Women’s Hockey: 2022-23 Season Ends with 5-4 OT Loss to Merrimack
By Michael Wax
Cover Photo Credit: Jacob Ireland
Boston University Women’s Hockey (11-20-3, 9-16-3 HE) saw their season end following a 5-4 OT loss to the Merrimack College Warriors (9-24-2, 6-20-2 HE) in the Opening Round of the Hockey East tournament on Wednesday night.
“I thought we didn’t quite get what we deserved,” BU Head Coach Brian Durocher said. “But they continued to play, continued to be resilient, and continued to fight through adversity.”
This loss marked the final game coached by Durocher, who served 18 years behind the bench for the Terriers.
“I’ll miss the place and everything about it,” Durocher said. “The kids are the most important thing and there [have] been great people that are sitting there right now, and one’s that sat there before them.”
Durocher will remain involved with BU Athletics and will be connected to this team as they move forward into next year.
“The kids that are returning, I’m not going to try to steer their career,” Durocher said. “I’m not going to be in the way of the coach that comes here. But I have a relationship with them. I have connections with them.”
Merrimack took the lead just over six minutes into the game. After the Terriers had controlled play for the majority of the start of the game, Merrimack got the puck behind the BU goal. BU graduate defender Alex Allan unsuccessfully attempted an outlet pass to sophomore forward Christina Vote, and Merrimack junior defender Natalie Nemes fired a slap shot as the puck came to her off the boards. The puck went off the stick of freshman defender Maeve Kelly and over the head of Brändli.
BU tied it up a little under eight minutes later. After BU lost the face-off back into the Merrimack zone, senior co-captain Teghan Inglis skated behind her net and attempted to break the puck out. Senior forward Julia Nearis and junior forward Clare O’Leary, both forechecking, had sustained pressure and eventually forced a turnover. O’Leary got the puck on net from the right circle, and Nearis crashed the net and potted the rebound for her 12th goal of the year to tie the game.
“She’s been a consistent offensive player,” Durocher said. “I told her after the game that I had said to the assistant that we needed her to score today. When she did, I thought that was a good omen for the team.”
Despite a tied score, BU controlled play in the opening 20 and controlled the shot counter 11-6.
BU took their first lead over seven minutes in. As Merrimack attempted a clear out of the zone, freshman defender Brooke Disher successfully pinched and kept the puck in. The Hockey East All-Rookie Team member split through two Warrior defenders, went to her forehand, and beat senior goalie Emma Gorski for her seventh of the year.
Merrimack came right back to tie it. After a rough hit in the Warriors’ zone on Vote that went uncalled, Merrimack came back the other way on a 3-on-2. Senior co-captain Katie Kaufman gave the puck to freshman forward Alex Ferguson, who beat Brändli to tie it back up with her first of the season.
BU regained the lead with the game’s third goal in under 10 minutes. BU jumped on another Merrimack turnover, with freshman forward Sydney Healey taking control of the puck. Healey got the puck to freshman forward Clara Yuhn, whose initial shot in the slot was stopped before she buried her rebound to give BU a 3-2 lead.
In this back-and-forth chess match, Merrimack once again tied it up. Junior forward Catherine Foulem turned the puck over in the offensive zone. Disher slipped as she attempted to stop Nemes, who roofed the puck over Brändli on a breakaway.
The Terriers were given the first power play of the game, one that saw both teams score. Senior forward Sam Lessick scored on a nice move and shot to provide Merrimack with a short-handed goal and a 4-3 lead, while junior defender Julia Shaunessy scored with one second left on the BU power play to tie the game 4-4.
BU did their best to break the tie in the final period of regulation, outshooting Merrimack 15-6 in the third and 38-23 in regulation. For the first time this season, BU headed to a continuous 5-on-5 overtime.
Despite BU again controlling play in OT, sophomore forward Alexa Pongo scored on a rebound opportunity from Inglis to give Merrimack the win and a date with the University of Vermont Catamounts on Saturday.
BU will now head into its offseason and look for a new coach to lead the 2023-24 Terriers.