Coming off an intense home-and-home series against rival Boston College, the Boston University women’s hockey team looks to capitalize on a favorable matchup against the University of Maine this weekend.
If history is any indication, the Terriers (4-4-1, 3-4 Hockey East) have the upper hand against the Black Bears (2-9, 1-6 Hockey East).
Since the 2007-08 season, BU and Maine have faced off three times per season, and the Terriers own a 21-4-2 record against the Black Bears during that span. BU has won at least two of the three contests in every season except 2011-12.
No matter how strongly the numbers favor his team, BU head coach Brian Durocher does not take the matchup lightly.
“We try to respect every opponent we play against, and that’ll be no different for Maine,” Durocher said. “They haven’t put a whole bunch of wins on the board, but they’ve got five one-goal losses this year, so that tells you they’re in every game. They’re a competitive team. Our charge is to make sure we’re as ready and respectful of them as we can be.”
According to Durocher, there are a few aspects of the Black Bears’ game that his squad should be especially aware of.
“They play good team defense all around,” Durocher said. “They lost a very good goalie last year, yet they’ve kept their goals against down. I’ve always felt that they’ve been a loose team. They’re not a team that plays under stress, panic or pressure. They really seem to have become a more free-skating team, a confident team.”
This weekend’s matchup gives the Terriers the opportunity to continue to build upon their strengths and improve the areas of their game that need work as they try to break away from their current .500 mark.
In Durocher’s mind, the team’s performance on the power play jumps out as a particular area of strength. The Terriers have capitalized on power play opportunities at an impressive 22 percent clip, scoring 11 goals in 50 opportunities, while only allowing only seven goals in 57 opponent chances, a mere 12.3 percent.
In addition to special teams, Durocher said he is pleased with his team’s defensive structure thus far, but stressed that its success going forward will depend on more than just a formidable defense.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on our defense, but on the same sense, I don’t want to put too much pressure on the offense,” Durocher said. “Everybody’s involved. The forwards staying out of the penalty box and playing assertively, the goalies making the timely and big saves.”
Even with solid defense and special teams, though, there is always room for improvement. The ability to win close games is vital, and it is an area in which the Terriers could improve.
While all of their victories have been by two goals or more, the Terriers have three losses by fewer than two goals, as well as a 3-3 tie against Pennsylvania State University on Oct. 14.
Through the team’s first nine games this season, the performance of graduate student forward Mary Parker has stood out. Parker leads the Terriers with 14 points, and is tied for the team lead with seven goals.
“She’s had a wonderful start to the year,” Durocher said. “Let’s hope that the good fortune keeps going her way. She’s been on a roll. It helps her head, it helps the momentum. She’s just got to keep being a presence, shooting the puck in the net, winning battles down low, and working with her teammates to succeed.”
For Northeastern, forwards Denisa Krizova and McKenna Brand pace the scoring, totaling 17 and 13 points, respectively.
The Terriers know what work lays ahead of them, and this weekend’s series presents a solid opportunity to progress their game.
“We just have to make sure that we’re hard to play against,” Durocher said. “We’re not the biggest team in the league, but we need to make sure that every person is playing just a little outside of themselves from a compete standpoint.”
