In the first of two wins against No. 4 Boston College this weekend, the Boston University women’s hockey team produced three power play goals in its 3-2 victory Friday night.
The game broke a six-year drought for the Terriers (6-4-4, 5-4-4 Hockey East), after defeating BC (12-6, 9-4 Hockey East) in its home rink for the first time since October 2012.
BU head coach Brian Durocher said that while he felt the Terriers played well at Conte Forum, the record did not reflect their efforts and that the team did not play as nervous Friday as it had Nov. 20.
“It’s great for confidence,” Durocher said. “… People carried the puck more than they did the other game. I thought we were a little bit nervous a little bit afraid out there last time, so that’s the best part of what went on today.”
The opening frame Friday night featured a combined six penalties from both teams, with two coming before the 10-minute mark.
Specials teams has been a matter that BU coaches have identified as areas in need of improvement. The Terriers’ power play is ranked eighth in Hockey East while their penalty kill is ranked ninth.
A call on BC defender Jillian Fey for tripping at 5:36 in the first period sent BU on the power play of the first time of the night.
Halfway through the two-minute penalty, quick passes from sophomore forward Davis Jesse Compher and redshirt junior and tri-captain Compher Sammy Davis allowed sophomore forward Nara Elia to notch her fourth goal of the season over Eagle goaltender Maddy McArthur’s shoulder.
The Terriers held onto the lead for the remainder of the period due in large part to the work of freshman goaltender Kate Stuart.
“Kate Stuart looked really, really composed and played extremely well,” Durocher said. “I thought going into her first game, she was very nervous. You might expect that [from] a freshman, her first time around … I was really excited for her tonight.”
During a later power play, Stuart held off a one-on-one attempt from BC forward Caitrin Lonergan.
The native of Chilliwack, British Columbia, made nearly half of her sixteen 16 saves in the first during penalty kills, including over a minute of 5-on-3 play.
The team continued its penalty kill shutout into the second and maintained its lead through a too-many-players penalty.
At 7:09 in the period, however, BC forward Daryl Watts popped the puck into the net after a series of rebounds during 4-on-4 play, tying the game for the remainder of the second stanza.
Freshman forward Emma Wurthrich scored her first collegiate goal to start the third period, again with BU on the power play.
“It’s definitely pretty special,” Wuthrich said. “Obviously, it’s a weight lifted off my shoulders; it’s already being two months into the season. I’m very happy about it and can play with a little pressure off myself.”
Compher scored the team’s third and final goal of the game while the Terriers were a player-up.
Eagle forward and leading scorer Makenna Newkirk scored BC’s second of the game at 17:17 in the third, and the team then pulled its goaltender with less than two minutes left on the clock, but it reclaim the win from the Terriers.
The match was Compher’s first win over the crosstown rival, and she said breaking the streak made the win even more special.
Specials teams has been a matter that BU coaches have identified as areas in need of improvement. The Terriers’ power play is ranked eighth in Hockey East while their penalty kill is ranked ninth.
After the Friday night match, Compher said that the work the team has been putting into its special teams converted into the win.
“Start of the year, our power play wasn’t looking too well,” Compher said. “We’ve been working on it a lot this week, so I think it showed and we paid off. And then our penalty kill, we’ve been getting way too many penalties, but as you see tonight, our penalty kill is doing unreal. Everyone is putting their bodies out there, blocking shots. We couldn’t ask for more from our penalty killers.”
