Women’s Hockey: Northeastern pressure too much for Terriers in 3-1 defeat

By Brady Gardner

Skating at Walter Brown Arena for the first time in more than a month, the BU women’s hockey team surrendered a 3-1 decision to the No. 3 Northeastern Huskies on Saturday evening.

Mia Brown scored the eventual game-winner for the visitors with 12:39 remaining in the second period, highlighting a dominant final 40 minutes for Northeastern (19-2-1, 14-2-1 HE), who outshot the Terriers (9-8-4, 8-5-3 HE) by a margin of 33 to 7 in the final two frames.

“We were just kind of defending, defending, defending, and couldn’t quite create,” BU head coach Brian Durocher said after the game. “They bring some talent that’s pretty darn solid, and we’re not the only people that have had trouble with them in this league.”

Senior goaltender Kate Stuart kept the Terriers in the contest, recording a career-high 44 saves. Stuart was the only Terrier netminder in uniform as the other two on the roster were medically unavailable.

“We’re all living in this world with the pandemic,” Durocher said of the absences, which included six skaters, forcing BU to play with nine natural forwards. “While the league rules talk about having two goalies and 15 [skaters] as your focal point, as a coach…. you have that prerogative.”

It was the first game for the Terriers since Jan. 2 due to back-to-back series postponements with Boston College and the University of Maine.

“These kids wanted to play a game,” Durocher said. “They were excited, they came out ready to play, and they competed right to the end.”

After Chloe Aurard’s low wrist shot broke the ice in favor of the Huskies halfway through the first period, sophomore forward Lacey Martin leveled the score less than six minutes later, receiving the puck from sophomore defender Julia Shaunessy and firing in a shot from distance that found its way through a crowd in front.

Brown restored the Northeastern lead seven minutes into the middle stanza, potting Andrea Renner’s pass on a rush in the waning moments of a power play. The 2-1 scoreline stood until Alina Mueller sealed the win with a slick finish up close on the assist from Peyton Anderson.

Having split a pair of games at Walter Brown Arena so far this season, the Terriers and Huskies will settle the season series at Matthews Arena on Friday, January 21 at 4 p.m.

Featured Image by Patrick Donnelly