Friday evening was the game to watch as Northeastern women’s ice hockey (3-3-0, 1-1-0 HE) and Boston University (2-3-0, 2-1-0 HE) went head to head at Matthews Arena for the Huskies’ first Hockey East contest against their hometown rival this season. Despite losing the last 11 games to the Huskies, the Terriers were gunning for revenge, hoping to assert a win after an overtime loss to NU in last season’s Beanpot championship. 

The game was a representation of women’s hockey’s success, bringing PWHL stars back into Matthews Arena, including 2023 alumni Alina Mueller and Chloé Aurard for a ceremonial puck drop. About to start the women’s league’s second season ever playing respectively for the Boston Fleet and the New York Sirens, Mueller and Aurard’s appearance marked a new level of play for women’s hockey. The pros appearance concluded the last point of Boston camaraderie before players took off on the ice. 

The game started off tense, with both teams firing close shots. But Northeastern wasted no time getting on the board. Just under five minutes in, freshman forward Éloïse Caron came flying in to score a clean goal off an assist from senior forward Skylar Irving and senior defense Tory Mariano. As Caron skated on one knee down the ice in celebration, it became clear what player the Terriers needed to watch. The Huskies led 1-0. 

In the 15th minute, BU earned their first power play due to tripping by senior forward Taze Thompson. But senior goaltender Paige Taborski shined during the two minutes, saving two close shots from junior forward Luisa Welcke and graduate student defense Julia Shaunessy. Taborski and the Huskies kept the Terriers from converting. A strong shot by senior forward Christina Vote was blocked by Irving at the end of the period, keeping the Huskies’ defense strong.

Boston University’s graduate student forward Lindsay Bochna received a minor penalty for interference, giving the Huskies their first power play of the night. The first period ended with a minute and 20 seconds left in the Northeastern power play, and the Huskies were unable to convert when it resumed in the second. 

Northeastern dominated shots on goal in the first ten minutes of the second period, maintaining possession when the second Husky power play of the night started after sophomore forward Alex Law headed to the box for hooking. But soon after, graduate student defender Lily Yovetich received the same penalty for interference. The double penalty went without a goal but effectively showed that both teams were hungry to score.

By the second period, Taborski was proving herself unstoppable, saving seven close shots from the Terriers. BU wasn’t helping themselves by missing passes and not following through when they got a good look at the net.

With BU hungry to get on the board after a scramble in front of the net resulting in five shots on goal from the Terriers, finishing with a strong shot straight to the post from Law, tensions were high as freshman defender Tristian Thompson and junior defender Jules Constantinople verbally sparred with freshman forward Lola Reid.  

With less than five minutes left in the period, Irving and Bochna earned another double penalty: Irving slamming Welcke into the glass to get two minutes for boarding, while junior forward Holly Abela was crushed behind Bochna, who received a two minute call for interference.

While Abela took what looked to be the biggest hit of the game, head slamming against the glass moments before, the blow only seemed to fire her up more, returning two minutes later with new energy, carrying Northeastern to its second goal of the night fed to her by freshman defense Tuva Kandell. Her first goal since the 2022 season, post-game, Abela credited her teammates for setting up the opportunity. 

“It was a long time coming, but the energy from my teammates was just crazy,” she said.

Fifty seconds after Abela’s goal, Caron refused to let the Huskies’ momentum die, stealing the puck from the Terriers. In a run that had the stadium on their feet for the second time in the night, she effortlessly shot the puck to the upper right corner, cinching the third goal with 30 seconds left in the period assisted by Irving and Mariano.

The third period began with BU replacing senior goaltender Callie Shanahan with sophomore goaltender Mari Pieterson. With the Huskies leading 3-0, the Terriers looked at an increasingly difficult path to victory. 

With eight minutes to go, a penalty by junior defender Maeve Carey for tripping in a scramble by the Boston net was what caused a breaking point for two players. Tensions boiled over into a physical fight between Northeastern graduate student forward Jaden Bogden and senior defender Maggie Hanzel, who were both given penalties for roughing. 

Seconds later, Constantinople got two minutes for hooking and, with a fierce full body push to Caron, graduate student defense Julia Shaunessy received Boston’s third penalty for a hit after whistle just 20 seconds after the first two. 

After penalties had been served, sophomore forward Ella Blackmore came up from the second  line to score a victory lap of a fourth goal with a smooth assist from freshman forward Morgan Jackson who got the puck off a rebound from a Yovetich shot. In Blackmore’s first game of the season, her power proved the Huskies are deeper than their front line.

With five minutes left in the game following Blackmore’s goal, BU pulled Pieterson, leaving an empty net and a sixth skater. The Terriers were aided by a power play moments later after junior forward Mia Langlois was pulled off for tripping. 

As the Terriers attacked for the rest of the night, close shots coming in from Law, junior forward Riley Walsh and Welcke, the eye was not on a BU win, considering the 4-0 score, but whether Taborski would come out with her first shutout of the season. Taborski came out victorious time and time again, undoubtedly proving her ice time as she remained cool-headed amongst fierce competition. 

While players continued to bat back and forth verbally and physically, Taborski was in a world of her own, dancing to the media breaks while leading Northeastern to their first Hockey East win of the season, putting BU in their place with their 12th consecutive loss against Northeastern.

Post game, head coach Dave Flint was pleased with the night’s result and expressed hope that relying on lower lines and harping on shift length would keep the energy into the second game, excited by Blackmore’s goal, “We were a little reliant on our first line for goals and we wanted to try something different, and she stepped up in that role,” Flint said.

On Oct. 12 Northeastern faced off against Boston University on the Terrier’s home turf, turning in a 0-4 loss for the Huskies. The game reversed Friday’s score and gave BU a triumphant win over Northeastern for the first time since Oct. 8 2022.

Northeastern’s next competition will be another double header weekend, this time at Holy Cross (4-2, 1-1) Oct.18, followed by Matthews Arena on Oct. 19. The Huskies will look to break the three weekend strong curse of a tough loss on the second night of the weekend. Saturday’s home game advantage could be the factor that pushes them to their first consecutive weekend win.