Your Northeastern Huskies rolled into Walter Brown Arena tonight for the front half of a home and home with the Boston University Terriers. BU has been up against it as of late, going 1-2-1-1 over their last 5 with the only win against Harvard in the Beanpot (in case you’ve been living under a rock, the Huskies are the Queens of the Beans). On the other end of the spectrum are the Huskies, ranked 5th in the nation and winners of (now) 17 straight and with the chance to win 30 this year. I don’t know about you, but I’d call that a wagon.
Before we get into the game, I’d like to take a moment to address some issues directly with the new head of the NCAA: former Governor Charlie Baker. Since he’s a local guy, I’m sure he reads my write ups. Chuck, I implore you, treat these D1 athletes with the same respect that the men’s programs get. You’re airing these games on ESPN+ (which people have to pay for!), and the coverage is high school level competence. To all the camera operators out there, that black thing that everyone tries to play with? It’s called a puck and should be kept in the middle of the screen at all times. And maybe, to whomever is directing these feeds, how about you start filming when the puck is dropped to open the period? The viewing audience at home didn’t see an opening face-off until the 3rd period. And the refs? Holy smokes, please start reviewing these donkeys. I mean NU benefited of their incompetence tonight when Abbey Marohn blew an edge in the corner that got called for a trip, but how do 4 on-ice officials miss that? And when Taze Thompson is down on the ice and gets pushed around with a stick like a shuffle board disc directly in front of an official with no call? C’mon. Treat these women as D-1 ATHLETES, not anything less. This isn’t club or intramural sports, these ladies have worked their entire lives to get to this point. These are some of the best hockey players on the planet and they deserve better than high school AV and beer league refs. Ok, I’m gonna get off my soapbox and back to the game, but c’mon Bakes, get that nonsense cleaned up.
The teams started off fairly even with zonetime as BU was content to chip off the glass and out to start off their outlets in the first. The Huskies started to tilt the ice and were getting the better looks as the period progressed. Late in the first, Alina Müeller got the Huskies on the board when she converted a Maureen Murphy feed on the power play. Chloé Aurard settled the puck in the attacking zone and found Murphy high at the left point. Murphy walked the puck down the LW and put a shot on net that rebounded right to Müeller at the bottom of the RW circle. A quick one-timer past the sprawled out Andrea Brändli and the Huskies were off and running.
The 2nd period opened up with the teams skating 4v4 as the extra-curricular niceties started to ramp up as the first period unfolded. While skating 4 aside, the Huskies were whistled for an interference and the Terriers were awarded the seldom seen 4 on 3 power play. With BU failing to convert, the Huskies got some jump off the kill and The Captain got her 2nd of the night at the right post. Aurard did the dirty work behind the net and found Murphy camped at the top of the crease on the left side. Murph dusted off the feed and slid cross-crease to Müeller who was circling like a great white down at the RW circle. And that ladies and gents is your game winner. Murphy – Müeller – Aurard combined for the game’s 2 opening goals, I think HC Dave Flint may have found a decent line combo there?
BU got one back on a power play as Nadia Mattivi blasted a one-timer from the high slot through some traffic. BU was taking advantage of some uncharacteristic turnovers in the NU zone and it speaks to the level of play that the Huskies have going that the only occasions where BU gave them any trouble in their own end was during a PK.
BU wasn’t in it very long as the Huskies poured it on to end the middle frame. First it was Murphy as she finished off a Katy Knoll feed on the power play. The Premier Power Forward in Women’s Hockey Today drove the net down the RW and slid the puck back to Murphy as she rounded the net, Murphy came with the drop-knee one-timer and just like that NU was back up by a pair. They really do make it look easy.
At the end of the period, Müeller showed why you skate until the final horn as she notched a hatty with 0.07 seconds remaining. Müeller and Aurard had the cross-seam give and go and the puck ended back up on Müeller’s stick at the right circle with enough time to dust it off and send it past the diving Brandli’s reach. I mean, Alina comes on the podcast and all of sudden she goes 4-4-8 over her last 4GP and wins the Beanpot. I mean, I’d say that’s The Morning Skate Glow-Up that everyone has been talking about.
The third period was just a wait out the clock scenario. It was clear that the Terriers wanted to be just about anywhere else except for one the ice with the Huskies. You could see it in their posture and effort. I mean they had another 2-man advantage in the final frame and the Huskies had the better scoring chances. With less than a minute to play Marohn put a point shot on net and Kate Holmes was in the right spot driving the net to get a stick on the puck and re-direct it past Brandli. It would have been great to see a replay of the tip, but that’s the top notch camera work I was talking about earlier. Great to see Holmes get her first of the year. Quick shout out to Thompson for being a wrecking ball on the forecheck to initiate this sequence.
Stick taps to Gwyneth Phillips and the D Corp. The all-world goalie was tested a few times as the Huskies had a few “scrambly” moments in their own end, but Phillips shut the door and played excellent again tonight. I’m sure Todd was making plenty of notes in his book during a few of those sequences, but not about you Gwyn.
The Huskies and Terriers face off again tomorrow night at Historic Matthews Arena for the last regular season game and it’s Senior Night as well. See you at the rink. #HowlinHuskies
Game Notes:
- The Huskies have the longest winning streak in the nation at 17 games
- Chloé Aurard has 14 career SHG which is good for 3rd all time in Hockey East
- Gwyneth Phillips leads the nation in Save%, GAA and wins.
- How are you going to tell me that Alina Müeller doesn’t deserve the Patty Kaz?
- Lily Yovetich is a bad mama-jama. Solid D and laying the smackdown out there tonight.
- Katy Knoll was dominant at the dot winning 17 of 23 draws.
- The top line accounted for 11 points tonight. Sheesh.
- Maureen Murphy notched career point #200 on Müeller’s first goal. Is that good?
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