The Boston University women’s ice hockey team (4-2-1, 3-2-0 Hockey East) will play a two-game home-and-home series this weekend against the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (5-6-1, 3-4-1 HE).
This in-conference series comes as the Terriers just notched the fourth game of their winning streak after a sweep of Merrimack College last weekend. This Tara Watchorn led team has reached new offensive peaks over this last period of games, scoring 16 goals across that winning streak.
BU has looked like a real contender in Hockey East ever since dropping its first two games against Northeastern in the opening series, going unbeaten since then — with the slight caveat of a shootout loss against Syracuse that did not affect either team’s record.
This weekend’s matchup against UNH gives the Terriers an opportunity to stick to their consistency and structure and stake a claim at being one of the top teams in their conference.
Last Saturday’s sweep-clinching win at Walter Brown Arena was fueled by a hat trick from senior forward Lacey Martin. Martin, the assistant captain for BU, was named Hockey East Co-Player of the Week following her first collegiate three-goal performance.
Also scoring in Saturday’s overtime win was senior defender Tamara Giaquinto, who netted the game-winning goal for BU two minutes into the overtime period.
The Terriers did grab two wins last weekend but had to do it in overtime in both games against a Merrimack team which had dropped four straight prior to the series.
It’s great that this year’s roster has improved their ability to pull it together in the late moments of games, but, if they want to continue winning, the team needs to stay out of fourth periods against teams like Merrimack.
Graduate transfer goalie Alexa Matses got the start in both games last weekend after not playing since the second game of the season. It remains to be seen whether Matses will start this weekend or if Watchorn will return to freshman goalie Mari Pietersen, who has started the majority of games for BU.
Five things to know about the Wildcats
- The Wildcats have gone 1-4 in their last five games, they were outscored 13-5 over that stretch by Hockey East opponents including UConn, Vermont and Providence.
- Despite this, the team’s currently tied with Vermont for third place in Hockey East, the Terriers are in sixth place.
- After finishing eighth in the conference last season, the team bowed out in the quarterfinals of the playoffs after a 2-1 overtime loss against UVM.
- UNH has three players wearing Cs this season: graduate forward Annie Berry, junior forward Kira Juodikis and senior defender Charli Kettyle.
- Juodikis is the Wildcats’ leading scorer this season with six goals in 12 games played. In second and third place are freshman forward Sydney Leonard and senior forward Nicole Kelly.
BU and UNH will open the weekend series on Friday at 6 p.m. at Walter Brown Arena, followed by a 3 p.m. matchup on Saturday in Durham. The Boston Hockey Blog will have full coverage of the weekend series, so be sure to follow along on Twitter (X) @BOShockeyblog and Instagram @boston.hockey.blog.
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