Boston University women’s hockey proved one thing tonight.
They are back.
Prior to their matchup against No. 7 UConn (12-3-2, 5-1-1 HE) tonight, BU (4-10-2, 4-5-2 HE) had walked away with two wins and a tie in their past three games. They had made obvious strides from their slow start to the season, but none were as convincing as tonight.
BU walked away with a 1-1 tie and a shoot out win.
Here are three takeaways and how it happened.
The Terriers were able to hold off Julia Pellerin
Former Hockey East scoring leader, and Boston College transfer, forward Julia Pellerin, was a player to watch coming into this matchup for BU.
She uses speed on the wings to skate past defenders and put pucks on net. In the first period, Pellerin had many of these chances, putting three shots on net in the first period, all starting from this type of breakout.
After the first frame, the Terriers were able to get in front of Pellerin. They effectively shut her down, and in the rest of the game Pellerin’s offensive presence was substantially less.
Welcke-Welcke-Walsh line thrived.
Though they did not tally on the night, the Welcke-Welcke-Walsh line was as the ESPN+ broadcast called them “the best line of the night.”
They tallied 18 shots and generated the highest quality of chances on the night. On numerous occasions, senior forward Riley Walsh would break the puck out from the defensive zone, feeding it up the ice to one of the Welcke sisters. The twins would carry the puck down to the goal line, pass into the slot and attempt a quality shot.
Sydney Healey delivered, as always, when the Terriers needed it most.
If there is one thing that the senior assistant captain has made clear, it’s that she knows when to deliver. From scoring the Hockey East Championship overtime game-winner, or tallying a shootout goal against Providence, she is able to provide when BU needs it most.
Today, she did the same.
The first period was marked by a slow 30 minutes. Shots-on-goal, faceoffs and the score was even for both teams, and though both teams had multiple quality chances neither could capitalize until Healey broke out during a penalty kill.
Junior defender Maya Serdachny caught up to Healey attempting to shut her down before she could let a shot out on net, Healey switched from her back hand to her forehand to notch the first goal of the game for BU.
Though UConn tallied at 16:50, Healey’s goal marked a turning point in BU’s game. The Terriers inserted themselves on puck battles and in the forecheck, and for the rest of the second period, BU looked like the better team.
How it happened
The first period was quiet from both teams. At 14:04 Luisa Welcke was called for goaltender interference, but the Terrier’s penalty kill edged out UConn, limiting their shot-on-goal chances.
At the end of the first period shots on goal read 11 for both teams and though UConn had a slight advantage in the quality of opportunities they were able to produce, neither team pulled a convincing winning presence over the other.
At 13:22, Tessa Demain was called for hooking while attempting to stop a breakaway by the Huskies.
Shortly after, Maeve Kelly was called for interference leaving BU with 29 seconds of 3-on-5 play.
After killing off the 3-on-5, BU used momentum to their advantage. Sydney Healey broke out of the defensive zone on a breakaway as Serdachny encroached on Healey. Healey brought the puck backhand to fronthand netting the first goal of the game.
Claire Murdoch netted the Huskies first goal of the night at 16:50 in the first, slipping a wrister past Mari Pietersen stick side.
Sydney Healey and Lilli Welcke scored in the shootout, lifting the Terriers to a tie that ended with a shootout victory.