Women’s Hockey: Quarterfinal round of Hockey East tournament set between Terriers and UVM

Featured image by Holly Gustavsen

By Hannah Connors

Boston University Women’s Ice Hockey (21-11-2, 18-7-2 HE) are set to take on the University of Vermont Catamounts (9-24-2, 7-18-2 HE) this Saturday, March 1st, at the Walter Brown Arena for the Hockey East Quarterfinal game.

The Terriers have done well historically over the Catamounts with a 44-12-8 overall record. This season, BU has defeated UVM in two out of the three matchups, most recently securing a 4-1 win in early February.

Captain Tamara Giaquinto was recently named the Hockey East Defender of the Year. Giaquinto is the third Terrier to win the award in program history and the first since Kasey Boucher in 2012.

“She’s done it all while being so graceful, an amazing leader and [she’s] leaving this program in a better place,” Coach Watchorn said of Giaquinto’s award. “I don’t think it could have happened to a better person.”

Giaquinto has been an exceptional offensive-defensive player, tallying 17 points this season (8 G, 9 A), and leads the team in blocked shots with 47. She set a career-high in goals, points, power-play goals, and shots this season.

BU is expected to start senior Callie Shanahan in net. Shanahan has proven to be rock solid for the Terriers during the regular season, boasting a .925 save percentage. 

For Vermont, senior Jane Gervais will likely get the nod between the pipes. Gervais currently holds a .910 save percentage. 

The Terriers will look to bounce back after losing back-to-back games against the University of Connecticut, which cost them the regular season Hockey East title.

“Yes, we wanted a different outcome at the end of the regular season,” Coach Watchorn said. “But…three of the last three games meaning something for us, getting exposed to that stress is something that I don’t think we’ve had as a program in a long time. I think it sets us up nicely.”

Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Walter Brown Arena. Streaming will be available on ESPN+, and radio coverage for WTBU Sports can be found on Mixlr.