Women's Hockey Trounces Vermont 4-0

by Danielle Medina

Senior goalie Melissa Haber (’10) backstopped the No. 7 Boston University women’s ice hockey team (4-3-5, 2-2-1-1 Hockey East) to their first shutout win of the season Wednesday night over Vermont (5-6-0, 1-4-0) at Walter Brown Arena by a score of 4-0. After gutting out a tough shootout win at the University of New Hampshire on Saturday and having only a four-day turnaround to prepare for the Catamounts, the Terriers looked surprisingly fresh in the win.

“I think it was much needed for me,” said Haber (16 saves) of earning her first shutout since becoming a full-time starter and sixth shutout of her career. “I feel pretty good. I feel solid. My confidence is there.”

“It was a thorough win,” head coach Brian Durocher said of his team’s performance as a whole, “I think this was by far the best sixty minute game we’ve played.”

The first ten minutes of the game consisted almost entirely of breakaways and counterattacks, with neither team able to create an offensive possession of any length or establish a forecheck. On one such rush, freshman forward Jill Cardella (’13), the reigning Hockey East Rookie of the Week, became the first to put one behind Vermont’s senior goalie Kristen Olychuck. With a pass from senior forward Jonnie Bloemers (’10) that knuckled over the stick of a Catamount skater, Cardella ('13) broke free up the left side and shifted to her backhand to beat Olychuck 1-on-1.

Then with just 8.5 seconds left in the opening frame, junior forward Lauren Cherewyk (’11) scored to make it a 2-0 lead for the Terriers. Cherewyk ('11) was assisted on the play by her linemates – junior forward Jillian Kirchner (’11) and sophomore forward Jenelle Kohanchuk (’12).

BU pushed their lead to 3-0 in the second period on a power play goal from Kirchner ('11). Catamount senior defenseman Melanie Greene had hardly sat down for her second minor of the period when a quick shot on net and scrum around the crease put the puck home after barely 13 seconds had ticked away. Kohanchuk and Cherewyk got the assists, giving each member of the second line a two-point night (Cherewyk and Kirchner with a goal and assist each and Kohanchuk with two assists).

The third period brought a record-breaking goal from senior forward Melissa Anderson (’10), which gave BU it's fourth and final goal of the evening. The goal was Anderson’s ('10) 103rd point of her career, giving her sole possession of the top spot on the list for most points recorded in program history. Anderson scored the goal off a rebound in the slot from freshman defenseman Kathryn Miller’s (’13) shot.

“She’s been a very consistent, steady player…who may end up with her best year ever this year before it’s all said and done,” Durocher said of Anderson.

The Terriers will take the ice again on Saturday, November 14 at 2:00 p.m. when they host Providence. It will be the women’s hockey team’s only home game held at Agganis Arena this season (instead of Walter Brown).