Women’s Hockey: Terriers Close First Half With Home-And-Home Series Against No. 7 UConn

By Marianne Zemmes

Boston University Women’s Ice Hockey Team (4-10-1, 4-5-1 HE) will close out the first half of the season with a home-and-home series against No. 7 University of Connecticut (12-3-1, 5-1-0 HE).

“I think that we are building better momentum with quality victories and ways to build our identity,” BU Head Coach Tara Watchorn said. “I feel really good about our ability to build the offense and execute it as a group and to be able to maintain the momentum and find different ways to win.”

BU most recently shut out Holy Cross 3-0 in a Tuesday night contest at Hart Center Rink. Seniors Lilli Welcke and Luisa Welcke each scored one goal and recorded one assist on the other’s tally. Freshman forward Mia Vergilii scored her first collegiate goal, while seniors Sydney Healey, Clara Yuhn and Maeve Kelly also recorded assists.

Junior goaltender Mari Pietersen made 19 saves in the shutout, the third of her career. All of her collegiate shutouts have come against Holy Cross.

“It was fun to watch,” Watchorn said of Pietersen’s recent performances. “I think she’s had a lot of good games this season, but right now I think she’s in the zone in terms of finding ways to win. You can see that not only in the saves she makes, but also in the quality of the saves and the presence she has in the net.”

Thirteen Terriers have found the back of the net this season, while 15 have recorded at least one assist. BU leads Hockey East with a .557 faceoff win percentage, which ranks seventh nationally.

The Terriers own the sixth-best scoring offense in Hockey East and a penalty-killing percentage of .800, sixth in the conference. Li. Welcke leads BU in faceoff wins with 176, ranking third in Hockey East and 28th in the NCAA.

Pietersen’s save percentage (.915) ranks seventh in Hockey East, while graduate student goaltender Michelle Pasiechnyk’s .905 mark is 10th. Yuhn is currently on a six-game point streak with three goals and four assists.

Healey continues to lead the Terriers in points (14), goals (7) and assists (7). Her two game-winning goals are third in the league and 21st nationally.

UConn enters the weekend with a 12-3-1 overall record and 5-1-0 mark in Hockey East play. The Huskies are 8-2-0 at home and 4-1-1 on the road. Most recently, UConn defeated No. 9 Quinnipiac 4-3 and Yale 3-2 in the Nutmeg Classic.

The Huskies are riding a four-game winning streak, scoring at least three goals in each contest. UConn has been shut out once this season, losing 2-0 to then-No. 10 Clarkson on the road — the Huskies’ most recent road loss. Their last home defeat came against Boston College, 2-1, on Nov. 8.

“I like the opportunity we have to prove that we have maturity in our game,” Watchorn said. “If we can make the argument that Holy Cross and UConn play a similar philosophy and that the middle of the ice won’t be there, obviously they have just as good, if not better, firepower, and they’re going to make us have to do it at a different level.”

Forward Julia Pellerin is tied for the lead in Hockey East in game-winning goals with four. Goaltender Tia Chan leads the league in wins with 11 and in save percentage at .949.

BU holds a 31-21-9 all-time record against UConn and is 14-11-4 on the road and 16-10-5 at home in the series. The Terriers last defeated UConn on Nov. 19, 2022, in a 5-2 decision at Walter Brown Arena. BU last went unbeaten against the Huskies on Feb. 3, 2023, winning in a shootout after a 2-2 tie. The Terriers’ last road victory came on Feb. 18, 2022, in a 2-1 outcome at the old Freitas Ice Forum.

Saturday’s home game will feature a teddy bear toss in support of Boston Medical Center. Fans can purchase bears to toss at the game for $10.

The Terriers travel to the Toscano Family Ice Forum for a 6 p.m. puck drop on Friday, Dec. 5, before hosting the Huskies at Walter Brown Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. Both games will stream on ESPN+.