After cruising through last weekend with a series sweep against the College of the Holy Cross, Boston University Women’s Hockey will play a home-away series this weekend against Merrimack College.
Heading into the series, the Terriers are riding a five-game winning streak, which is the longest active win streak in the nation. BU collected a win against the University of Maine, two wins against Providence College and the weekend sweep against Holy Cross.
In BU’s two wins against Holy Cross last weekend, a total of 11 goals were scored — four Friday and seven Saturday. Highlighting these goals were season scoring openers from senior forward Mary Grace Kelley and freshman defender Alex Allan.
During Saturday’s game, junior forward tri-captain Natasza Tarnowski lit the lamp twice in the first period. Senior defender Reagan Rust also tallied a goal in the opening frame, as well as an assist from a power play goal by junior forward Deziray De Sousa.
BU head coach Brian Durocher said he believes that a key to his team’s streak is seeing contribution from a variety of players.
“It’s nice to see a bunch of different people scoring goals,” Durocher said. “There’s no question that there are multiple people starting to put the puck in the net not named Davis or Compher.”
Sophomore forward Jesse Compher and tri-captain redshirt junior forward Sammy Davis are in first and second respectively for goals scored this season. Together, they sum for 39 percent of the team’s goals.
Durocher said he believes that the contribution of the second, third and fourth lines of the team have a twofold benefit. It allowed the starting line of players to rest and replenish their stamina, he said, and the solid performance from these lines builds the team’s confidence.
Merrimack College (14-8-3, 10-7-1 Hockey East) is coming off a weekend series sweep of their own, defeating Maine twice at home in Lawler Rink Friday and Saturday. They tallied three goals in each of these wins.
Merrimack goaltender Samantha Ridgewell was solid that weekend, shutting out the Maine Black Bears Friday and only allowing one goal Saturday.
BU has a solid goaltender of their own in sophomore goaltender Corinne Schroeder. Schroeder has received three Hockey East defensive player of the week awards this season, and hasn’t given up more than three goals in a game since Nov. 27.
“[Schroeder’s] been highly consistent this year,” Durocher said. “There really hasn’t been any hiccups.”
Within that span of time, Schroeder gave up three goals in only one game, which was on the road against Providence College.
Friday’s game will be the last regular season game the Terriers will play at Walter Brown Arena. Their last two games of the regular season will be on the road — the following series game at Merrimack and one final game at the University of Vermont Feb. 1.
Durocher said he believes it is important to play well in these last three games in order to put the team into a good position for the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament in February.
“If we take it one shift, one period and one game at a time,” Durocher said, “who knows how many games we can win down the end of the year — and maybe even put ourselves in a good position when it comes to the NCAA [tournament].”
