PHOTO BY JASON EGGLESTON, BC ATHLETICS
Lynn native Katie Burt looks to continue her stellar career as the Boston College womens hockey team’s goalie.
By JOSHUA KUMMINS
Last season was a historic one for Katie Burt and the Boston College women’s hockey team.
It was a team that, as the Lynn native goaltender said in March, “made history more times than you can count.”
But, still, its end ― a loss to Minnesota in the Frozen Four title game at Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H., the only blemish on a 40-1-0 record ― left a lot to be desired.
Things are a little different as this young season continues on The Heights. Gone is Alex Carpenter, one of the most prolific scorers in women’s college hockey. Thus, the Eagles feature a different look and numerous young players making contributions.
In back though, it’s the same old story as Burt begins her junior year.
“We need everyone playing well, and she came up with big saves when we needed big saves. That can certainly turn your team around and help your team keep pushing forward offensively,” BC head coach Katie Crowley said following Friday’s scoreless tie with No. 3 Quinnipiac. “I think we’ve played better at every position and Katie’s a part of that.”
For BC’s standards, the beginning of this season was a disappointment. Burt and the Eagles were outscored 8-5 in their season-opening series at Minnesota Duluth, a series that ended with BC’s first regular-season loss since Feb. 2015.
After sweeping Maine and beating New Hampshire, the Eagles’ 52-game undefeated streak in Hockey East play came to an end with a road loss to the Black Bears the following week. They bounced back in a big way this weekend with a tie and win against Quinnipiac, thanks to a total defensive effort and Burt’s 40 saves on 41 shots. Twenty-three of those came Friday in her first shutout of the season, the 24th of her career, in a scoreless tie. She was named Hockey East Player of the Week for her efforts, the first such award Burt has received, and her 10th career conference weekly honor.
“We are giving up a lot less odd-man rushes, and I think that’s huge,” Burt said. “Our D is also keeping the forwards on the other team to the outside, so I’m seeing pucks a lot better.”
Burt allowed a career-most five goals in BC’s 5-2 loss in Duluth on Oct. 1, but has quickly bounced back, surrendering a goal or less in five of her last six contests. (In fact, Burt had allowed more than three goals just twice before at BC.)
Despite a 1.92 goals-against average and .915 save percentage, Crowley says Burt has done a nice job adjusting to what has been an increased workload, playing behind a defensive corps without a single senior.
“They’re certainly keeping her on her toes back there,” Crowley said as Burt has come up with 22 or more saves in three of BC’s eight games so far, a number she exceeded just ten times last year. “We’re still feeling that part out and figuring out that defensive zone all together. I think she’s done a pretty good job of when she sees pucks, what she’s doing with them and where she’s placing them for our players.”
Several times last season, Burt went untested for long stretches of games. While that hasn’t happened to the extent it has in the past, it is still a challenge to overcome, especially against stronger offensive teams like the Eagles faced in Duluth and Quinnipiac and the likes of Boston University and Northeastern upcoming in Hockey East play.
Overall though, those are the games Burt likes to play in.
“It’s much better to play in a game when you know you’re getting 25 shots than when you’re getting 15, but I think there still was a long stretch they didn’t have a lot of shots (on Friday) for the majority of that third period,” Burt said. “That can be kind of tough because Quinnipiac is a great team and they can put the puck in the net before you know it.”
As the Eagles’ defensive corps suggests, it’s a young team overall. Crowley hopes this is the point in the season her team can find some consistency.
“We’re a fairly young team,” Crowley said. “One of the things we have to realize is that we have to be a little bit more consistent with how we play. … We’re pushing through some things, and I think we’re hopefully getting to the point where we start to settle in.”
Names and notes
- Saugus native Mike Vecchione scored six combined goals in the Union College hockey team’s wins over RIT and Niagara this weekend, increasing his national-best point total to 13 through six games. In Saturday’s 5-2 win, Vecchione became the first Dutchmen player with a four-goal game since 2010 and matched his career-high with five points. The Malden Catholic product also leads all Division 1 players with eight goals, including four on the power play, and 96 faceoff wins.
- Marblehead’s Lexie Laing scored while Brianna Laing made 28 saves and assisted on her sister’s game-winning goal as the Harvard women’s hockey team opened its season with a 5-1 road win over Ivy League rival Dartmouth on Sunday.
- Peabody’s Athan Goulos of the Endicott College men’s golf team finished fifth at the New England Intercollegiate Golf (NEIGA) Division III Championships at The Captains Course in Brewster, Mass., shooting a two-day score of 151. Goulos, a NEIGA All-New England Team member, has now finished in the top five four different times this season.
- Lynn native and St. John’s Prep alum Michael Fawehinmi recorded a blocked punt in the Bentley University football team’s 27-7 win over Stonehill on Saturday. Lynnfield’s Andrew Kibarian led the Stonehill defense in defeat, posting ten tackles, including four for a 13-yard total loss, one sack for a six-yard loss and a forced fumble.
- St. Mary’s alums Kaylin Deschenes of Lynn and Molly Carey of Swampscott each scored a goal and an assist in the Emmanuel College women’s soccer team’s 6-0 win over Mount Ida in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference regular-season finale Saturday.