This past week, the Boston University women’s ice hockey team kicked off their 2019-20 season, going in ranked eighth in the USCHO’s national preseason poll.
Before the Terriers (1-0-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East) took the ice, stand-out junior forward Jesse Compher was ruled out for BU’s season opener with a lower-body injury. While she has been practicing with the team, her status for their upcoming contest this Friday remains unknown.
Redshirt senior and captain Sammy Davis led the way this past weekend in BU’s victory over Union College (0-4-0, 0-0-0 ECAC). The forward scored two goals to lift the Terriers over the Dutchwomen for their first victory to open the season.
BU was able to hold off Union’s pressure in the first period as Davis scored late in the period to give the Terriers the lead. Davis would go on to score a power play goal in the second period, only for Union to get on the scoreboard with nearly four minutes remaining in the period.
Union gained the benefit of five power plays, but the Terriers were able to stop all five, holding the Dutchwomen to four shots on net in the third period. Junior netminder Corrine Schroeder made 22 saves to seal the victory for the Terriers Sunday afternoon at Messa Rink.
This Friday, October 11, the Terriers will host Merrimack College at 7pm in their first home game of the season at Walter Brown Arena before heading on a five-game road trip beginning with University of New Hampshire Saturday afternoon at 2pm.
Merrimack is coming off a weekend sweep against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, wrapping up their weekend with a 2-1 victory over the Engineers. Freshman goaltender Erin Gorski earned her way to her first victory for the Warriors while turning away 27 shots.
Against Merrimack (2-2-0, 0-2-0 Hockey East), the Terriers are 6-2-2 in their last ten matchups, having finished an undefeated 3-0-2 against the Warriors last season. In their last meeting, Davis’s late-regulation goal evened the score at three apiece, which would hold through overtime.
As for Saturday, UNH is coming off a loss and tie to the St. Lawrence University Saints this past Thursday and Friday nights, respectively. Redshirt sophomore forward Paige Rynne and sophomore defender Emily Rickwood each tallied two goals on the weekend.
BU is 8-0-2 in their last ten games against New Hampshire (1-1-1, 0-0-0 Hockey East), and went 6-0-1 against UNH last season. These squads last met in the Hockey East quarterfinals, where Davis’s two-goal game and senior forward Deziray De Sousa’s game-winner clinched the sweep for the Terriers in a 3-1 win.
With Merrimack and New Hampshire on the horizon, BU will look to build on Sunday’s strong start to the season against Union.
I am looking forward to seeing the offensive production that will happen when Compher gets healthy. What a combination with her and Sammy Davis and we have them both through 2021.
This is Davis’s senior year Glenn so this will be her last, but you’re exactly right, that partnership is deadly.
Thanks Brady. I thought they were both juniors. Which freshwoman do you think will be a prolific goal scorer? About nine years ago Marie Philp Poulin came to BU … and WOW, was that an exciting time to cheer for BUWH!! That’s when I started following the program.
This is through Patrick, as he is more knowledgable about the women’s team – Up front Julia Nearis and Haylee Blinkhorn are definitely ones to keep an eye on, and Nadia Mattivi on D can produce as well.
Hey Glenn, Patrick here. Nearis (F) was a star before coming to BU as was Mattivi. Each have pretty extensive resumés with Nearis lighting up club hockey (Boston Jr. Eagles) as well as prep school (Kent) and Mattivi earning plenty of accolades on the international stage with Italy.