Women’s Hockey: Terriers start conference play with home-and-home against UNH

By Michael Wax

After a 1-1 start to its 2022-23 season, the Boston University women’s ice hockey team is back in action this weekend for its first games in Hockey East play. The Terriers will take on the University of New Hampshire in a home-and-home starting Friday at UNH, which will conclude Saturday at Walter Brown Arena.

BU is coming off a 4-0 win against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on October 7, followed by a 3-1 loss to Union College on October 8.

“I don’t think there was enough sustained pressure or enough quickness,” head coach Brian Durocher said in the press conference following the Terriers’ loss to Union. “Our best hockey was when we had to play out of desperation. That was after we were down one goal and was after we were down one goal a second time.”

BU’s win against RPI was highlighted by two goals from freshman Clara Yuhn, while senior captain Nadia Mattivi was the only one to score against Union. Yuhn leads the Terriers with two goals in the young season, and her two points are tied with senior Brooke Ersoy and freshman Sydney Healey for the team lead. 

Graduate student goaltender Andrea Brändli comes into this weekend’s series with a 1-0 record after a 19-save shutout last Friday, while sophomore Callie Shanahan allowed three goals on 35 shots for a .914 save percentage and a 3.07 goals-against average in Saturday’s loss.

UNH comes into this weekend’s doubleheader after losing two games on the road against the University of Maine last week, falling 3-2 on October 7 and 4-0 on October 8th. They sit at 1-4-0 this season, with a 0-2-0 record in Hockey East play. Junior Shea Verrier leads the Wildcats with three goals in just four games played, while junior Brianna Brooks has the team lead with four points in five games.

Graduate student Ava Boutilier has started four of the five games for UNH, compiling a .916 save percentage and a 3.28 goals-against average. Senior Nicky Harnett has also suited up for two games (one start), going 1-0 with a .938 save percentage and a 1.60 goals-against average.

The Terriers and Wildcats will face off Friday at UNH’s Whittemore Center Arena, with puck drop set at 6 p.m.