Terriers Set for Post-Thanksgiving Doubleheader in Washington, D.C.

By: Akshai Wadhwani     November 24, 2017

The Boston University women’s ice hockey team will need to digest their Thanksgiving meals swiftly, as they are slated to face two midwestern opponents in back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday afternoon. The Terriers will take on Minnesota State on the former at 1 P.M., then return the next day at the same time to clash with No. 1 Wisconsin. Both games will take place at the neutral location of Washington, D.C.

BU (4-6-2 overall, 3-5-2 in conference) will be riding a high after consecutive victories against Vermont last weekend. The Terriers first annihilated the Catamounts, 7-1, before winning again the next day, 3-1. Senior center Victoria Bach doubled her season goal tally over the two fixtures, netting a career-high four in the 7-1 result before scoring again the next day to bring her total for the year to 10.

BU is outshooting opponents 419-364, averaging 3.1 goals-per-game to their opponents’ 2.5. The Terriers also have netted nine powerplay conversions.

By the numbers, Minnesota State and Wisconsin will make for absolute polar opposites as opponents. The Mavericks are 2-11-1 on the year, lacking a conference win in 10 games. They have lost their last six, being outscored 10-23 in the process.

By contrast, the Badgers maintain an astounding perfect record of 15-0-0 (not counting an 8-0 scrimmage victory over the South Korean national team). They have scored 58 goals — an average of almost four per game — and are outshooting opponents by almost double, at 567-306. All that comes while conceding less than a goal per game. In short, BU could topple Minnesota State with a solid enough performance, but will need nothing short of perfection to come away with a win against Wisconsin.

The Terriers do have some potential miracle workers on their roster. The aforementioned Bach tops the points list with a prolific 10 goals and assists apiece, followed closely by Rebecca Leslie (10 goals, 9 assists). Those two seniors, however, have been carrying a significant portion of the load for BU; they are the only players to have reached double digits in points so far this season. The next nearest performers are Reagan Rust (2 goals, 7 assists), Mary Grace Kelley (3 goals, 4 assists), as well as Abby Cook and Abby Stanley (1 goal, 6 assists each).

Goaltending duties have been split between senior Erin O’Neil and freshman Corinne Schroeder, though it appears that Coach Brian Durocher has decided to stick with the latter. Schroeder has started in six consecutive games. Between the pipes, the duo has combined for 334 stops with a 0.918 save percentage. Neither, however, has managed a shutout.

Puck drop for both dates will be at 1 p.m. at the Washington Capitals’ Kettler Iceplex

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