Boston University women’s hockey (8-8-2, 6-6-1 Hockey East) returns to action this week as the Terriers make the trek to Orono, Maine for a standalone game against the University of Maine Black Bears (10-10-0, 6-7-0 HE) on Monday.
After a four-week break, BU is kicking off its second half for a matchup originally scheduled for Oct. 27. However, the two sides chose to keep their Oct. 28 game — their only prior meeting of the season — in which the Terriers defeated the Black Bears by a score of 4-3.
Midway through the competition, BU held a 3-1 lead before letting Maine find its game. After the Black Bears tied the match at 3-3 early in the third period, sophomore forward Clara Yuhn capitalized on the power play with eight minutes remaining to secure the victory.
That win was part of the Terriers’ five-game stretch without a regulation loss, but since then, the team has struggled. Over BU’s next nine games, the scarlet and white posted a 2-6-1 record.
However, the Terriers capped off their first half on a high note, sweeping their final weekend set of games against HE opponents Holy Cross and Providence.
Sophomore forward Luisa Welcke had a goal in each contest, including the late game-winner in BU’s 2-1 win over the Crusaders on Dec. 8. Meanwhile, senior forward Catherine Foulem’s goal secured the 5-1 triumph over the Friars on Dec. 9.
That final win was especially important for the Terriers’ spirits to close out the calendar year. BU was unable to finish off two tightly-contested matchups against Providence earlier in the season and was hungry for revenge.
The Terrier group had fallen back into last season’s offensive struggles over the first half, so potting five goals was an important milestone. That game marked BU’s first time recording more than three goals since Nov. 11, so it will be key to continue that offensive firepower against Maine.
After staying off the scoresheet in the first meeting against Maine, the Welcke twins will look for a big rematch against their former team.
Three things to know about the Black Bears:
- Maine returned to play on Jan. 6, suffering a narrow 3-2 loss at the hands of the Boston College Eagles.
- The Black Bears have three skaters in the top 10 of conference scoring with fifth-year forward Ida Kuoppala leading the way. Kuoppala has 15 points (10 goals, five assists) through 13 HE games.
- All three Maine netminders in rotation have received game starts, but freshman goaltender Julia Bachetti has earned the majority of playing time over her senior teammates. Over 12 starts, Bachetti holds a .911 save percentage and 2.77 goals-against average.
BU will face off against Maine on Monday at 5 p.m. at Alfond Arena. The Boston Hockey Blog will have full coverage, so be sure to follow along on Twitter (X) @BOShockeyblog and Instagram @boston.hockey.blog.
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