Hockey East Wrap-up (Nov. 5-12)
By: Brian DeAlmeida
Last Week In Review:
So after a week long hiatus, I am back and better than ever.
For all of you that were wondering where I was last week, let’s just say I was doing a lot of crying and self reflecting on why I chose to become an Athletic Trainer. Yes, I am one of the few WTBU reporters who is not actually in COM, instead I’m in Sargent College. Last week I got to experience what is lovingly referred to as “Hell Week,” because I had to pleasure of take 4 major exams within a 5 day period.
Anyways, you probably do not care about that, so here’s our Hockey East rewind:
Seven different Hockey East games took place last weekend, as we are starting to get into the thick of the conference battles. Each team has at least 3 games within the conference and it is starting to shape out exactly how we though it would, with Boston College, Northeastern and Boston University fighting for the top spot.
#2 Boston College has continued to steamroll everybody they face, as they took out UConn 4-0 on Friday and 4-0 on Saturday. The Eagles are 10-0-0 and 4-0-0 in Hockey East heading into this weekend, and have outscored opponents 52 goals to 11. If there is an MVP of this series, it’s not a BC Eagle, but the Huskies net-minder Elaine Chuli, who saved a combined 100 shots over the weekend.
#9 Northeastern also picked up a Hockey East win when they defeated the Merrimack Warriors 5-1 on Friday night. But they will have to manage at least one game without their star studded captain Kendall Coyne as she is in Europe playing with Team USA in the Four Nations Cup. They Coyne-less Huskies will take Maine on Friday night.
The Terriers also managed to get big wins over Yale and New Hampshire. In both games, they managed to come alive in the 3rd period and utterly dominated on the scoreboard. Maddie Elia notched a hat trick against Yale in their 7-1 victory while Victoria Bach grabbed 3 points (1g, 2a) in their 5-3 conference win against New Hampshire.
The Hockey East monthly awards were also given out this week. Kendall Coyne was named the Warrior Hockey Player of the Month thanks to her nation leading 24 points and 15 goals. She also scored her 100th career goal in October, which gave her the advantage over the runner-up Alex Carpenter who also had a fantastic opening month. Boston University’s own Sammy Davis was named the Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month with her outstanding first month of collegiate hockey. She leads all NCAA rookies with a 0.67 goals per game tally as well as many other offensive categories in Hockey East for rookies. The Stop It Goaltender of the Month award was handed out to BC’s Katie Burt. Simply put, when you have a .958 save percentage and only a 0.89 goals against average, you become a major factor for you team going on a ten game win streak to start the season.
What To Watch For:
With only seven games set for this weekend, we have a light schedule, but this week focuses on quality over quantity with these incredible games lined up. The Green Line rivalry will open up its newest chapter when the Terriers and Eagles play a home-and-home series on Saturday and Tuesday. Northeastern will also take on Maine without the assistance of Kendall Coyne. Other contests include Merrimack and New Hampshire, two teams floating near the middle of the table, and Providence and Connecticut, two teams who are still searching for their first points in Hockey East conference play.
Our schedule will kick off Friday night when #8 Northeastern (7-1-1)(3-0-0 WHEA) will travel to Orono, Maine to take on the Black Bears (5-5-0)(3-3-0 WHEA). Both teams are currently deadlocked in 3rd place even though Maine has played twice as many games as the Huskies. Maine’s keeper Meghann Tracey will have her hands full, as a very dangerous Northeastern squad lead by Denisa Krizova (5g, 14a, 19pts) will look to bother her all night. While Tracey is an incredible goalie in her own right, she will sure have her work cut out for her even if Kendall Coyne is not suited up for the Huskies.
On Saturday, Providence (0-7-0)(0-3-0 WHEA) will host the Wildcats of UNH (1-8-0)(1-4-0 WHEA) in a game where something will have to give. Each team hasn’t gotten off to the ideal start and this could be a big way to get their season back on track. Meanwhile, Merrimack is 2-7-0 in their inaugural season and 1-2-0 in Hockey East. They will get to travel down to Storrs, Connecticut and take on the Huskies of UConn (3-3-2)(0-3-0 WHEA). Sunday will see UConn taking on UNH to finish out their busy weekend.
