Women’s Hockey: No. 12/13 Terriers hold on against New Hampshire, 2-1

Featured image by Matthew Allens

By Ryan Owens

The No. 12/13 Boston University Terriers (21-9-1, 18-5-1 HE) held on to defeat the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (15-15-1, 11-13-0 HE) in a close game at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex in Durham, N.H. on Friday.

The win is the Terriers’ seventh win in their last eight games, bolstering their lead in the Hockey East standings.

“Three big road points, we’ll take it,” coach Tara Watchorn said following the victory. “It’s not an easy rink to play in…proud that they stayed disciplined and settled in.”

BU scored once in each of the first two periods thanks to efforts by Christina Vote and Maggie Hanzel, providing them a 2-0 that would be cut in half but never eliminated. The game would be the Terriers’ first win against UNH in their last three matchups.

Callie Shanahan started in net for BU, stopping 21 of 22 shots faced during the game. 

Comparatively, Wildcats goaltender Sedona Blair gave up two of the 20 shots she faced.

Vote beat Blair late in the opening frame on the five-hole following passes from teammates Maeve Kelly and Lindsay Bochna.

“She’s been hitting the skill sessions lately,” Watchorn said of Vote. “I like to think that she’s feeling the hard work pay off.”

Hanzel’s goal came after her shot from the blue line took a bounce, doubling the lead for the Terriers in the middle frame.

“Honestly, I was just trying to get the puck on the net,” Hanzel said when describing what would be the game-winning goal. “I think it took a fortunate bounce, but I’ll take it.”

UNH would score off the back of a power-play opportunity, as the Wildcats’ Alyson Hush used the open ice to cut the lead in half to 2-1.

New Hampshire pulled their netminder with just under two minutes left in the third period. However, BU held on defensively and kept the puck out of the net to secure the victory.

The Terriers failed to capitalize on the power-play throughout the game despite having three chances to do so. UNH would go one-for-two on the advantage.

“I think it just generates more confidence and belief in each other to be able to pull it off, even when it’s not pretty,” Watchorn said. “When we put shifts together and periods together, it can look even better than that.”

BU will head back home to finish the weekend series against UNH at Walter Brown Arena on Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will be available on ESPN+.