Boston University women’s hockey will look to keep winning going into this weekend when it faces University of Connecticut Friday and the University of Maine Saturday.
The Terriers (1-1-2, 1-1-2 Hockey East) picked up their first win of the season against the University of New Hampshire in a 3-2 win Saturday afternoon, thanks in part to redshirt junior forward and tri-captain Sammy Davis scoring two goals in the first period.
BU head coach Brian Durocher said he knows that Davis will strive this season.
“[Davis] has that confidence,” Durocher said. “She has a goal against Northeastern and a couple [against the Wildcats], and that’s really important because [Davis] is an elite player on this team — she’s one of the best in the league in what she does.”
UConn (4-1, 2-1 Hockey East) is coming of a 7-2 shutout of the College of the Holy Cross, where six different Huskies found the back of the net.
UConn forward Morgan Wabick scored two of her three team-leading goals during the match.
The team is lead offensively by Husky forward Briana Colangelo who has 7 points, most of which came from assists.
Last season, UConn went 0-1-2 against the Terriers, including a 6-2 loss.
The matchup between the Terrier defense and this surging Husky offense will be key, especially for junior forward Natasza Tarnowski, who Durocher said he hopes can be solid on both ends of the ice.
Durocher also said he believes that UConn isn’t a team that likes to give up goals often.
Last year, the Huskies only gave up an average of 1.9 goals per game against opponents.
“UConn has been one of the stingiest teams to play against,” he said. “Traditionally, they do not give up goals, so we’re going to have to really play spot-on and make contributions from all three lines and be strong on the defensive side of the puck.”
So far this season, Maine (4-0, 0-0 Patriot League) has also been stingy with giving up goals.
Black Bear goaltenders Carly Jackson and Jillian Flynn are a dynamic duo that have only given up one goal all season.
Maine is coming off two back-to-back 8-0 shutouts of Sacred Heart University and are currently averaging 5.3 goals per game.
The team’s two top scorers, junior Tereza Vanišová and freshman Liga Miljone, both have seven points.
Durocher is putting a large emphasis on defense for this weekend’s games against both UConn and Maine.
“Give credit to those teams for putting pucks in the net,” Durocher said. “We need to do what we’ve been doing, which is [staying] on the defensive side of the puck … and make it hard for them to get to the net.”
Ever since the beginning of the season, Durocher has been looking for a step-up mentality in order for his team.
Although Davis may fill one of these holes, Durocher said he also has his eyes on other players as well and can see the potential on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ice.
One player who Durocher believes can step up is Jesse Compher.
She was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team last year and also recorded 9 goals and 17 assists.
“Compher has done a really nice job this year,” Durocher said. “She and Sammy have played together, and they are doing well.”
Another player of interest to Durocher is Tarnowski, who serves as one of the team’s three captains alongside Davis and senior defenseman Reagan Rust.
Tarnowski’s two years on the ice have given her collegiate experience on the ice, during which she only missed two games her freshman year and played every game her sophomore year.
“We are counting on Natasza Tarnowski to be a leader,” Durocher said. “Whether she is an offensive player or a defensive player, she should be able to be really solid in both ends of the ice.”
