BU women's hockey 'hits the ground running' in second semester with 3-0 win at Holy Cross

01/03/2025 08:14 PM

In her midweek video call on Thursday, Tara Watchorn had one word for the shape in which her Boston University women's hockey team returned from the winter break.

"Wow."

When puck dropped on Friday night at Holy Cross, it had been 29 days since BU last played a game. Watchorn said the team had only returned to organized team practices on Sunday, meaning the Terriers had spent 23 days apart after their Dec. 6 win over Maine. That certainly feels like a period during which the team's momentum could've burned out after a torrid start.

But not for these Terriers, who continue to pass every single test put in front of them.

"They took time to take care of their bodies, they used the resources there for them throughout the break," Watchorn said. "I've been pleasantly surprised with how they showed up to start the week… we've been hitting the ground running ever since."

And accordingly, No. 13 BU (12-5-1, 10-2-1 Hockey East) ran through the Crusaders (7-10-1, 3-8-1 HE) at the Hart Center Friday, earning yet another Hockey East win, 3-0, to remain atop the league with 33 points.

"I've been telling them, my whole career as a player and a coach, I don't think I've seen a team sustain the compete that this group has this long into a season," Watchorn said.

BU led in shots on goal, 30-14, despite going to the penalty kill seven times. Here are three more takeaways from the win:

Christina Vote finally scored… because she finally shot the puck.

The senior forward has been excellent this season, entering Friday tied for second on the team in points…off assists alone.

Vote's game clearly isn't focused on scoring, but she's appeared outright unwilling to shoot at times this season, despite constantly finding herself in dangerous positions. She found herself in another one on BU's first power play Friday, receiving a dangerous pass across the face of goal in the right circle. She wasted no time, tattooing a one-timer that squeaked through HC goalie Abby Hornung's five-hole early in the second period. It gave BU a 1-0 lead.

Also: In the first period, on a BU penalty kill, Vote carried the puck on a breakaway 2-on-1… and didn't elect to pass. Her shot was wide — just the 22nd she'd taken all year.

Riley Walsh was in the right place at the right time — again.

The junior forward won BU's fall-semester finale with a perfect deflection at Maine, and on Friday, she put the Terriers firmly in control midway through the second period by completing a pretty tic-tac-toe play off a face-off.

Alex Law won the draw, and Tamara Giaquinto immediately fired a one-time pass into the slot to Luisa Welcke, who delivered a perfect pass to the doorstep. Walsh, climbing from behind the goal, tipped it behind Hornung.

It was the sixth goal of the year for Walsh, a transfer from Union who's quickly becoming one of BU's most important forwards. She played at right wing on the third line and was centered by Law for the third consecutive game — perhaps, during a season in which Watchorn has shuffled the lines constantly, those two will remain together after another impressive outing.

BU's power play was phenomenal.

It's been a bizarre year for BU on the skater advantage. The Terriers' 18.2-percent power play ranked 21st in the nation coming in; certainly not a bad number, but BU endured multiple extended droughts throughout the first semester.

But after Friday, the Terriers have scored power-play goals in consecutive games. Vote’s tally was followed by an extremely similar one-timer from Lindsay Bochna on BU’s next skater advantage, which was somehow saved by Hornung (27 saves). But early in the third, Hornung was finally beaten again, as Giaquinto finished a barrage of shots for her career-high fifth power-play goal of the season. BU finished 2 of 5 on the skater advantage.

And speaking of special teams — the Terriers were even better on the kill, holding Holy Cross scoreless on an astounding seven opportunities (including a five-minute major in the third period). BU also very nearly scored two shorthanded goals in the first period.