Women’s Hockey: BU wraps up regular season with series against Providence

By Bobby Serafin

With Hockey East regular season play winding down, Boston University caps off their 2021-2022 campaign with two games against the Providence College Friars. 

The first of the two games will take place inside Schneider Arena, where BU has an all-time record of 10-13-2. However, at Walter Brown Arena, where their season concludes with a 5 p.m. showdown on Saturday, the Terriers have only lost three games out of a possible 23 against the Friars. 

The two sides have split the last six games, with each winning three games in regulation. In fact, you’ll have to go back to 2017 to find the last time a game involving BU and Providence went to overtime.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of these contests go past 60 minutes, with the Terriers and Friars playing seven and eight extra time games respectively.

The Terriers are winners of two of their last three, which includes a come from behind win on Tuesday against Maine. Providence comes into this contest even hotter, as they’ve won six of their last seven games. Four of those wins, however, came against the bottom two teams in Hockey East.

While every Hockey East matchup is important, these two games will have major implications on the seedings for the conference tournament. As it currently stands, BU sits in fifth place in the conference standings and PC has risen up to a tie for sixth win Maine. Only two points separate the squads, and this weekend, if dominated by one team, could result in a six point shift. 

When looking at the most critical keys to the game for both teams, it comes down to a couple important statistics. First of all, leading after 40 minutes is beyond critical for both squads. 

On the year, BU is a perfect 6-0-0 when ahead after the second frame, but have only won once when trailing, this past Tuesday. PC has a similar history, as they haven’t lost a game in regulation when leading after two periods. Just like for BU, the Friars also tend to fade when behind, having a record of just 2-8-2 in that scenario. 

The second big indicator for Terrier success has been in the shots category. When outshooting their opponents, the Terriers tend to win, going 7-3-1. However, when BU fails to do so, they’re 5-9-4. For PC, there isn’t much of a difference for each situation. 

One marker that Providence can hold its head high for is team defense. The Friars are top 15 in the NCAA in goals allowed per game. However, they’re also a bottom 15 scoring offense, which may lead to a close, hard-fought battle. That bodes well for BU, who’re 7-3 in one goal games. 

When it comes to who is leading the charge for the Terriers, it’s been the same answer all season long: Courtney Correia. The senior has been nothing short of sensational when it comes to her two-way ability. She leads BU in goals (13) and points (24) while also being a huge part of their special teams and face-off unit. 

Correia’s most consistent running mate has been Mackenna Parker, who’s also in her final year as a Terrier. She’s second on the team in goals (10) and third in points (18), and has shown great chemistry with Correia from start to finish. The two have also set individual career-highs in points per game this season, cementing their place on head coach Brian Durocher’s top line. 

One Terriers forward that’s heated up in recent weeks is sophomore Lacey Martin, who has 12 points in her last 14 games, including the overtime game-winner against Maine on Tuesday. 

There are two terrific options in goal for BU, but each possesses a different level of experience. First there’s senior Kate Stuart. The British Columbia native has put up a 2.32 goals-against average and an excellent .921 save percentage. 

Despite the great play from Stuart in her 17 starts, there is a lot of reason to be excited about the future of the BU net. Callie Shanahan, in just her freshman year, has played up to the level of her senior teammate, posting a .919 save percentage to go along with a 2.53 GAA. Both have six wins on the year, but the team seems to play better when Shanahan is in net. 

For Providence, they’ll most likely give the starts this weekend to Sandra Abstreiter, who’s opened for 23 out of PC’s 32 games this season. In those efforts, the grad student holds a stingy 1.77 GAA and a stout .944 save percentage. While her backup, sophomore Mireille Kingsley, has put up practically the same numbers, fourth-year head coach Matt Kelly has put a lot of trust in the older netminder. 

While PC is more known for its defense, they do still have some forwards who’re dangerous with the puck on their stick. Senior Caroline Peterson leads the Friars with 10 goals, but sophomore Lindsay Bochna and grad student Hayley Lunny pace all forwards with 18 points apiece.

Even though this game is extremely important to both sides, the Hockey East tournament has proven in years past that it’s not as much about seeds as it is about matchups. Despite that, both teams will be looking to pick up two huge confidence boosters this weekend as the regular season comes to a close. 

The first of the two games starts a 6 p.m. Friday night as Providence hosts their final game of the season. 

Featured Image by Patrick Donnelly