There are only 44 Division I women’s ice hockey teams.
158 players entered the transfer portal after last season. Only five teams did not lose a single player to it.
Unfortunately for Boston University, the Terriers were not one of those teams. Eight players from the 2023-24 team entered the transfer portal. That is 30 percent of the roster and the second most entries of any team in the nation, only behind the University of St. Thomas, which entered nine.
Of the eight players that considered transferring, only one weighed their options and decided to return: now fifth-year defenseman Julia Shaunessy. Of the seven that chose to leave, only one does not have a new home: Forward Lacey Martin, who led the Terriers in points last season with 27 (14 goals, 13 assists). Of the other six, five players found new homes at different collegiate programs, and one left for the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association.
Three questions need to be asked: Why did eight players consider leaving? Why did seven leave? What did the program do to combat the losses?
It was an underwhelming first season under head coach Tara Watchorn. BU finished with a record of 14-18-3. They failed to sustain success over long stretches of last season, finished seventh in the Hockey East, and were eliminated by last-place finisher Holy Cross in the opening round of the conference tournament at Walter Brown Arena.
The season-ending defeat, 4-2 to the 8-24-3 Crusaders, was sure to leave a sour taste in the team’s mouth, specifically the players, who left wanting more.
Is it possible that the players who chose to enter the portal questioned Watchorn’s ability to build a successful program after the team failed to substantially improve over the course of last season?
But senior captain Tamara Giaquinto assured that is not the case, stating there is already a strong culture built under the second-year head coach.
“We’ve developed a really strong foundation from last year,” she said. “[Watchorn] works so hard, and I know she wants the team to be super successful.”
Most of last year’s roster was recruited by Watchorn’s predecessor, Brian Durocher. It’s not out of the ordinary for players to transfer after giving it a go under a new regime. Watchorn knew what she was getting herself into.
“At the end of the day, we want players that want to be at BU and want to be a part of this vision,” she said of losing players to the portal.
But the transfer portal does not just take, it also gives. The Terriers brought in four players from the portal in hopes of recouping some of the pieces lost to it. Only five teams added more transfers than BU.
In desperate need of offensive production, the addition of junior forward Riley Walsh is a big one. In two seasons at Union College, Walsh recorded 49 points (26 goals, 23 assists) in 66 games. She led Union in points last season with 27 (11 goals, 16 assists) in 35 games. Watchorn and her staff also brought in Lindsay Bochna, a fifth-year forward from Providence College, who put up 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 30 games for the Friars last season.
It should be expected that both Walsh and Bochna contribute offensively, but the question, of course, is how much?
There is always a transition period for new players while they get comfortable with their new teammates and system. So if it is a bit clunky at the beginning of the season, do not panic; it is to be expected.
Watchorn said her staff was intentional about the transfers they brought in. They did not just look for talent and skill, but their effort, love for competition, and style of play.
“We’re continuously working toward the environment we want for this program, and we feel like with the players we added, we’re moving in that direction,” she said.
Walsh and Bochna are already contributing to that environment Watchorn alluded to. Giaquinto said they both have already shown strong leadership qualities, specifically in Walsh bringing her fellow juniors closer together.
These two additions to the locker room are a testament to what the coaching staff has built and will continue to build. Success takes time, and off seasons like these, even if they may not look like it, are a step in the right direction.
This story is part of the Daily Free Press’ annual Hockey Issue. Copies are available around campus and at the women’s (Oct. 1) and men’s (Oct. 5) home openers.
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