This past weekend, the Boston University women’s ice hockey team got their first cracks at Hockey East competition when they hosted Merrimack College (2-2-1, 0-2-1 Hockey East) Friday night in their home opener, then traveled to the University of New Hampshire (3-1-1, 2-0-0 Hockey East) Saturday afternoon.
Star forward Jesse Compher did not suit up for either game this past weekend due to a lower-body injury. Her status for this upcoming weekend remains unknown, as BU’s head coach Brian Durocher said she is day-to-day.
Prior to puck drop against Merrimack, the Terriers (1-1-1, 0-1-1 Hockey East) raised a banner to honor the 2019 Beanpot championship team. 2019 graduates Mary Grace Kelley and Reagan Rust returned to help lift the banner into the rafters, as well as members of the 1981 team that claimed the school’s first Beanpot title.
Once the puck was dropped, BU freshman forward Julia Nearis tallied her first collegiate goal before senior captain Natasha Tarnowski also scored, forcing the game to a 2-2 tie which would prove to be the final score. Junior goaltender Corinne Shroeder stopped 21 of 23 Warrior shots on goal in her second start of the season.
Sophomore netminder Kate Stuart took over between the pipes on Saturday in Durham, and made 43 saves in her 2019-29 debut. Goals from senior defenseman Abby Cook and senior captain Sammy Davis would not be enough, as the Terriers fell 4-2.
Looking ahead to this weekend, BU will visit the University of Connecticut (3-1-0, 1-1-0 Hockey East) Friday night at 6pm, and the University of Maine (2-1-1, 0-0-0 Hockey East) Sunday afternoon at 2pm as two of five straight road games on the late for October.
In their last ten games against the Huskies, the Terriers are 5-2-3. BU beat UConn 3-1 in their last meeting, with seven different Terriers recording a point in the victory. The last time the Terriers faced the Huskies, seven different players for BU recorded a point, including goals from junior forward Nara Elia, sophomore forward Courtney Correia, and sophomore forward Emma Wuthrich.
As for the Black Bears, BU went 1-2 against Maine last season – their win coming from a 3-0 shutout in January. In their last ten games against Maine, BU is 3-7 against the Black Bears. Davis, Compher, and Tarnowski all scored for BU en route to outshooting Maine 42-20 in that contest, which was the last clash between these two teams.
After starting slowly in their early-season Hockey East play this past weekend, BU will look to right the ship as conference competition continues against UConn and Maine.
Good reporting job, Cara11
She’s killing it Lynn!
Now all we need is Jesse Compher to return and start killing it on the ice!
That would be a big help Glenn… it’s a long season though, so it’s important to make sure she’s totally healthy before she returns to game action.