Coming off a road trip in which the Boston University women’s ice hockey team split two games against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union College, the Terriers return to Walter Brown Arena for their first home games of the season tonight and tomorrow against No. 5 Mercyhurst College.
Thus far, the Lakers have faced teams from all over the competitive spectrum, skating over Guelph College, 9-2, but losing 4-1 and 4-2 to Team USA.
Some of those scores may be deceiving, however. Mercyhurst was tied with Team USA deep into the second period of the second contest, a sign that the Lakers can play with any team in the country.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
BU will have to defend a Laker offense that averaged four goals per game in its first three contests and boasts a deep offensive attack. Seven different players scored for the Lakers in their nine-goal conquest of Guelph.
The Lakers also lay claim to this year’s College Hockey America Preseason Player of the Year in Meghan Agosta and a preseason All-Conference forward in Valerie Chouinard. Last season, Agosta led Division-I with 1.21 goals per game and 65 goals overall and was a finalist for the Kazmaier Memorial Award, awarded annually to the nation’s best women’s hockey player.
Lead by Choinard and Agosta, the Lakers are slotted to win their sixth-straight CHA title.’
Mercyhurst also has depth in net in senior and freshman goaltenders Courtney Drennen and Hillary Pattenden, who combined for 67 saves in the two games against Team USA.
The Terriers, who are trying to rebound after a 2-0 shutout loss to RPI, will face a tough challenge in attempting to break Mercyhurst’s defense.
The Terrier offense is led by freshman forward Jenelle Kohanchuk, who already leads the team in points with three after two games. For her achievements, which also include a three-point outing against Dawson College, Kohanchuk was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week.
Sophomore forward Jillian Kirchner, whose clutch overtime goal earned her team a victory in the exhibition game against Dawson, will also be called upon to lead BU’s offense against the Lakers.
BU’s frontline, consisting of sophomore Lauren Cherewyk, junior Melissa Anderson, and senior Erin Seman, will look to re-establish a connection that produced four points in the exhibition against Dawson.
Coming off a hard-fought road trip, senior goalie Allyse Wilcox will look to build off of a 12-save performance against Union and a 33-save loss against RPI.
This is not the program’s first matchup with Mercyhurst, as the Terriers dropped two games to a then-ranked No. 2 Laker squad early last season. BU hung tough in the first game, but Mercyhurst squeaked by with a slim 6-5 victory. The Lakers were too much to handle in Game Two, downing the Terriers 4-1.
All of the goal scorers from last year’s matchups ‘-‘- Anderson, Seman, Cherewyk, junior Sarah Appleton and seniors Amanda Shaw and Gina Kearns ‘-‘- have returned this season and are hoping to improve upon last year’s showings.
Seman had a spectacular performance against the Lakers last season. Along with a goal, Seman supplemented her point total with three assists for four points in the series.
Both losses against Mercyhurst last year came on the road. Now, the shoe is on the other foot and the Terriers are looking to upset the Lakers in the friendly confines of Walter Brown.’
If home-ice advantage holds true during this weekend’s series, a win (or two) against a ranked opponent would certainly set an important precedent in a promising yet unpredictable season for the Terriers.
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it’s a real shame that the games against mercyhurst have to take place at the same time as the men’s games at the icebreaker at agganis. that was some poor scheduling. the women’s team should get as much support from the fans, but sadly the hockey fans will be over at agganis.