Through eight games of the 2025-2026 season, BU has recorded just one win. Watchorn’s first two years were all about building — whether it was confidence, momentum or, before the Terriers won Hockey East last March, maturity. Now, a quarter into this new season, as BU prepares for a road game in Maine, Watchorn’s third year is quickly becoming about survival.
BU sinks. After being overrun by conference rival Northeastern last weekend — and not in an inspiring way — it’s worth wondering how many more losses the Terriers can take before their heads sink underwater.
“Finding the little wins, finding the things to celebrate,” Watchorn said during her media call Wednesday when asked how she keeps her team engaged and confident.
There didn’t seem to be that many as BU fell to the Huskies, 3-1 on Friday and then a miserable 7-3 on Saturday. But Watchorn said Wednesday that the Terriers’ line changes — something she continually emphasizes — continued to improve, as did her individual players’ understanding of their roles on the team, something she criticized when BU was trounced at Colgate several weeks ago. She also said BU showed flashes of impressive play both in the neutral zone and in transition.
Why all these things couldn’t stop the Terriers from falling behind by four goals midway through the second Saturday is of course another question. But Watchorn is nothing if not an optimist. She will always find something to celebrate and will beg her players to celebrate with her. Hitting the panic button and throwing up their collective hands would do the Terriers no favors.
And hey, that unwavering positivity has worked before. It’s one of the biggest ways Watchorn turned a dormant program into a conference champion in two seasons.
“Obviously you want to get wins,” she said. “But it’s having patience. It’s not about lowering the standards or lowering the bar. But finding the little victories in everything we do, beyond the win-loss column, and beyond even the results we want in practice every day. We have to celebrate the little things.”
The only difference is that when Watchorn came back to BU with that mentality two years ago, the Terriers had nowhere to go but up. Now they have the expectations – internal and external – that come with defending a league title, something Watchorn admitted earlier this season. Therefore this is a completely different challenge.
And also: BU is 1-7. The Terriers’ record after eight games each of the past two seasons? 5-3 and 4-3-1.
A struggling defensive core – and penalty kill
Northeastern’s seven goals on Saturday (just one empty-netter) were the most BU has conceded in nearly a year, since last November’s 8-1 loss to Princeton. It was only the third time in Watchorn’s tenure that the Terriers allowed more than five goals in a match.
BU now allows 3.9 goals per game, the second-highest rate in the country.
“The D-Zone definitely got some energy this week,” Watchorn said. “But they’re more fundamental things… they’re things we’re all aware of. It’s just playing our game. And I think if things get messed up, we can get rid of that.”
The Terriers’ penalty kill, a year after finishing second in the nation, wasn’t much better: They’re at 77 percent, currently 38th in the nation.
“Just getting our new staff integrated and comfortable with what we’re doing and going from there,” Watchorn said when asked what struck her about the murder.
BU’s lack of discipline hasn’t helped: the Terriers are serving 13.5 penalty minutes per game, which is second-most in the NCAA. It was a problem for almost everyone, including senior captain Maeve Carey, who grabbed a five-minute major in the third period on Saturday that led to two NU goals.
“We just need more professionalism and calmness,” Watchorn said.
An ‘A’ for Neely Nicholson
The junior forward was announced Tuesday as an assistant captain, the fifth member of BU’s leadership group and the only non-senior. Nicholson joined Watchorn at Friday’s post-match press conference, a role reserved for BU’s captains.
She spoke confidently, with insights that echoed what Watchorn often preaches.
“She was always someone in our thoughts,” Watchorn said. “Having a junior who can carry that experience into next year is always helpful in the back of our minds. But she also makes it easy. The room was really excited when they found out. As soon as I asked the captains the question, it was a no-brainer. They wanted her there. She’s been someone we’ve included in leadership conversations since the beginning of the season.”
If Nicholson does indeed remain at BU and join the leadership group for her senior year, she will be the first BU player to carry a letter under Watchorn for multiple seasons.
Looking for the black bears
Maine is 2-6-1, but it only took Providence twice to overtime last weekend, with a win over No. 8 Colgate the weekend before. The Black Bears also took No. 10 Quinnipiac to overtime earlier this season.
Molly Engstrom’s group was picked in a tie for seventh place in Hockey East’s preseason poll. The Black Bears have struggled to score any more than BU; their 1.7 goals per game ranks eighth-worst in the country and their 0-for-25 power play ranks last. But their penalty kill – at 91.7 percent – was excellent.
“They’re tough to play against. They always have been,” Watchorn said. “I think they really turned that transition game against us last year, so it’s going to be important to be mature in how we maintain zone time.”
Freshman forward Isabelle Michaud (two goals, three assists) and senior forward Ava Stevenson (four assists) lead Maine in points.
Puck drop is Friday at 3:00 PM, Saturday at 3:30 PM
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