Women’s Hockey: Terriers Blank Wildcats to Start Hockey East Slate
By Michael Wax
Boston University Women’s Ice Hockey (2-1-0, 1-0-0 HE) used a team-first mentality to start their 2022-23 Hockey East schedule with a 2-0 win against the University of New Hampshire (1-5-0, 0-3-0 HE).
“What I really liked was time and time again, our forwards, particularly the wingers, collected pucks along the wall and got it out of the zone,” BU Head Coach Brian Durocher said. “It makes everybody’s job a little easier.”
Terrier graduate goaltender Andrea Brändli put up a second-consecutive shutout by stopping all 26 of the Wildcats’ chances, becoming the first Boston University goaltender in 12 years to have back-to-back shutouts.
“I think the two words I use for her are poised and composed,” Durocher said. “There’s not a lot of extra or unnecessary movements. She always seems to have her hands in a good position. She makes herself bigger than she probably is, and takes away a lot of the upper part of the net.”
Graduate forward Jesse DeVito took sole possession of the team lead in scoring with two assists, while junior defenseman Tamara Giaquinto and sophomore forward Christina Vote scored for BU. Freshman forward Clara Yuhn and sophomore forward Kylie Roberts each chipped in with an assist in the shutout win.
Senior forward Haylee Blinkhorn came back into the lineup after missing last week’s showdown against Union, replacing sophomore forward Liv Haag on the top line.
“Haylee was coming off an injury,” Durocher said. “She dinged up her shoulder a couple weeks before. While she made it back for the first game last weekend, she took three big hits.”
The start of the game saw UNH with puck control, keeping BU along the boards in the defensive zone. As the period progressed, BU started to push into UNH territory, getting solid chances on goal.
BU struck first in the opening 10 minutes. As several members of the Terriers and Wildcats fought for the puck along the wall, Roberts shoveled a back pass to Giaquinto.
With the majority of the players still along the offensive zone wall, Giaquinto had time and space to skate in and face Wildcats goaltender Nicky Harnett. Giaquinto fired the puck five-hole to give BU the early lead.
BU’s goal served as the game’s only tally until midway through the third period, with both goaltenders standing on their heads to keep it a one-goal game.
BU doubled their lead with just under 10 minutes left in the game after some sustained offensive pressure opened up the ice. Yuhn skated around in the right face-off dot before feathering a pass over to Vote. Vote skated in, then patiently out-waited a sliding UNH defender before putting the puck past Harnett.
“That’s a big play because that gave us a little bit of breathing room,” Durocher said. “For somebody to collect the puck like [Yuhn] did, turn and get a little bit of an idea of what was out there and then spot Christina coming, it was a really nice play. Then Christina made a nice shot to the upper left-hand corner.”
Brändli’s shutout not only made BU history but also pushed UNH’s streak of games without a five-on-five goal to five, something that the Terriers look to continue in their matchup on Saturday.
“Every game, it’s a goal to win the penalty game,” Durocher said. “But good job by our kids to avoid being in the box, yet playing the game hard.”
The Terriers and Wildcats will both head to Walter Brown Arena for the second half of their home-and-home, which will take place tomorrow. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m.