Bookends (Week 18 Recap)
The women go 2-1 in the week, while the men drop their mid-Beanpot game to Merrimack
The women’s squad book ended their week with a win on Tuesday and Saturday to maintain their top spot in the league, while the men lost in overtime to Merrimack
Women’s
Northeastern (3-2 W (OT)), UConn (1-3 L), Providence (4-1 W)
The Terriers opened the week with a big win over their crosstown rival Northeastern Huskies. Kaileigh Quigg opened the scoring 12 minutes into the second, after a scoreless first period. Quigg’s goal was the first Terrier goal against Northeastern outside Agganis in 413:57 and first BU goal vs. NU at Matthews in 326:57. Clara Yuhn extended the lead on the power play with her career high 3rd power play of the season. Northeastern did not back down, scoring 2 goals in quick succession at 14:10 and 15:43 in the third to send the game to overtime. In OT, Alex Law scored her second goal of the season to give the Terriers the win. The win ended a 14-game winless streak against the Huskies at Matthews Arena, winning their first game there against NU since January 18th, 2015 (4-3 W).
On Friday night, the other Huskies of Hockey East, the defending league champions UConn, paid a visit to Walter Brown Arena to take on the Terriers. In the first, the Terriers gave up a power play goal, ending a 35 kill streak dating back to December 6th vs. Maine in Orono. After UConn scored a second goal early in the second period, Neely Nicholson brought the Terriers back within 1. The goal ends a 188:30 goal drought against UConn for the Terriers. In the third, UConn extended their lead with a short-handed goal to earn the win. After giving up the power play goal in the first, the Terriers killed 8 of 8 penalties the rest of the game. It was the most penalties they’ve killed in a game since October 21st vs. Syracuse (8 of 8).
On Saturday, the Terriers got back to their winning ways against the Friars. After Providence opened the scoring in the second and taking a lead into the third, the Terriers exploded for a 4 goal third. Sydney Healey continued her scoring tear with her 12th of the season. Maeve Carey scored her first goal as a Terrier to give BU the lead for good. Midway through the period, Alex Law continued her hot streak with her 2nd goal in the last 3 games. Sydney Healey caped things off with her second of the game. It was her second multi-goal game of the month. Healey has 7 points (4-3—7) in her last 4 games. The win over the Friars secured the Terriers a first round bye in the Hockey East playoffs and home ice in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019-20.
Other Notes
BU has won the Hockey East season series against NU for the first time since 2014-15
Sydney Healey recorded her second career 3 point game, with an assist on each of BU’s goals vs. NU—first since October 21st, 2023
Sydney Healey has 13 goals on the season, she had 12 goals in her freshman and sophomore year combined
The Terriers have beaten the three game season series against 3 teams—Holy Cross, Maine, Providence—their most in a season since 2019-20 (also 3)—Connecticut, Holy Cross, Vermont.
Men’s
Merrimack (1-2 L (OT))
Jack Harvey opened the scoring with his 8th goal of the season, third against the Warriors and first at Lawler Rink. Cole and Quinn Hutson both assisted on the goal, the second time this season that both Hutsons assisted on the same goal—January 11th vs. Vermont. Merrimack tied things up on the power play at 17:33 in the second. After a scoreless third, Merrimack got the game winner in overtime just 20 seconds into the period.
Freshman goalie Mikhail Yegorov saved 26 of Merrimack’s 28 shots on goal. BU held the faceoff advantage 28 to 20.
Other Notes
BU falls to 41-14-4 in mid-Beanpot games
It was also just their 2nd loss to Merrimack in the mid-Beanpot game all-time (4-2-0)
Advanced Stats
BU lost nearly every advanced stat category, the worst offenders being the Scoring Chance differential (-7) and the OZone Possession differential (-3:50). At even strenstrength,xG was 1.53 to 2.34 in favor of the Warriors.
Per Period xG: 1st (0.55-0.89, MC), 2nd (0.81-0.39, BU), 3rd (0.92-1.34, MC), OT (0-0.25, MC)
Quinn Hutson was BU’s top performer in terms of Game Score, the 6th time he has done so, which leads the team. It is also the 4th straight game a Hutson has lead the team in Game Score—Quinn (2), Cole (2).
BU recorded just 1 high danger shot attempt (.22 xG) which came at 16:10 in the first and was saved, Merrimack record 4 (.87 xG), all but one was saved, that one resulted in the game winning OT goal.
BU held the xG lead from the 31-minute mark to the 53-minute mark, but was unable to got anything past Merrimack in that span.
All but 3 Terriers with more than 15 mins of ice time record an xG% over 50—all above 60%.