Women’s Hockey: BU Defeated By Surging Northeastern Huskies

By Ethan Pott

Boston University Women’s Hockey (9-18-3, 7-12-2 HEA) fell to the Hockey East regular-season champion Northeastern University Huskies (24-6-1, 19-1-1 HEA), who have lost just twice in their last 14 games.

The Huskies outshot the Terriers 31-22 while winning 63 percent of faceoffs.

“I think we could have done better,” BU Head Coach Tara Watchorn said. “We weren’t able to win those puck battles enough to kick it down there.”

The teams traded shots back and forth, with neither dominating play in the opening minutes. The game’s first major event was a tripping penalty to BU senior defender Maeve Carey, and Northeastern went to the power play. The Huskies generated several chances, and the Terriers’ last line of defense came to BU junior goaltender Mari Pietersen’s rescue as Northeastern nearly placed the puck out of her reach and past the goal line.

Terrier senior forward Sydney Healey broke away in the last seconds of the penalty kill, but Husky freshman netminder Renna Trembecky saved the short-handed chance.

Northeastern senior defender Kristina Allard committed a holding penalty in her effort to stop BU’s alternate captain, and the Terriers went to the two-minute advantage. The Terriers managed only one shot on goal, which Trembecky stopped.

Twelve minutes in, Husky junior forward Allie Lalonde sniped the puck over Pietersen’s left shoulder, putting Northeastern up 1-0 and sending a sizable contingent of away fans into their first goal celebration.

Sophomore defender Tessa Demain took BU’s second penalty of the game late in the first, but the Northeastern power play went scoreless.

The Huskies threw one last punch in the first as freshman forward Emy McDermid tapped the puck past Pietersen for her second collegiate goal.

Watchorn said BU fell behind early due to “a lack of commitment to our game plan.”

“It’s subtle,” Watchorn said, “but the lack of commitment to changes and all those little things, you’re fighting energy and fighting momentum.”

Terrier senior forward Clara Yuhn found herself on a breakaway early in the second and beat Trembecky to get BU on the board, the score 2-1. It was Yuhn’s ninth goal and 18th point of the season, ranking her second on the team in both categories.

Northeastern sophomore defender Tristan Thompson took a tripping penalty, sending the Terriers to the power play once again. The Huskies’ penalty-kill unit held strong as BU managed only one shot on goal.

Northeastern senior forward Lily Brazis struck for the Huskies late in the second, putting Northeastern up 3-1. The middle frame wound down without further scoring.

Sophomore defender Keira Healey took a hooking penalty for the Terriers midway through the third. Pietersen saved a lone Northeastern shot on goal.

A scare came several minutes later as Husky sophomore forward Eloise Caron crashed to the ice in the middle of a puck battle and lay there for several minutes. She was ultimately able to skate to the bench.

The teams traded goals in the latter half of the final frame. First, Northeastern senior defender Jules Constantinople beat Pietersen from mid-range to put the Huskies up 4-1. Constantinople leads Northeastern defenders in goals – with six – and points – with 21.

BU retaliated off the stick of junior forward Neely Nicholson, who put the Terriers’ second of the night past Trembecky. The goal was reviewed, but upheld, and the score stood at 4-2.

Watchorn pulled Pietersen with less than two minutes to go. BU fought, confining the Huskies in their own end, but could not execute their passes. Northeastern freshman forward Stryker Zablocki broke away and scored on the empty net with less than a second to go, bringing the final score to 5-2, Huskies.

Watchorn said the team would emphasize developing “clarity” and “the vision that we’re expressing, going forward,” ahead of Hockey East Tournament play.

The Terriers will next host the UConn Huskies at Walter Brown Arena on Feb. 14.