Say what you will about the Boston University women’s hockey team, its poor record, or its results against quality opponents, but something you can’t refute is that the Terriers are making progress.
BU is 2-0-1 in its past three games — with the tie ending in a shootout win — and has earned convincing victories over Providence and Holy Cross. The Terriers (4-10-1, 4-5-1 Hockey East) are beginning to buy into the “proof of concept” that head coach Tara Watchorn continues to emphasize.
“We are building over time,” she said in her weekly media call. “I think that they’re feeling in game that when we build momentum and tilt the ice, they feel the difference.”
Watchorn feels like BU is building “meaningful momentum,” and that the team is starting to find its identity.
“I feel really good about where things are at in terms of our ability to build offense and execute as a group and be able to sustain momentum and find different ways to win,” she added.
While wins over the Friars and the Crusaders were crucial, No. 7 UConn is a major step up in competition. We’ll learn a lot about where the Terriers stand after a home-and-home series against the Huskies.
A stern test at a crucial time
The only Hockey East opponent BU couldn’t solve last season was UConn, losing three matchups against the Huskies — albeit the Terriers are a much different team this year.
Watchorn suggested that UConn and Holy Cross, who BU beat 3-0 on Tuesday night, play a “similar philosophy” in taking away the middle of the ice.
“I like the opportunity that we have to prove that we had the maturity in our game to play the long game right against Holy Cross and create offense and do it in a way that’s not forcing pucks through the middle of the ice,” she said.
“I think [against] UConn, that’s going to have to be the same, but obviously they have just as good, if not better, goaltending and better firepower, and they’re going to make us have to do it at a different level,” Watchorn added.
Saturday’s contest at Walter Brown Arena marks the end of the first half. The Terriers won’t play again until Jan. 2 in the Friendship Series in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Mari Pietersen in top form, Anežka Čabelová’s status uncertain
Pietersen, a junior netminder, has started BU’s last three games between the pipes, posting a .959 save percentage over that stretch, including her first shutout of the season against Holy Cross.
“Obviously she’s had a lot of good games this season, but right now, I really feel like she’s in it with the group in terms of just finding ways to win,” Watchorn said. “You see that not just in the saves she’s making, but in the quality of saves and the presence that she has in net.”
Through 15 games, Pietersen has started seven, while graduate student Michelle Pasiechnyk has started eight. Earlier in the season, when asked if she would settle on a true No. 1 goaltender, Watchorn said she wanted to reach a point where the starter is simply whoever is helping the team win. Right now, it’s hard to argue against not giving the net to Pietersen.
Čabelová, a freshman forward, didn’t play against Holy Cross due to an undisclosed injury. Watchorn said she’s day-to-day and that “there’s a chance” she won’t be available against UConn.
Scouting the Huskies
UConn boasts an impressive 12-3-1 record and sits at 5-1-0 in Hockey East play. BU is in a deadlock with the Huskies for fifth place in the conference standings, but the Terriers have played four more games (10) than UConn (6).
The Huskies have knocked off several elite opponents through their first 16 games, including St. Cloud State, Clarkson, and Quinnipiac. Their only Hockey East loss came on Nov. 8 — a 2–1 setback against Boston College.
Senior forward Kyla Josifovic paces UConn in points with 17 (eight goals, nine assists) in 16 games. The 2024-25 Hockey East Rookie of the Year, sophomore forward Claire Murdoch, ranks second on the Huskies with 11 points (three goals, eight assists). Murdoch tallied four points in three games against BU last season.
UConn’s best player is its goaltender, Tia Chan, now in her fifth season with the Huskies. In 15 starts this year, she’s posted a staggering .949 save percentage and recorded two shutouts. Chan is 5-1-1 in her career starts against the Terriers, with a .963 save percentage and two shutouts.