After starting the season 2-10, the Terriers built momentum with the type of play they displayed against BC and put together a month of strong performances. But since the loss to BU Beanpot, the team has been reeling.
The Terriers have not been able to string together 60 minutes of playing time lately.
“The goal to help that is to simplify,” head coach Tara Watchorn said. “Simplify, clarify, and get everyone on the same page working on a simple game plan.”
The situation is dire, with a split series against PC (at Walter Brown Arena on Friday) and BC (at Conte Forum on Saturday) being the final weekend of the regular season for the Terriers. They have now lost four games in a row. Yes, they played two top teams in that span, No. 5 Northeastern and No. 6, but BU didn’t deliver a convincing performance.
The Terriers generated, but Northeastern’s depth and finishing capabilities proved too great. The Huskies scored four even-strength goals off their top line: Lily Shannon, Stryker Zablocki and Éloïse Caron. BU’s early preview was encouraging and showed similar ability to his performance against the Huskies in the Beanpot semifinals.
As for BU’s performance against UConn, it was much less promising. The Terriers generated no offense. Although the score was 2-0 at the end of the game, the Huskies scored one goal as an empty netter.
Goalkeeper Michelle Pasiechnyk shone between the pipes and made 34 saves.
“She’s got it right here, which makes it quite difficult to score,” Watchorn said.
BU’s defense held up quite well despite playing with only five defensemen, and sometimes only four due to a big penalty taken. Yet BU struggled to create attacking momentum, going more than twenty minutes without a shot on target and creating virtually no high-risk chances.
But that imbalance is exactly what Watchorn wants to address this weekend.
“We will continue to make sure that the way we change, the way we anticipate and the way we defend is consistent and difficult to play against,” Watchorn said.
The Welckes return from the Olympic Games
Luisa and Lilli Welcke returned to campus on Wednesday after representing Team Germany at the Olympic Games.
The twins reached the quarter-finals before falling to Canada, with Lilli recording one assist and Luisa adding three points of her own. Their return to Comm. Ave is highly anticipated as the Terriers have been skating on a short bench since the pair left after the Beanpot in late January.
While Watchorn didn’t confirm they would play this weekend, she said, “It’s senior night, so it would be hard not to at least put them in a jersey.”
Exploring the brothers and the eagles
Boston College is currently tied with Holy Cross in the Hockey East standings and sits third in the league with 36 points in 22 games played. Freshman forward Ava Thomas leads the Eagles with 18 goals and 24 assists. She has become one of the top freshmen in the country. Her speed and scoring touch consistently drives BC’s offense.
The Eagles thrive on quick-attack opportunities, often capitalizing on opponents’ turnovers into dangerous rushes — the same formula that helped them take control of their series against BU earlier this season. Their position in the standings allows them to comfortably bypass the first round of the Hockey East tournament.
Providence, meanwhile, finds itself in a much more precarious position. The Friars are tied with BU on 25 points in 22 games and are ranked eighth and ninth in the league.
A win for both teams would secure home ice advantage in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
“They are definitely different teams,” Watchorn said. “I think Providence plays very assertively defensively. It takes a lot of time and space. At BC it does. You will see more of that assertiveness within that transition moment.”
#NOTEBOOK #regroup #Providence #final #series #regular #season