Women's Hockey vs. #2 UNH Wildcats (11/1/07)

by Jeremy Binckes

Seven games into the 2007-08 campaign, the Terriers have yet to pick up a victory. Last season, which seems so long ago, Boston University was riding high, going 6-0-0 before falling to the UNH Wildcats.

Fortunately, the Terriers (0-5-2, 0-2-0 Hockey East) will have to play the Wildcats (6-1-0, 4-0-0 HE) only once more this season. In two games, the Wildcats have outscored the Terriers 7-2. UNH freshman forward Jen Wakefield, on the other hand, has outscored the Terriers 4-2.

“[Wakefield] is going to put goals in the net for [UNH],” said junior co-captain Gina Kearns.

The Terriers started out quick, utilizing fast breaks to put pressure on the Wildcats defense. In the Terrier zone, a strong back-check kept the Wildcats’ shot total close to that of Boston; BU trailed in the shot chart 6-4 after the first stanza.

“The first [period] was as good as we’ve played against this team, and as good as we’ve played against any other team,” said BU head coach Brian Durocher. “We played them step-for-step.”

Unfortunately, the Terriers were unable to get on the board despite a golden opportunity late in the period. With just under 4 minutes left to play, sophomore forward Micaela Long was sent to the box for interference, followed ten seconds later by junior defender Kacey Bellamy for checking. The Terriers were unable to capitalize on the 5-on-3, something which Kearns speculated gave the Wildcats momentum.

At the beginning of the second period, the Terriers had just over a minute to kill off junior forward Erin Seman’s tripping penalty. But Wakefield struck just 52 seconds into the start of the period, when she kept peppering junior goaltender Allyse Wilcox (33 saves) until the puck slipped through 5-hole to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

But before the Terriers could catch their breath, they fell down a second goal. Leah Craig, coming around the net to Wilcox’s left side, passed the puck through the crease to senior forward Sadie Wright-Ward, who found daylight between the right pad and the post to make it 2-0 UNH.

“I was probably more upset with the last 18 minutes than the two goals,” said Durocher. “We pretty much disintegrated there.”

However, when the Terriers looked flat, Wilcox stepped up. The junior netminder stonewalled the New Hampshire juggernaut, turning aside all 17 shots she faced in the remainder of the period and looked acrobatic in the process.

The Terriers returned in the third period with more vigor, with a tough task still ahead of them. The Wakefield (7) show continued when the Hockey East rookie of the month struck again halfway through the third period, carrying the puck down the right side through the neutral zone to score a power-play goal and seal the deal at 3-0.

Sophomore forward Nicki Wiart (1) gave the Terriers hope in her return, when she dumped a knuckle puck on net that skipped above Kayley Herman’s (14 saves) glove to cut the deficit to two goals.

But Duorcher’s plan to pull Wilcox with over 2:30 left to play came up short when senior forward Jennifer Hitchcock scored her 3^rd goal of the season to make it 4-1.

“We had the two lines we wanted to go out there,” said Durocher. They were “fresh.”

“It was not the 60 minutes we want,” Durocher added.

TERRIERS NOTES:

- This game marks the end of BU’s stretch of 6 consecutive games against nationally- ranked opponents. Three of those games were against the then-number 2 team in the nation (Mercyhurst, 10/12-10/13; UNH 11/1). The next time BU will play a ranked opponent, based on current standings, will be in a month, on December 1^st, when they go back to UNH and the Whit.

- The Terriers will have to turn-around quickly. Their next game will be Saturday, November 3^rd, against the Union Dutchwomen. You can hear all the action on the WTBU alternate stream beginning with the pre-game coverage starting at 2:40.