When Sydney Healey was asked what the Boston University women’s hockey team’s identity is, she paused to think.
“Relentless,” the junior forward said finally. “We are consistent. We hold each other accountable on and off the ice.”
That’s how BU (18-8-1, 15-4-1 Hockey East) defeated Vermont, 4-1, on Saturday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena.
From the start, the Terrier forwards effectively forechecked, making it difficult for the Catamounts (6-20-2, 5-14-2 HE) to break the puck out of their defensive zone.
In its own defensive zone, BU limited Vermont’s chances to harsh angles and clogged lanes. Senior netminder Callie Shanahan did the rest, stopping 17 of the 18 shots she faced.
“When the puck wasn’t on our stick, we weren’t rushing out at them, we stayed D-side, we beat their players back to the net,” BU assistant coach Reagan Rust said postgame. “Not much you can do against that.”
Healey’s 10th goal of the season opened the scoring at 10:24 of the first period. It was a stellar end-to-end play by the Terriers.
“It started with a great breakout by our line,” Healey said.
Senior blueliner Maggie Hanzel started the breakout in the defensive zone, feeding a streaking Lilli Welcke through the neutral zone. The junior forward found Healey just over the blue line in the offensive zone, who did the rest.
A fast-paced game isn’t the style head coach Tara Watchorn wants to play. On Saturday, however, the game speed lent itself to BU. Vermont relies on its speed to create offense; the Terriers proved they could match the Catamounts high pace of play.
Rust said that playing Boston College yesterday helped BU compete with the Catamounts speed, as both teams are “similarly structured.”
Vermont’s lone goal of the game came shorthanded at 5:10 of the second period. Junior forward Lara Beecher poked the puck away from Hanzel at the far blue line, sprung free on a breakaway, and beat Shanahan with a nifty deke.
Other than that one blemish on the power play, the Terriers were excellent offensively, scoring four goals for the first time since Nov. 7’s 5-1 win over Merrimack. BU outshot Vermont 37-18.
“We took control. We were covering the neutral zone really well,” Healey said. “That transition reality helped us get those offensive opportunities.
After freshman McKenzie Cerrato and Beecher took consecutive tripping penalties, the Terriers cashed in on the 5-on-3 power play at 7:37 of the middle frame.
Graduate defenseman Julia Shaunnesy blasted home a one-timer from the left circle on the power play. Junior forward Clara Yuhn set up Shaunessy’s second goal of the season.
BU cashed in again on the power play after Beecher was sent off for a major boarding penalty. At 11:13 of the third period, junior forward Luisa Welcke deflected a shot from junior defenseman Maeve Carey past senior Jane Gervais to extend the Terrier lead to 3-1.
Saturday was the second time in three games that BU scored twice on the player advantage. Its power play is much improved — now at 20.2 percent — after Watchorn lamented that the Terriers hadn’t worked it enough in practice earlier in the season.
“We communicate,” Healey said, who scored her second goal of the game, finding the back of the empty net with 49 seconds remaining. “We found a way to adapt.”
A grueling stretch awaits BU, which plays Northeastern, UConn, and Providence all in the next seven days. Nonetheless, the Terriers are taking it one game at a time.
“Every single game matters,” Rust said. “It just comes down to us being disciplined.”
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