Women’s Hockey: Terriers Prepare for Turnpike Trophy Matchup

By Ethan Pott

The Boston University Women’s Hockey Team (3-10-1, 3-5-1 HEA) will travel to Worcester, Massachusetts to face the conference rival Holy Cross Crusaders (12-5-1, 4-4-1 HEA) on Tuesday.

BU has historically come out on top in the women’s ice hockey rendition of the Turnpike Trophy series. The Terriers are 13-6 against the Crusaders all-time and 6-3 in Holy Cross’s barn, giving them confidence despite their current record.

However, a down season for BU and a surprisingly hot start for Holy Cross could tilt the odds in the Crusaders’ favor.

Even so, the Terriers will look to build on momentum after their first series sweep of the 2025-26 season. BU beat the Providence College Friars on both Friday and Saturday, winning the first matchup 4-1 and taking the second 2-2 before winning in a shootout.

In that series, senior forward Clara Yuhn, senior forward Sydney Healey and sophomore forward Kaileigh Quigg drove the Terriers’ offense. Each contributed a goal and an assist over the weekend.

Those performances reflect their roles over the larger sample of the season. The three forwards are currently BU’s leading scorers: Healey tops the roster with 13 points (7G, 6A), Yuhn has 10 points (6G, 4A) and Quigg has added seven points (4G, 3A).

Yuhn, in particular, has been heating up, tallying points in each of her last five games, with three goals in that span. Her recent surge adds another dimension to BU’s attack heading into Tuesday.

Behind them, junior goaltender Mari Pietersen has been a stabilizing presence. She allowed only three goals while making 51 saves against the Friars and was recently named Hockey East Goaltender of the Week, making her the favorite to start against the Crusaders.

So far in the 2025-26 season, Pietersen has a 2.92 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. Those numbers underscore how often she has kept BU competitive despite the team’s losing record.

On the other side, Holy Cross has built a strong first half, winning 12 of 18 games and staying at .500 in Hockey East play. The Crusaders, however, have stumbled against ranked opponents, dropping both of their early November matchups to the UConn Huskies.

Recently, though, the Crusaders have been rolling. They are coming off a four-game winning streak that began with a 3-1 win against the Maine Black Bears on Nov. 15, continued with a sweep of the New Hampshire Wildcats on Nov. 21 and 22, and extended with a 6-2 victory over Division II Assumption Greyhounds on Nov. 29.

Offensively, Holy Cross is led by freshman forward Violet Carroll, who has 18 points (6G, 12A) this season. Supporting her are senior forward Lane Lewis and freshman forward Naemi Herzig, both of whom have scored 6 goals.

Junior forward Lulu Rourke adds another layer to the attack. She leads Holy Cross in shots with 62 and starred against New Hampshire, scoring in both games as part of the power-play unit.

In net, senior goaltender Abby Hornung anchors the Crusaders’ defensive structure. She started both games against New Hampshire, allowing only three goals while making 61 saves.

Hornung will be a tough opponent for the Terriers’ offense. She has started the majority of the Crusaders’ games and carries a 1.51 goals-against average with a .941 save percentage this season, numbers that highlight how thin BU’s margin for error may be.

Streaming will be available for the mid-week matchup on TSN+ and ESPN+.