The Boston University women’s hockey team found itself in a familiar spot.
With three minutes to go in the final frame, the Terriers saw a 3-1 lead over the University of Maine disappear — just as it had over two months ago when the two Hockey East teams last played. The Oct. 28 bout showcased a late Maine surge until sophomore forward Clara Yuhn netted the game-winner in a 4-3 win for the Terriers.
Monday night’s game was back-and-forth with high offensive production being overshadowed only by strong goaltending. However, this time it was Boston University senior forward Lacey Martin who helped repeat history, receiving the puck from sophomore defenseman Maeve Kelly at center ice and taking it to the net.
Martin’s backhand game-winner marked her second goal of the game to give the Terriers (9-8-2, 7-6-1 Hockey East) the 4-3 victory over the Black Bears (10-11-0, 6-8-0 HEA) at Alfond Arena, kickstarting the team’s 2024 campaign.
Boston University’s three-game winning streak ties a season long. Monday night’s victory also marks the eighth time the Terriers have scored more than three goals in a game — the Terriers are now 7-0-1 in such contests.
It had been 30 days since BU last took the ice, and it took time to shake off the rust. The Terriers finished the first half of the season with back-to-back convincing wins and were looking to keep the momentum into the new year. Meanwhile, the Black Bears were coming off a 2-3 loss to Boston College last Saturday
Both teams came out of the gate with a strong forecheck and a lack of control leading to a messy, defense-heavy first period. Each team had its respective chances early but BU freshman goalie Mari Pieterson and Maine freshman netminder Julia Bachetti remained largely untested.
However, with just over five minutes remaining in the first period, Maine senior defenseman Kennedy Little took a penalty for body-checking. It only took the Terriers 31 seconds to capitalize on the power play when sophomore forward Lilli Welcke found her sister Luisa in the slot for an early 1-0 lead over the twins’ former team.
Both teams returned to the ice in the second period much more focused with cleaner passes and better looks. BU put Bachetti under siege with five shots in the period’s first three minutes. Maine returned the favor with five shots of their own before graduate forward Ann-Frederique Guay, tied for second in Hockey East for goals, flipped a rebound off Pieterson’s stick into the net to tie the game at one.
Just over two minutes later, BU senior forward Catherine Foulem fed freshman forward Alex Law the puck along the left side, which Law fired into the top of the net to take the lead right back.
Maine continued to struggle on the penalty kill after freshman forward Mikayla Boarder was called for tripping at 17:46. Only 33 seconds elapsed this time as Martin took a pass from sophomore defenseman Brooke Disher and slipped her first goal under Bachetti’s glove-side pad for a 3-1 lead.
If the period wasn’t action-packed already, Maine refused to retire quietly to the locker room. Senior forward Rahel Enzler broke away with a two-on-one, giving a look to teammate Alyssa Wruble before quickly snapping the puck into the top right corner to bring the game within one.
The Black Bears rode that momentum into a high-energy, chippy third period. Boarder found herself only facing Pieterson on a breakaway, backhanding the goal to tie the game 3-3 at 2:35.
Martin’s second goal in the waning seconds of the game secured a 4-3 victory to start the second half of the season strong and join the University of Vermont and the University of New Hampshire in fourth place in conference standings.
The Terriers next take the ice on Friday for a 6 p.m. puck drop against the University of New Hampshire at Walter Brown Arena. The two Hockey East teams will face off for the third time this season with the series tied at one apiece.
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