So much of Lexie Bertelsen’s impact this season hasn’t come in front of goal, but when a golden chance presented itself on Saturday afternoon, BU’s freshman looked like she’d been scoring at Walter Brown Arena for years.
She had time to think about it — which isn’t always the best thing — as she skated into a breakaway chance with only Merrimack goalie Adreanna Doucette to worry about. Bertelsen used a three-part move, initially feigning a straight-up wrister before quickly transitioning to her backhand, as if she was trying to glide past Doucette to the right.
The Warriors’ netminder took the bait, and Bertelsen immediately went back to her forehand, calmly lifting the puck into the left side of an open net. Her team was by no means perfect in the matinee matchup with Hockey East’s last-placed team, but BU was clinical, and it will leave the weekend with a sweep because of it.
Bertelsen’s second-period tally (her third collegiate goal) was the game-winner, and the 3-1 victory put the Terriers (9-15-3, 7-9-2 HE) on a much-needed win streak after they entered the series on a four-game skid.
BU senior Sydney Healey scored the opening goal early in the first, when she retrieved a rebound behind the left side of Doucette’s goal and wrapped around to score on the right. Healey sealed it midway through the third, blasting a slapshot past Doucette on the power play — an important tally for BU’s slowly-improving power play. The assistant captain is up to a team-leading 15 goals on the year.
It was another superb day at the office for Bertelsen’s second line, which for most of the season has made its hay creating turnovers on the forecheck. But coach Tara Watchorn’s “energy line,” which includes junior Greta Henderson and senior Riley Walsh, is starting to create legitimate production in the offensive zone, too. That was true in BU’s 3-0 victory at Lawler Arena on Friday, even if the line didn’t score at even strength (though Henderson did tally shorthanded off a turnover). Bertelsen, the right winger, actually had a chance to score earlier in her goal-scoring shift, when she crashed to the net on a centering pass from a teammate, but she couldn’t redirect the puck onto goal.
That shift was telling for another reason, because in between her missed chance and her goal, Merrimack created a Grade A at the other end. But the Warriors, who outshot the Terriers 28-24 and produced dangerous looks all game, couldn’t crack BU goalie Mari Pietersen.
The junior, making her first start since the Beanpot final loss to Harvard on Jan. 20, made 27 saves. She stood on her head on multiple occasions, especially in the third period, when Merrimack peppered 13 shots on her net.
Here are two takeaways from the victory:
Mari Pietersen returned in net.
If Watchorn has proved one thing in her lineup choices, it’s that she likes to keep folks on their toes. Through BU’s dreadfully slow start to the year, net time was split between Pietersen and graduate Michelle Pasiechnyk — until December.
Pietersen started in seven consecutive games, anchoring BU wins in the Friendship series and Beanpot semifinal against Northeastern.
In the Beanpot final against Harvard, Pietersen conceded the overtime penalty shot that led to the Terriers Beanpot loss for the third consecutive year. Until Saturday, she had yet to see the ice since.
On Friday, Pasiechnyk started in net and recorded her first shutout as a Terrier.
“I’m not sure the route we’re gonna go yet, but we’re pretty confident with either of them in the net right now, so that’s a good problem to have,” assistant coach Megan Quinn said postgame Friday.
Saturday, Pietersen started for the first time since the emotional Beanpot loss and proved why she’s played more minutes than Pasiechnyk. — Hannah Connors
There’s still plenty for BU to figure out.
Watchorn spent a fair portion of the game in animated debriefs with individual players on BU’s bench. Those aren’t uncommon — she is the head coach, after all — but Watchorn looked like a woman not overly satisfied with the product in front of her.
This was an even game that could’ve gone either way (and Merrimack will have good reason to feel it should’ve gone theirs). Given the Terriers’ aspirations, and the Warriors’ 2-15-1 Hockey East record, that’s not great news. BU didn’t dominate on Friday, either, and Watchorn’s group still doesn’t look like the team that upset mighty Northeastern three weeks ago.
A sweep is a sweep, but with only six games left until the Hockey East tournament, BU’s got work to do. — Sam Robb O’Hagan