But the biggest match-up of the weekend will happen at Walter Brown Arena when the Boston University Terriers (6-4-0)(4-1-0 WHEA) take on the #2 Boston College Eagles (10-0-0)(4-0-0 WHEA). After last year’s crippling defeat in the Hockey East finale, the Eagles are looking for some revenge. The Boston College offense has been clicking on all cylinders so far this season while the Terriers are still trying to figure out what life after Marie Phillip-Poulin is like. The Terriers will also be missing Sarah Lefort who is at the Four Nations Cup with Team Canada. And if this match-up doesn’t get you excited, both teams will meet back up on Tuesday over in Chestnut Hill for the second game in their home-and-home series. The Eagles defense, lead by sophomore goalie Katie Burt, has yet to allow a goal to a conference opponent. With emotions high, and a huge rivalry between these two sides, this series will be a must see for any true hockey fan.
Brian’s Red Hot Picks of the Week [Week 3 (2-2) Overall (12-4)]:
So after a week off, my record stands at 12-4 for the season. There are 6 games to pick in Week 5, with a couple of toss-up games, so here comes this week’s Brian’s Red Hot picks of the week.
Pick #1
The Game: #8 Northeastern @ Maine
The Story:
The Huskies will come into this one RED HOT (pun intended) after winning 5 straight. Even though they will not have the fire power of a Kendall Coyne, Denisa Krizova isn’t exactly a step down. Meghann Tracey is a great goalie for the Black Bears, but she cannot stop shots at the net and score some of the offensive end too.
My pick:
The Huskies just cannot and will not be stopped right now and could pose a big threat to BC in a couple of weeks. Northeastern will strike early and often and take this one home.
Pick #2
The Game: New Hampshire @ Providence
The Story:
Neither team has really come out of the gates strong this season. Each team needs something to get their season going and this could be just the game they need.
My pick:
Winless Providence needs this win really BADLY. Add that together with that fact that they’re home in Rhode Island, and I think were going to see the Friars first win of the season.
Pick #3
The Game: Merrimack @ Connecticut
The Story:
Merrimack has impressed so far this season, grabbing 2 wins in 9 games against some pretty good opponents. On the other side, Connecticut has yet to get a win in Hockey East play. This one could go one of two ways, either we will see an offensive onslaught or a defensive battle.
My pick:
Merrimack is hungry to continue to show people that they’re a program that will cause problems in the next couple of years, and this is a needed win for the program. The Warriors will come out strong and steal a win on the road for the Huskies.
Pick #4
The Game: New Hampshire @ Connecticut
The Story:
This game will highlight two teams that are towards the bottom of the division and have faced some early struggles. Both teams will be on the 2nd day of two straight games and the fatigue will probably hit them towards the latter half of the game. In games like that, the team with the better goalie will usually always win out.
My pick:
Elaine Chuli will guide the Huskies to victory after her record setting performance against BC the weekend prior.
Pick #5
The Series: Boston College vs Boston University
The Story:
This is always one of the premier rivalries in all of college athletics, and now let’s add what happened at the end of last season to the fire. BC has been dominant thus far while the Terriers are beginning to find their footing. Both offenses are quite dangerous and can score at will. The Eagles have the advantage on the defensive half of the ice though. This series will come down to 3rd period play and who can shut down the others super star more efficiently.
My pick:
As much as I love my Terriers, I have to be realistic and show some respect for what the Eagles have done thus far. While both games should be close, the Eagles will walk away with wins in both games. But remember what happened when BC swept the season series last year?
This Week’s Hockey East Schedule:
Friday November 6
Northeastern @ Maine 7:00pm
Saturday November 7
New Hampshire @ Providence 1:00pm
Merrimack @ Connecticut 2:00pm
Boston College @ BOSTON UNIVERSITY 3:00pm
Sunday November 8
New Hampshire @ Connecticut 2:00pm
Tuesday November 10
BOSTON UNIVERSITY @ Boston College 7:00pm
Maine @ Dartmouth 7:00pm
Hockey East Standing:
Hockey East Overall
GP W L T Pt GF GA W L T GF GA
1.Boston College 4 4 0 0 8 18 0 10 0 0 52 11
2.Boston University 5 4 1 0 8 17 15 6 4 0 33 30
3.Northeastern 3 3 0 0 6 16 2 7 1 1 46 24
3.Maine 6 3 3 0 6 12 14 5 5 0 22 23
5.Vermont 4 2 2 0 4 9 12 2 8 0 12 32
6.Merrimack 3 1 2 0 2 4 8 2 7 0 20 36
6.New Hampshire 5 1 4 0 2 8 17 1 8 0 18 34
8.Connecticut 3 0 3 0 0 1 10 3 3 2 15 21
8.Providence 3 0 3 0 0 2 9 0 7 0 6 32