Backcheck
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
In the wake of a 6-2 throttling of their host North Dakota, which supplemented a split of their season opening series, Boston University has a housewarming highlight for nearly all of its radiant new faces. Or, at least, those who were available to suit up on the weekend.
The likeliest of the attention magnets are just that at this hour. Volcanic scorers Jenn Wakefield and Marie-Philip Poulin led the team with two-game scoring transcripts 3-2-5 and 3-1-4, respectively. Both tuned the mesh twice in Sunday’s win.
One or two layers of limelight beneath that, freshman stopper Kerrin Sperry replaced sophomore Alissa Fromkin after Friday’s 5-4 shortcoming and proceeded to repel 21 shots, including 12 of 13 in the third period, to cement her first NCAA win.
Additionally, Sperry and Wakefield are now tied with rookie defender Kaleigh Fratkin –credited with two assists Saturday- for the team lead with a plus-4 rating. But most striking was the fact that Fratkin built up that rating all in Saturday’s loss, appearing on the ice for all four Terrier strikes while being absent for each of five UND goals.
And Fratkin’s prompt acclimation may ultimately be the Terriers’ most critical facet in the wee stages of this season as their blue line awaits the indefinite return of ailing stalwarts Catherine Ward and Caroline Campbell.
***
Gauging the results on the stats sheets Friday, there seemed to be an unannounced observance of Opposite Night secretly agreed to by Hockey East’s world class goaltenders. Northeastern starlet Florence Schelling authorized four goals (tying a college career high) on 36 regulation shots as part of a 4-4 draw at Syracuse while Providence minute-muncher Genevieve Lacasse was singed by Robert Morris, 5-4, on 31 shots.
But both junior starters and their respective teams earned swift reprieve on Saturday, the Huskies tipping over Union in overtime, 3-2, and the Friars countering the Colonials in a 5-2 decision.
The Friars, especially, were their own antithesis between Friday and Saturday. In the former contest, their offensive output didn’t trickle far beyond co-captain Jean O’Neill, who nailed a hat trick and an assist, but saw the 1-0 and 2-1 leads she granted her team evaporate in no more than 3:15 of clock time. And in a decisive space of 26:04, RMU owned the shooting gallery, 21-11, and the scoreboard, 4-0, immunizing them against PC’s two-goal rally in the final six minutes of the third period.
The following day, though, Providence saw 15 out of 17 skaters register at least one shot (team total: 49) against Colonials’ goalie Daneca Butterfield and 11 different players brushed the scoresheet –including Lacasse, who scooped up her fourth career assist- en route to a come-from-behind triumph.
Northeastern issued a similar rubber blizzard at the Dutchwomen, at least through the first two periods, which saw a grand total of 31 challenges for Kate Gallagher. Although only Siena Falino cracked the code in that span, it was enough to subsist through a seesaw tie until sophomore Brittany Esposito inserted the walkoff goal at 3:34 of OT.
***
Depth will undoubtedly, not unlike last season, be a word of mixed connotations for New Hampshire coach Brian McCloskey. That is, of course, unless he fosters and gels his unripe strike force with suitable swiftness.
But for their first day out, anyway, the Wildcat offense got by solely on the work of its top two lines and starting pair of point-based puckslingers. All of the top six forwards were credited with a point apiece and defenders Courtney Birchard and Margaret Hunt each pelted four shots on net as part of a 2-1 win at Connecticut on Saturday.
More critically, despite taking four of the game’s last five penalties, UNH did not allot UConn a single power play shot in any of those 5-on-4 segments.
Forecheck
Between the few established powers and abundant aspirants who have graduated beyond utter fantasy, there will be seven legitimate potential previews of the national tournament on this week’s interleague exclusive games.
Burgeoning College Hockey America heavyweight Syracuse will host New Hampshire and Boston College on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Providence and Connecticut will swap bouts with the likes of St. Lawrence and Clarkson on Saturday and Sunday.
And Northeastern will make a Saturday day trip to Quinnipiac for a matchup that will only be worth the full price if it is built around a grueling staring contest between goaltenders Florence Schelling and Bobcats sophomore Victoria Vigilanti, who led all of the nation’s stoppers with a .950 save percentage in 2009-10.
Weekly scoreboard
Friday, October 1
Robert Morris 5, Providence 4
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/wprvrmu1.o01
Northeastern 4, Syracuse 4
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/wnoesyr1.o01
Saturday, October 2
New Hampshire 2, Connecticut 1
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/wconunh1.o02
Vermont 2, McGill 2
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/wmcgver1.o02
North Dakota 5, Boston University 4
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/wbu_ndk1.o02
Northeastern 3, Union 2 (OT)
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/wnoeuni1.o02
Providence 5, Robert Morris 2
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/wprvrmu1.o02
Sunday, October 3
Boston University 6, North Dakota 2
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/wbu_ndk1.o03
Upcoming schedule
Friday, October 8
Boston College at Colgate, 7:00 pm
New Hampshire at Syracuse, 7:00 pm
Vermont at Rensselaer, 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 9
Clarkson at Connecticut, 1:00 pm
Mercyhurst at Maine, 1:00 pm
St. Lawrence at Providence, 2:00 pm
Boston University at Union, 2:00 pm
Northeastern at Quinnipiac, 3:00 pm
New Hampshire at Colgate, 4:00 pm
Vermont at Rensselaer, 4:00 pm
Boston College at Syracuse, 4:00 pm
Sunday, October 10
St. Lawrence at Connecticut, 1:00 pm
Mercyhurst at Maine, 1:00 pm
Clarkson at Providence, 2:00 pm
No comments:
Post a Comment