By Matt Foster
The delights and comforts of home are enough to keep anyone in a good mood. Any jovial feelings the women’s hockey team felt, however, have vanished after losing two straight games.
The Huskies looked shaky at best, losing their first two games after a four-week hiatus. They lost to Boston College 2-1 on Jan. 9 in Matthew’s Arena and 3-0 at Yale University Jan. 7, bring their record to 4-15-1 (3-9-1 HE).
Senior goalie Marisa Hourihan made 29 saves for the Huskies in the loss to BC, which improved to 7-7-4 (6-2-1 HE). Sophomore forward Nikki Petrich scored the lone goal for NU, tying the game 1-1 at 6:35 in the second off an assist from junior forward Ashley Bielawski. Sophomore forwards Krystal Strassman and Lindsay Wright scored for BC.
The Huskies felt even greater fatigue two days earlier against Yale. The effects of four weeks without a game could be seen in the opening period, allowing a goal three minutes into the game.
“We came out not ready to play in the first,” said head coach Laura Schuler, who has watched her team lose four straight. “We aren’t prepared for the little things, we should have been mentally ready to skate and we weren’t.”
The Bulldogs proved the dominant litter early on, taking the lead at 8:57 into the first on junior forward Jenna Spring’s sixth goal of the season.
The score remained 1-0 until 15:30 in the third, when Yale freshman forward Crysti Howson scored her fifth of the season off an assist from linemate Kristen Stopay. Senior forward Deena Capletta added the final goal on an empty Northeastern net at 18:43 of the final period. Howser and junior forward Regan Gilbride were credited with assists.
The loss is just another nail in the coffin of the Husky season, which began with high hopes but now has the team sixth in Hockey East play. An even bigger blow was dealt to the squad when junior forward and captain Amy Goodney was hurt during her first shift of the game in the opening period, to what Schuler said is likely a torn ACL.
Goodney, who led the team in points and assists last season, has been a constant presence on ice for the Huskies. The team hopes for the Hockey East All-Star’s quick return.
“She’s a big part of our team,” said junior forward Crystal Rochon, who was named Hockey East player of the month for December. “But we have depth to pick up her role.”
“She really keeps the forwards together,” said Hourihan, who was pulled due to knee pain in the third after making 27 saves. “She’s really a leader and an amazing athlete. The game went downhill after she blew her knee in the first.”
Regarding her own knee injury, Hourihan said, “I’ll be fine, and it’s Amy’s knee I’m concerned about.”
Freshman defender Courtney O’Conner, who Hourihan said, “can play any position she works at,” took Goodney’s place on the line. The freshman from Chicago has two points on the season, registering her lone goal against Quinnipiac University Oct. 19.
