CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — If one thing pointed to the way the Boston University women’s hockey team played on Saturday, it would be junior defender Maeve Carey barking in the tunnel as the team waited to take the ice for warm-ups.
The No. 14 Terriers (10-4-1, 8-2-1 Hockey East) proved they’ve got that dog in them, suffocating No. 11 Boston College (9-4-0, 6-2-0 HE) in a 3-1 win at Conte Forum.
From the opening face-off, BU was on the prowl, and it never stopped hunting. The visitors outplayed the Eagles over the full 60 minutes. The Terriers only allowed nine shots on goal.
“That one feels good,” head coach Tara Watchorn said postgame. “From the moment we got up today, they took control over the environment we needed. They were ready to go.”
BC struck first at 4:36 on junior forward Kara Goulding’s second goal of the season. After flying into the offensive zone, she beat senior goaltender Callie Shanahan blocker-side high to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
The Terriers controlled play in the offensive zone, sustaining possession as their defenders pinched down from the blue line. The Eagles blocked six shots in the opening frame to preserve the one-goal lead.
BU found the equalizer at 3:19 of the second period and didn’t look back. Freshman forward Kaileigh Quigg skated the puck over the blue line, firing a shot that was saved by junior Grace Campbell. Senior forward Ani Fitzgerald buried a subsequent loose puck to knot the game at 1-1. It was Fitzgerald’s third tally of the season.
“They really brought the energy. I really liked that line today,” Watchorn said of Fitzgerald, Quigg, and junior forward Riley Walsh. “They did their job, but they also got some offensive looks.”
Not two minutes later, at 4:44, the Terriers took a 2-1 lead as graduate forward Lindsay Bochna buried a rebound off a shot from fellow graduate and assistant captain Julia Shaunessy.
“I [always] end up there,” Bochna said of being a steady net front presence. “It’s definitely where I’m good at, because I’m a strong individual. It’s my area of expertise.”
Junior forward Kate Ham was called for a slash at 8:18, giving the struggling BU power play its first skater-advantage of the game. While the Terriers held possession for a majority of the power play and garnered several shots on goal, the Eagles killed off Ham’s slash.
The Terriers were a step ahead of the Eagles all game long. BC didn’t record a shot on goal until 17:45 of the middle frame. Shanahan stopped eight of nine shots she faced overall, and Campbell stopped 27 of 30.
BU outshot the Eagles 18 to two in the middle frame and took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
“Our contact details were good today,” Watchorn said of her team’s stout defense. “[We] eliminated everything through the neutral zone.”
Offensively, Watchorn thinks her team can be too detailed sometimes, leading to empty possessions and missed opportunities, but it’s something she believes they’ll improve upon as they mature as a group.
“What I’m hoping for, as we continue to mature, is having that ‘I’m gonna go out there and score mindset,’ but still know how to end my shift and not overthink it too much.”
The third period was contested at a much tamer pace. Given that it’s the Battle of Comm. Ave., there was an uptick in physicality in the final 20 minutes as both sides relentlessly searched for the next goal.
It finally came at 14:21. Junior forward Sydney Healey beat Campbell with her backhand on a breakaway, giving BU a two-goal lead with her seventh of the season.
Shaunessy and junior forward Lilli Welcke set up Healey on the break with a beautiful tic-tac-toe play in transition — an area of the game in which the Terriers dominated.
“Anytime you get first touches in the neutral zone, you’re going to create separation,” Watchorn said. “It was beautiful to see those first touches spring Syd loose on the breakaway.”
Healey’s goal was the exclamation point of BU’s 10th win of the season, a mark that it took until Jan. 19 to reach last season. The Terriers also remain atop the Hockey East standings with the victory.
Bochna pointed at the team’s “cohesiveness, communication, and positive energy” as reasons that have allowed BU to sustain its high level of play. Watchorn noted that she feels the team is getting better at communicating on the ice.
When asked point blank how good the Terriers can be, Bochna was short.
“Pretty good. Definitely good. I’m excited for where we’re gonna go,” she said.
I am sorry that I missed this edition of the “Battle of Comm Ave.”, but the trek to Maine with the Men’s team had to be made. This Women’s team is a special mix, and has the talent, the will-to-win, coaching, and fan support necessary to carry it a very long way. The attendance at Agganis for the first game was heartwarming. PSD