Women’s Hockey: Terriers Kick-Off Hockey East Playoffs with Mid-Week Matchup against Merrimack

By Miranda Lemus

Cover Photo Credit: Jacob Ireland

It’s officially playoff season for Boston University Women’s Hockey (11-19-3, 9-15-3 HE), and the stakes are high going into this win-or-go-home matchup against the Merrimack College Warriors (8-24-2, 5-20-2 HE).

Entering this year’s Hockey East Tournament as the No. 7 seed, the Terriers only missed a direct path to the quarterfinals by four points. Now, BU must win their way into the next round by earning their third win of the season over Merrimack this Wednesday.

During the regular season, both teams won when playing on home soil. The Terriers won their two games at Walter Brown Arena, 5-2 on Oct. 29 and 4-1 on Jan. 27. BU’s lone loss to the Warriors this season was a 5-2 loss at Lawler Arena back on Oct. 28. 

With the Warriors being the last-place seed going into the postseason, BU has been granted a home-ice advantage as the higher seed in the opening round. Historically, BU has found success historically while playing at Walter Brown Arena when facing Merrimack, accumulating an record of 9-1-3 at home. 

The last time BU hosted the Warriors, junior forward Madison Cardaci recorded her first career hat trick. Cardaci switched from defense to forward earlier this season and has been the missing piece to the duo of junior forward Catherine Foulem and sophomore forward Christina Vote. 

Vote and Foulem have played together over the past two seasons but have never had a consistent third linemate to complement their playing styles. With the help of Cardaci’s defensive background, Vote and Foulem have had non-stop offensive production. 

On the other hand, Merrimack’s top two point leaders also create a powerful offensive duo. In the Warriors’ win over the University of Maine, senior captain Katie Kaufman and sophomore forward Alexa Pongo combined for all three goals in Merrimack a 3-1 victory over the Black Bears.

Catch the Terriers tilt against Merrimack College for the opening round of the Hockey East tournament Wednesday, Feb. 22, at Walter Brown Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.