the top conference in NCAA women’s hockey. Six of the Huskies’ eight losses this year have come against No. 1 University of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and No. 4 University of North Dakota.
Despite their lackluster numbers this year, BU coach Brian Durocher still expects a challenge from the Huskies Friday.
“I think you’re going to find a real quality team there,” Durocher said. “Don’t be misled by their record, they’ve battled some of the best teams in the country, top 10 teams: North Dakota, [University of] Minnesota-Duluth, Wisconsin … and Minnesota.
“This is a quality team that plays in a great league and for those who watch SEC football, this is a SEC-caliber football team in the women’s hockey world so it will be a battle to say the least.”
Saturday’s tilt against the Badgers will be BU’s biggest test so far this season, as the Terriers have yet to play against a ranked opponent this season. In their last matchup on Oct. 29, 2011, the Badgers defeated the Terriers by a score of 6-1 in Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin has gotten a big boost from senior Brittany Ammerman, who is fifth in the NCAA in scoring with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in nine games. The Badgers have also had a dominant presence between the pipes this year, as goaltender Alex Rigsby has posted an impressive 1.15 goals-against average with a .953 save percentage.
For Durocher, the team’s preparation in advance of such a daunting opponent is certainly much different than it would be against a subpar team.
“Obviously, we have to be that much more thorough and everyone has to be a little bit more confident in the sense that they don’t want to make a team look too good out there, because they’re uptight or they’re nervous,” Durocher said. “You really have to continue to play loose and be prepared, but not be too overexcited.”
The Terriers are coming off of a dominating four-game homestand in which they dispatched the University of Vermont, University of Connecticut and the University of Maine by a 21-4 margin.
After dropping a 3-0 contest to Robert Morris University on Oct. 19, the Terriers have reeled off seven straight victories and are currently first in the Hockey East standings with a 6-0 record.
Much of the Terriers’ success this season can be attributed to their balanced effort both on offense and defense. BU is currently second in the conference in scoring (3.55 goals per game), while only allowing 18 goals in 11 games.
While he has been encouraged by his team’s stellar play so far this year, Durocher said that his team still has areas in which to improve.
“I think that we prided ourselves on playing good defensively all year,” Durocher said. “And now what it takes is just being able to answer the bell when you’re playing against another level team, and not be nervous or uptight, make sure you’re making the right adjustments, the right assignments.
“Without a doubt, if there’s one thing, it’s just matching people in your positioning, your intelligence and your foot speed when you play at a different level.”
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