Things were looking bleak at the end of 2009, as the Boston University Terriers had just closed the year losing back-to-back games to the Connecticut Huskies. The Terriers finished 2009 a distant sixth place in the Hockey East standings, eight points behind the league-leading Northeastern Huskies. In addition, the Terriers displayed several glaring weaknesses at the end of the calendar year, including a lackluster penalty-kill, an inability to protect leads and come back from deficits, and an overmatched defense.
Now, after a critical 3-1 victory over the Boston College Eagles on Tuesday night, the Terriers have vaulted themselves back to contention, after they have opened the 2010 calendar year on a thunderous note. This team has notched up victories over the Yale Bulldogs in addition to the Eagles and secured a dramatic come-from-behind tie against the Brown Bears. Furthermore, the Terriers have jumped to fifth place in the Hockey East standings, just one point behind Boston College and New Hampshire, three points behind Providence, and six points behind Northeastern. While still ranked low, the Terriers have played fewer games than Boston College, Providence, and Northeastern, so BU can make up even more ground in the coming weeks.
The primary reasons for the team’s turnaround have been stellar offensive production, improved penalty kill, and a drastic reduction in penalties. First, the Terriers have already collected a combined 12 goals and 91 shots through the first three games in 2010, and they have been able to generate quality shots through effective puck movement. Regarding the team’s offensive play, coach Durocher noted, “We have been able to control and dictate the tempo of the game over these past three games. In particular, the team is finally attacking the net and getting as many shots as possible from a closer range. Every offensive line has been playing phenomenally, so I have been able to get fresh wings to enter the game every time.”
Next, the penalty kill, which ranks dead last in Hockey East, has drastically improved over these past three games, as the team has pursued the puck in a more aggressive manner. Senior forward Laurel Koller (’12), who accumulated the game-winning goal over Boston College, noted regarding the penalty kill, “Our team has a whole has emphasized on improving the penalty kill. We worked on that over the break, and we have done a better job of limiting the opponents’ scoring chances.” Along the same lines, coach Durocher stated, “I think the biggest improvement we made over the time off was improving the special teams, especially the defense. We made an adjustment to this unit, as we have flooded all four players onto one side of the rink. This has enabled us to become more aggressive with the puck and has put the players in a better position to succeed.” The Terriers have not allowed a power play goal in 2010.
Lastly, the team, which has already received 114 penalties this season, has emphasized on committing fewer penalties In particular, senior forward Melissa Anderson (’12) has already encountered a team-leading 21 penalties, but she is becoming more self-conscious on the ice. She noted, “I am admittedly an aggressive player, but I need to focus on controlling my aggression on the ice. Coach has been harping on me all season about being in the penalty box too often, so I have to find a way to stay on the ice.” In the past three games, Anderson has only received one penalty. Regarding Anderson’s knack of receiving penalties, coach Durocher added, “Melissa [Anderson] has been putting our team in a terrible position every time she commits a penalty. She has been better, however, in controlling herself on the ice and not committing silly penalties.”
Even the players and coaches have begun to believe in this Terriers team, who are finally starting to gain a rhythm. Regarding the team’s outlook, coach Brian Durocher noted, “Look, I am extremely confident in my team right now. The one month break could not have come at a better time for us, as several of these players needed a mental break away from the ice, and they have all come away fresh and rejuvenated. Also, we got players like [sophomore forward] Jenelle Kohanchuk (’12), [senior forward] Melissa Tetreau (’10), and [sophomore defenseman] Tara Watchorn (’12) back, which has significantly boosted our team. All three of these people are world-class hockey players, who are important contributors to this team, so having them back has been big for us. Right now, the goal for this team is to compete for the one or two ranking in Hockey East, and I think we have the talent to do that right now. We have to just take this one game, one period at a time.”
Senior Melissa Anderson is additionally expecting great things from this Terriers team, as she stated, “I think this team has a realistic shot right now at doing some great, historic things. We are playing well in all facets of the game, and I am really confident that we can win the Beanpot, Hockey East, and even make the Frozen Four. This is clearly the best team that I’ve been on during my tenure here, and I feel we have the makeup to make a deep run this year.”
If the Terriers continue to improve and play well in every game, they will continue to position themselves into attaining future success.
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