Six different Terriers earned points tonight as the Boston University women’s hockey team (1-0-0) defeated the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (0-3-0) 2-1 during the first Terrier hockey game in more than 250 days.
Senior captain Jesse Compher was first to light the lamp for the Terriers. Compher shoveled in a pass with just three minutes left in the period with assists from Courtney Correia and Mackenna Parker.
BU head coach Brian Durocher felt that the top line made the difference in tonight’s game. “[Parker] plays extremely hard and extremely tough, and she loves to play in the dirty areas of the game. She’s got straight-line speed and tonight she used that, playing with Jesse Compher and Courtney [Correia]. We’re gonna count on them to be a top line, and tonight they certainly were.”
For the Wildcats, both Brianna Brooks and Brianna Legros led aggressive rushes into the Terrier zone, but were stopped by senior goaltender Corinne Schroeder.
Before the second intermission, sophomore forward Julia Nearis gave the Terriers their second tally of the night in a two-on-one rush alongside rightwing freshman Clare O’Leary. O’Leary was one of seven freshmen to make a collegiate debut tonight.
“It’s great to see them get started,” Durocher said. “I was happy that as a group they moved the puck pretty well, they had good hands, [and a] pretty good sense for the offensive side of the game.”
Just three minutes into the third period, UNH sophomore Tamara Thierus slipped the puck past Schroeder, making it a one-goal game. The Wildcats had a few chances from freshman Brianna Brooks during the third period, including a wide open 3-on-1 rush backstopped by Schroeder.
“It seemed like she had an awful lot of composure and she kept her movement to a minimum. We’re going to count on her to be the wall back there because there’s going to be some growing pains for a young defense, and I’m glad to see her just come back in the place she was in last year and the year before,” Durocher said.
One of those growing pains was trying to stay out of the penalty box, as the Terriers had to kill five penalties in their first game. Despite giving the Wildcats five chances and having two of their own, neither team could capitalize on the power play, leaving the Terriers with a 2-1 win in Durham.
As for finally getting to play tonight, Durocher says “they probably would’ve rode their bicycles up here to play this game.”
The Terriers will play the Wildcats again tomorrow, Dec. 5, at UNH’s Whittemore Center.
Schroeder was excellent! I’m not sure her name, but one Terrier defender pretty much saved the game for us by breaking up a play with about 40 seconds to go. Hopefully the offense starts gelling more.