Women’s Hockey: Tough weekend at Walter Brown as Terriers goal scoring continue

By: Brian Lombardo

BOSTON – In a weekend homestand that saw the Terriers host two strong Hockey East opponents, they managed to come out with just one point. The pair of contests saw the University of Connecticut in town on Friday and a the University of Maine on campus for a Saturday matinee.

The team was without head coach Brian Durocher, as he was away from the team for the weekend to attend his daughter’s wedding. As a result, assistant coaches Liz Keady Norton and Tara Watchorn were at the helm.

Game One: BU 1 UCONN 1

The Terriers have scored the majority of their goals this season in the first frame. Coming into Friday’s game against UCONN eight of the team’s nine total goals all season came in the first twenty minutes.

This game proved no differently as the Terriers broke open the scoring at the 14:09 mark of the first. The goal was scored by captain Sammy Davis and assisted by line-mate Jesse Compher and defensemen Connor Galway. The goal was Davis’ 4th of the season which added to her team lead.

While skating five on five the Terriers did a great job controlling the pace of the game and dictating the Huskies scoring chances. Then late in the second period BU took their first penalty of the game when the redshirt junior Davis was called for a high-sticking penalty. Twenty-one seconds later UCONN converted with the man advantage.

The Huskies Morgan Wabick found herself alone on the doorstep in front of Terriers netminder Corrine Schroeder and sent a no-doubter of a one timer past her. The power play mark brought the game to a tie.

BU settled down and began to kill penalties with ease for the remainder of the game. The team took a penalty with a minute to go in the second period, and then took another penalty thirty-seven seconds into the third period. The Terriers killed off the five on three opportunity and then a fourth power play chance for the Huskies later in the frame.

“I’m impressed with how we played down the stretch, we generated shots, but I think to win games like these in the league we play in where everyone is so close we have to come out with that energy right away.” said coach Norton after the 1-1 tie of UCONN.

The team’s best penalty killer was their goaltender. Schroeder was more than sharp in the game making 31 saves. She credited communication as a major key to what makes the defense and herself click at the same time, but joked that sometimes she has to assert herself to her teammates.

“It was pretty good,” Schroeder said. “For the most part they were moving out of the way when I was yelling at them.”

Game Two: MAINE 2 BU 1

The Terriers came out flying during Saturday’s matinee as the No. 10 ranked Maine Black Bears visited Walter Brown Arena. BU was getting the bulk of the scoring opportunities to start the game but couldn’t find the back of the net with one.

Then Maine broke open the scoring and doubled down exactly two minutes later. At 10:52 of the first period a point shot from Black Bears defenseman Taylor Leech was redirected in front of Schroeder by Vendula Pribylova. The follow up marker came on a two on one opportunity for Maine that saw Daria Tereshkina as the recipient of a Michelle Weis saucer pass.

The second period became a defensive battle that featured both teams on the special teams several times. Seven penalties were called in the period. A matching roughing call saw the teams skate two minutes of four on four. But in the period the Terriers had two unsuccessful power plays and killed off three chances for the Black Bears.

The defensive battle continued into the third period. But the Terriers broke through and scored their very first third period goal of the season.  With the net empty and the extra attacker on, defenseman Abby Cook took a wrist shot from the blue line and found some twine. The goal was assisted by fellow d-man Abbey Stanley and Jesse Compher.

“We finally made the choice to be a little more determined and have a little more grit and start winning battles and taking the game into our own hands,” said Norton postgame.

Norton was happy with the Terriers’ weekend performance. Connecticut is a team credited with sometimes being tough to figure out, and obviously Maine is ranked in the top 10 and they prove that every time out on the ice.

“I’m impressed with how we played down the stretch,” said Norton. “We generated shots, but I think to win games like these in the league we play in where everyone is so close, we have to come out with that energy right away.”

Schroeder started both games this weekend, her 28 saves against the Black Bears pushing her weekend total between the two games to 59 saves. For the most part Schroeder was nearly automatic, even suppressing Maine in some good scoring chances. If the team as a whole can weed out the momentary lapses of judgment the wins will start coming.

The schedule for the Terriers slows down a bit here as their next action comes next Sunday, Oct. 28 when they travel to Northeastern University, for a 2 p.m. puck drop.