Women’s Hockey: Terriers Kick Off Regular Season Against No. 7 Northeastern
By Claire Smieszny
This weekend, Boston University Women’s Hockey will face off against inter-city rival Northeastern University (3-1-0) for a regular season home-and-home. This matchup marks the beginning of regular season hockey for the Terriers.
The team has already tasted victory this fall, as they dominated McGill University in a 5-2 win in an exhibition contest. The Terriers saw contributions from across the board, with all five goals being scored by different players. The game provided an exciting preview into what’s to come this regular season
Against the Huskies, the Terriers will be hoping for some solid performances from both their newcomers and returners. Sophomore forwards Lilli and Luisa Welcke are two fresh faces to look out for. In their freshman season at Maine, the sisters stunned with 21 and 22 points respectively. Both were named to the Hockey East All Rookie Team for the year. For returners, junior Christina Vote is one to watch in the forward group. Last season she finished second on the team in points with 19.
On the back end, graduate defenseman Nadia Mattivi returns for her fifth year to captain the Terriers. As a standout on the blue line, last season she recorded 41 blocked shots and 17 points. Another force for the Terriers is sophomore defenseman Brooke Disher. As a freshman she had 17 points and 17 blocks, earning her a spot on the Hockey East All Rookie Team and runner-up of Hockey East’s Rookie of the Year award.
BU will be challenged by a talented Northeastern team, especially in goal. Huskies’ graduate goaltender Gwyneth Phillips is exceptional, with a career .964 save percentage and a personal record of 50-5-1. She was named National Goaltender of the Year after last season.
On the offensive side, graduate forward Peyton Anderson is a player to watch. After earning 20 points and Hockey East All-Tournament Honors last season, she returns for her fifth year on the team looking to accomplish even more. Freshman forward Allie Lalonde will also be one to look out for. A Shattuck St. Mary’s alum, Lalonde was part of their national championship-winning team this past year.
Getting off on the right foot this weekend will be crucial for the Terriers. Not only are the Huskies a division rival, but also dominated them in their matchups last season with a 4-0-0 record and outscoring BU 19-2.
Friday night’s game takes place at Walter Brown Arena with a 6pm puck drop. Saturday’s game will be at Matthews Arena starting at 1:30pm. Both games will be available for streaming on ESPN+.