BU Routs Vermont 5-2 in Bounce Back Win

By: Max Wolpoff

BOSTON — After being on the wrong end of a 7-1 thrashing at Northeastern yesterday, it was clear from the start of today’s game that the Boston University were determined to rebound. The Terriers did so with an exclamation point, defeating Vermont 5-2 in a rematch of last season’s Women’s Hockey East Quarterfinals.

The visiting Vermont Catamounts fell to 1-7-0 (1-1-0 WHEA) on the year while BU improved to 4-4-0 (3-1-0 WHEA). It was the first game this season in which BU scored first.

At 1:14 of the first period, Sarah Lefort saucered a pass over to Victoria Bach, who potted it for her second goal of the year to get the scoring started. 59 seconds later, Sarah Steele tucked the puck underneath Molly Depew’s pads for her first of the year, doubling the Terriers’ advantage.

Rebecca Russo added her fourth of the year by tipping in Maddie Elia’s centering pass before the first twenty minutes expired. That would be all the Terriers needed, making all of Russo’s tallies this year, game winners.

Vermont answered back immediately, as Dayna Colang scored her team-leading third goal on the power play, giving the Catamounts something to cheer for during a wild four-goal period, which also saw three penalties and a combined 23 shots on goal.

Head coach Brian Durocher said of today’s game “we were probably a little bit more thourough defensively, but it’s just a baby step, a step in the right direction.”

The second period played more back-and-forth than the first, with neither team able to hold a sustaining attack in the first ten minutes. After the 10 minute mark, BU hemmed Vermont in on defense for about four minutes, completing three line changes while not allowing the puck to leave the zone, forcing the Catamounts to call timeout to rest their players with 3:31 left.

In the last minute of the period, Maddie Elia dangled past one defender and Depew for her second point of the night. Linemates Rebecca Russo and Rebecca Leslie added assists on Elia’s goal.

“When the kids are playing loose, it’s a lot better than if they’re grabbing their sticks too tight and trying to hard to pick a corner” coach Durocher said.

Elia took a major penalty for elbowing Victoria Andreakos deep in the Terrier zone as both were going to play the puck in the corner. Andreakos remained on the ice for a few minutes before skating off with the help of two teammates. BU not only killed the penalty, but generated more shots on Depew shorthanded than the Vermont power play put toward Erin O’Neil.

Elia finished off the BU scoring with her second goal and third point of the night, tipping Alexis Crossley’s point shot. The assist marked Crossley’s first point as a Terrier, after spending two seasons at New Hampshire and sitting out last year due to Hockey East transfer rules.

Rachel Ade added Vermont’s last goal just 24 seconds after Elia to finish the scoring at 5-2 in favor of the Terriers.

O’Neil made 23 saves on the night for her second win of the season.

“Hopefully [the team’s leaders] are able to shelf things like that, they’re able to take a loss like that [agaisnt Northeastern] and deal with it. The only way to deal with it is to get prepared” coach Durocher said.

The Terriers will travel up to New Hampshire for another Hockey East game at 2:00 p.m. next Sunday.