Women’s Hockey: Terriers Look to Dampen Spirits in Happy Valley
BOSTON — After losing their first game of the season at Vermont, Boston University continues their extended road trip with two games against the Penn State Nittany Lions. The teams played each other for the first time last season, splitting two games at Walter Brown Arena.
Both sides are coming in to the weekend series off losses, BU to the Catamounts and PSU to the Union Dutchwomen. The win marked Union’s first victory since December 12, 2014, a streak of 57 games without a victory.
GAME INFORMATION
Boston University @ Penn State, Friday October 14 and Saturday October 15
Time: 6 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Location: Pegula Ice Arena, University Park, Pa.
Stream: http://mixlr.com/wtbusports/
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS — 1-3-0 (0-0-0 College Hockey America)
The Nittany Lions won their first game of the season in Schenectady, then lost to the Dutchwomen the next night.
In the first games with the Terriers, the Nittany Lions skated laps around Walter Brown with their speed. The visitors jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes, and would hold that lead out for a 5-3 win. Five different Nittany Lions scored in the victory, despite only 26 shots at Victoria Hanson.
The next afternoon against Erin O’Neil, the Terriers learned from their mistakes. Then-sophomore O’Neil stopped 27 of 28 as Samantha Sutherland, Rebecca Leslie, and Sammy Davis scored to win the game for BU.
Laura Bowman scored the first goal in both contests. The senior captain scored a program-record 17 goals last season, finishing 3rd on the team in points with 25. She did all this while earning All-CHA Academic Team, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and All-Big Ten Academic Team as a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major.
Bowman played at Minnetonka High School in Minnesota with fellow-Nittany Lions alternate captains Amy Petersen and Kelsey Crow, and goaltender Hannah Ehersman. Bowman leads the team with five goals and seven points; Brooke Madsen, Kelly Seward, and Bella Sutton each have four assists to lead the helpers category.
Eight of the team’s 13 goals came in their 8-1 victory over Union. In each of their three losses, the Nittany Lions failed to score more than two goals. They are a combined 5-for-25 on the power play and .834 percent effeciency on the penalty kill, allowing six goals.
Both Ehersmann and Daniela Paniccia started two games, with Paniccia getting the lone win in upstate New York.
This will be the first regular season game at the Pegula Ice Arena this season. Penn State opened the year with two losses at Clarkson before their win against Union. After the series with BU, Penn State will visit the University of Connecticut, Rochester Institute of Technology, then will open conference play at Mercyhurst over the next three weekends.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY TERRIERS — 2-1-0 (2-1-0 Hockey East)
The 433.9 mile trip to Happy Valley is the longest road trip the Terriers have taken since opening the 2014-15 season 1,384.4 miles from Walter Brown Arena against St. Cloud State and the University of Minnesota.
Following the loss at Vermont, BU dropped out of the USCHO.com and USA Hockey Magazine polls, but did receive votes in the USCHO poll.
Samantha Sutherland scored multiple goals for the third consecutive game last Sunday against Vermont. On all but her seventh goal, Sammy Davis has assisted. Davis leads the team in points with her eight helpers. The only other player with more than one goal is Maddie Elia with two.
Among returning players, Victoria Bach (one goal, two assists) and Rebecca Leslie (one goal, four assists) led all Terriers in points over the two games against the Nittany Lions.
Bach shot the puck seven times against Vermont, putting her three-game total at 14 for the team lead.
Head coach Brian Durocher announced his intention at the end of the Vermont game to split the games between junior Erin O’Neil and senior Victoria Hanson.
Following this Friday-Saturday series, the Terriers will see the Northeastern Huskies at Matthews Arena next Tuesday. The role of host will shift to the Terriers on the last Tuesday in October. Then comes the first of two match-up with Boston College since last season’s Hockey East finals. Eagles and Terriers will do battle first at Conte Forum, then will shift to Walter Brown the next day.