Women’s Hockey Notebook: Terriers set for tough test against the Catamounts
By Patrick Donnelly
The Boston University Terriers 4-3) will host the University of Vermont Catamounts (5-1) for two games at Walter Brown Arena this weekend, looking to make it four-straight wins.
“It’s another opportunity to play some hockey,” said BU head coach Brian Durocher. “We’re one of the teams along with Vermont that got fewer games in the rest of the league.”
The Catamounts are coming out of another pause within their athletic department due to COVID-19. However, Vermont is riding a four-game win streak, most recently sweeping Connecticut over a month ago on Jan. 8/9.
Vermont has three skaters scoring at, or above, a point per game clip, led by junior defender Maude Poulin-Labelle, who has nine points (1g, 8a) in six games.
‘She’s a real good player,” Durocher said. “[She’s] one of those real top kids who, if you look at her, she’s not the biggest kid out there, she’s not the absolute fastest out there, but she is very smart with real good hands, good lateral, evasive type of skills.”
Junior forwards Corinne McCool (3g, 3a) and Theresa Schafzahl (2g, 4a) also have six points in six games for the Catamounts.
In goal, the Catamounts have gotten solid contributions from all three netminders on their roster. Freshman Jessie McPherson has three wins in three starts, including two shutouts, a .973 save percentage and a 0.65 GAA. Sophomore goaltender Natalie Ferenc has a 1-1-0 record in addition to a .909 save percentage and a 2.03 GAA. Meanwhile, in one start, junior Blanka Škodová made 15 saves on 16 shots, earning the win.
For BU, junior forward Courtney Correia has set the pace offensively for her team with two goals and six assists for eight points in seven games. The Whitby, Ont. native had a four-point weekend (2g, 2a) in the Terriers sweep of Merrimack last week.
“I think Courtney Correia has continued to play very consistently,” Durocher said.
Correia’s linemates, junior forwards Emma Wuthrich and Kaleigh Donnelly, an assistant captain, also chipped in a combined two goals and three assists last weekend as well.
“It’s great that the three of them have played together and played well,” Durocher added.
Senior forward and co-captain Jesse Compher (3g, 2a) is also scoring at over a point per game pace for BU with five points in four games.
Between the pipes, senior goaltender Corinne Schroeder and junior netminder Kate Stuart are each coming off shutouts in BU’s sweep of Merrimack. Schroeder holds a 3-2-0 record on the season, including two shutouts, a .930 save percentage and a 1.53 GAA. Meanwhile, Stuart has a 1-1-0 record in two starts as well as a shutout, a .926 save percentage and a 2.02 GAA.
Puck drop between the Terriers and Catamounts is set for 6 p.m. at Walter Brown Arena on Friday. Saturday’s contest is scheduled to get underway at 5 p.m.
More notes from around the rink:
Close to a clean bill of health
Durocher said the team expects sophomore forward Haylee Blinkhorn to return to the lineup this weekend. The Terriers have also been without sophomore forward Julia Nearis and freshman defender Madison Cardaci.
“The return to play can sometimes be a long process, but it’s a safe one from a medical perspective,” Durocher said.
Compher and freshman forward Catherine Foulem returned to the ice last weekend as well.
Blinkhorn’s return, barring any additional players sitting out, will give the Terriers a maximum of 19 skaters on the bench – four full forward lines, three full defense pairs and an extra skater – a welcome sight, considering how shorthanded the Terriers were just a few weeks ago.
Finding a groove
This weekend marks the first time since the Terriers began their season in December where they have had consecutive weekends of games.
It gives us at least a little bit of a look at what it used to be like,” Durocher said. “You hope that just maybe it gives you another chance to get some momentum and some confidence in certain areas.”
Durocher said he thinks getting more games, consecutively, will help his group keep up some sort of rhythm.
Balanced lines paid off against Merrimack
Between the Correia line, moving freshman forward Lacey Martin alongside senior assistant captain Kristina Schuler and senior-co-captain Nara Elia, and slotting Foulem in with Compher and junior forward Mackenna Parker, the Terriers saw a much more balanced offensive attack at even strength, which paid off against the Warriors.
“To have that balance and have people starting to feel good about themselves, really only happens when you accomplish something,” Durocher said. “Playing a solid game is one thing, but if you get on the scoresheet as a forward in particular, exciting is the word and confidence starts to snowball a little bit.”
Power play struggles aren’t for a lack of trying
The Terriers have been uncharacteristically poor on the power play this season, scoring on just two of their 25 opportunities (a success rate of .08). Durocher has liked what he’s seen from his team on the advantage, but thinks the power play finding its confidence is the key.
“I’ve said almost along the way that I thought our kids have done a pretty good job on moving the puck around, doing different things, but they haven’t been able to quite get it over the goal line and generate that confidence,” he said. “I think we’ve done an okay job in [doing the “dirty work”], but maybe not as committed as we were last year.”
“Hopefully that will make life harder on their goaltender.”
Featured Image: Senior forward and co-captain Jesse Compher tracks the play in a win against Merrimack at Walter Brown Arena on Feb. 5, 2021. Photo by Patrick Donnelly.