Women’s Hockey: Cats Chasing Dogs: Terriers crushed, 5-1, by Catamounts

By Ryan Owens

The Boston University Women’s Hockey team (7-14-3, 5-8-2 HE) fell to the University of Vermont Catamounts (11-12-4, 5-7-3 HE) 5-1 at Walter Brown Arena on Friday.

BU struggled with discipline in its third straight loss, following defeats to Holy Cross and Harvard in the Beanpot final.

“I don’t think it’s a simple answer,” BU Head Coach Tara Watchorn said. “We’re obviously coming into the weekend after an emotional loss, but that’s not an excuse.”

The victory extended Vermont’s unbeaten streak to seven games, going 5-0-2 during that span.

Four of the game’s six goals came on special teams, with the Catamounts scoring three on the power play and another shorthanded.

The first period saw both teams trading chances early. A dump pass found BU forward Neely Nicholson on a breakaway for the first dangerous look of the game, but Vermont goaltender Zoe Cliche turned it aside with ease.

The Terriers established sustained offensive-zone pressure about five minutes in, firing from the point and looking for deflections and rebounds. UVM’s defense held strong, however, blocking lanes and keeping the game scoreless.

BU’s top line connected in the offensive zone with crisp passing, but Cliche stopped the shot attempt before it could develop into a real threat, sending the game into the first intermission tied 0-0.

The second period quickly swung in Vermont’s favor. BU forward Lucy Thiessen went to the box for hooking, and although UVM did not convert on the power play, the pressure led to the game’s opening goal minutes later. Forward Darci Matson’s shot deflected through traffic past BU goaltender Callie Shanahan to give Vermont a 1-0 lead five minutes into the frame.

The Catamounts carried momentum through the next several minutes. Boston regained possession for extended stretches but struggled to create quality scoring chances as the period reached the halfway mark.

BU forward Sydney Healey, the team’s leading scorer, generated multiple dangerous looks late in the second, including a rebound scramble that led to a Terrier challenge for a penalty. After review, officials upheld the no-goal call, leaving the score unchanged.

Defender Lilli Welcke took a boarding penalty with five minutes remaining, and Vermont’s Rose-Marie Brochu cashed in seconds later, her long-range shot finding a narrow seam between Shanahan and the post to double the lead, 2-0.

Moments later, Lilli’s twin sister, forward Luisa Welcke, went to the box for boarding. On the ensuing power play, UVM’s Stella Retrum collected her own rebound and beat Shanahan five-hole to extend the lead to 3-0 at the end of the second.

“I think it’s a result of the breakdown that was happening 5-on-5,” Watchorn said. “You go into a situation that requires an extra level of focus, execution, and commitment to the game plan — and when that’s not happening 5-on-5, you see the same thing in special teams.”

The Terriers opened the third period with a power play after Vermont forward Sophia Deanzeris was called for hooking, but BU failed to generate many dangerous looks before the advantage expired.

The momentum swung back and forth until BU defender Riley Walsh was whistled for slashing. UVM capitalized again when Morgann Skoda pounced on a rebound in front to make it 4-0 Catamounts.

BU finally broke through with nine minutes remaining when Vermont’s Maisey Bojarski was called for hooking. Forward Keiry Healey one-timed a pass from captain Maeve Carey over Cliche’s shoulder for her first goal as a Terrier, cutting the deficit to 4-1.

Any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed. On another BU power play minutes later, Retrum struck again — this time shorthanded — to restore Vermont’s four-goal lead, 5-1.

BU continued to push late. Sydney Healey gave fans one final moment to cheer, speeding down the ice on a breakaway and deking past Cliche for her 12th goal of the season just before the final buzzer, trimming Vermont’s win to 5-2.

“We know these games mean a lot,” Carey said. “Just put it in the past and keep moving forward.”

Shanahan finished with 27 saves, while Cliche backstopped Vermont with 33 stops. BU outshot UVM 35-32 overall.

The Terriers now hold a 43-13-8 all-time record against the Catamounts and are 24-5-6 at home.

“That didn’t look like us out there,” Watchorn said. “Hopefully we’ll reset and have a performance to evaluate tomorrow.”

The teams will meet again for BU’s annual Pride Game at 4 p.m. Saturday at Walter Brown Arena. The game will stream on ESPN+.