Women’s Hockey: Disappointment again for the Terriers at TD Garden, falling 4-0 to the Huskies for back-to-back losses in the Beanpot Championship game
Featured image by Holly Gustavsen
By Hannah Connors
For the Huskies, another victory. For the Terriers, disappointment.
With 13,279 people in attendance and the fifth most attended women’s college hockey game, Northeastern three-peated their way to their 20th Beanpot Title.
Boston University Women’s Ice Hockey team (14-8-1, 11-5-1 HE) fell for the second consecutive year to the Northeastern Huskies (15-8-1, 11-4-0 HE) 4-0 in the 46th Dunkin Beanpot Championship.
“Tonight wasn’t that they weren’t a good enough hockey team…I think there’s lots to learn from and able to reflect on,” Coach Watchorn said post-game.
The opening frame started in the Huskies’ favor. Five minutes into the period, a hooking penalty was called on BU, which put Northeastern on the man advantage.
The penalty was negated as Husky freshman Éloïse Caron headed to the box for holding, but the short-lived 4 v. 4 and abbreviated power play was unsuccessful.
Just under three minutes later, Northeastern capitalized.
Lily Yovetich found the puck at the blue line, firing it on goaltender Callie Shanahan, and an awkward bounce off of Terrier Ani Fitzgerald got past Shanahan, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead.
“[Shanahan] kept us in it,” Watchorn said of Shanahan’s performance throughout the game. “She’s a leader back there, and she really did give us a chance to win.”
BU had their best opportunity of the night when Maeve Kelley took a shot on freshman netminder Lisa Jönsson, and the Terriers had multiple chances on the rebound, but Jönsson remained unbeatable.
Throughout the rest of the period, BU exhibited strong defense, containing Northeastern’s speed and offensive prowess to keep themselves within one.
The speed of the Huskies was the downfall for the Terriers, and the ice heavily tilted in Northeastern’s favor during the middle frame.
During the second period, the Terriers came out with stronger offensive possessions. With fewer breakout plays from the Huskies, BU was able to settle in the offensive zone, generating more chances and preventing the fast-paced transitions Northeastern had in the previous frame.
“They’re obviously a really fast team off the rush,” Watchorn said. “I think we just, early on in the game, didn’t have that same composure that we normally do…I think we played into their speed a little bit early on in the game.”
Halfway through the frame, BU received a penalty for interference, putting Northeastern on the powerplay. The Terriers successfully killed off the powerplay and even generated sustained offensive zone time but could not find the equalizer.
Despite obtaining more possession throughout, Northeastern seized an opportunity on the forecheck towards the end of the period. Lily Shannon collected the rebound off of teammate Jaden Bogden’s shot and put the puck past Shanahan, who had no chance to cover.
The Terriers unraveled after this.
Just forty seconds later, a shot from outside the circle by Jules Constantinople was tipped in by Bogden past Shanahan’s legs, putting BU in a 3-0 deficit.
The third frame started in the Terriers’ favor. Just a minute in, Northeastern was called for tripping, putting BU on the power play.
However, the Terriers had difficulty entering the zone and maintaining offensive pressure.
With the clock winding down, the Terriers pulled Shanahan for the extra attacker as a last-ditch effort with just over five minutes remaining.
After some sustained zone time, the Huskies swooped in, and Skylar Irving potted the puck into the empty net for the commanding 4-0 win.
BU’s offensive efforts were not enough to get past Jönsson, who was awarded Most Valuable Player for her outstanding performance.
“I thought we created a lot of good rebounds and chances,” Watchorn said. “But a combination of just good defensive compsures and the fact that [Jönsson’s] athletic for her size…a lot of the times, she scrambled well and kept them in the game with some big moments.”
While it may not have been the outcome that the Terriers wanted, this game still proved to be an undeniable win for women’s collegiate sports.
“Women’s hockey, it’s so special every time. I think I can speak for all of us in the hockey world, and probably everyone in this room,” Watchorn said of the game’s record turnout. “I don’t think anyone’s surprised anymore.”
In front of the record-breaking crowd, the Terriers continued to struggle offensively, now going 120 minutes without a goal.
“I think a lot of it is a mindset,” Watchorn said. “FInding lines that click, confidence in how we generate offense, but I do think a lot of it comes from our mindset right now, and we gotta get out of our heads a little bit.”
BU will look to bounce back with a weekend series against Holy Cross beginning on Friday, Jan. 24 in Worcester. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m., with streaming available on ESPN+.