BC Bulletin

ECAC, Hockey East Takes Center Stage as WCHA rests: This Week In Women’s Hockey

A ranked matchup in Hamden highlights Saturday's matchups, as Vermont and Northeastern put undefeated conference records on the line at Matthews Arena.
Chris Vogel|
Lara Beecher fires a shot on net for Clarkson against Dartmouth on November 1
Lara Beecher fires a shot on net for Clarkson against Dartmouth on November 1 | clarksonathletics.com

Due to the Rivalry Series between the United States and Canadian national teams, the vast majority of the WCHA will take the weekend off, with the only two teams in action being Bemidji State and St. Thomas. Consequently, the two other top leagues have a chance to steal some eyeballs in what appears to be a promising weekend slate.

Hockey East will play a full weekend schedule for the first time this season, with ten games over two days. The ECAC will see two of its best teams in action as Quinnipiac hosts St. Lawrence and Clarkson travels to Princeton before the two sides clash on Saturday.

No.11 Clarkson heads to No.7 Quinnipiac in Marquee ECAC Matchup

The ECAC is taking advantage of the ECAC void by putting its best foot forward Saturday afternoon with a weekend series between two of its top teams. The Golden Knights and Bobcats enter the weekend part of a three way tie for second in the ECAC alongside Princeton, just three points behind league leader Cornell. The two sides came into the season as favorites in ECAC, with Quinnipiac picked first in the preseason poll and Clarkson right behind as the two teams received 11 of the 12 first-place votes.

The Bobcats have been one of the best teams defensively in the nation, conceding just 1.3 goals per game, including just three goals against in the last four games. A large part of the defensive success has been the willingness of the defensive core to block shots and protect Felicia Franks. Quinnipiac blocks ten shots per game, led by 23 for Ella Sennick and 16 for Zoe Uens, which has limited the opposition to just 23.25 shots on net per game. The shots that defense does let through, Franks has stopped at a .948 clip, seventh best in the nation and has let just 14 through in over 700 minutes of action.

If Clarkson wants to find a way to score and pull off the road upset, the Golden Knights will need to find a way to move the puck effectively to open up shooting lanes. Fortunately, perhaps no team in the ECAC is better prepared for the task than the one featuring Sara Manness, as the freshman from Winnipeg leads her class and the conference with 12 assists, good for third in the country.

In addition to Manness, the Golden Knights have strong veteran presences in seniors Lara Beecher and Sena Catterall who each have recorded seven assists for a squad that is averaging over three goals per game. In addition, getting to the power-play will be vital to generate chances as Clarkson ranks eighth in power-play percentage at 26.2% and third in the nation with 11 power-play goals.

Vermont Journeys to Boston to Face No. 9 Northeastern

Only three teams remain undefeated in Hockey East play, with two of them facing off this weekend as Vermont makes one last trip to Matthews Arena for a two-game set. The Catamounts look to build on an impressive weekend at home where they took four of six points off of league leading Boston College in a series at Gutterson Field House as a pair of third period goals by Josie Hemp and Morgan Skoda lifted the Catamounts to a 4-3 victory on Friday before Ellie Simmons saved all 31 shots she saved over the full 65 minutes of a scoreless tie.

Jim Plumer’s squad has shown it can play with the top of Hockey East, something it struggled with last year, going just 4-9-0 against the top four in the conference.

The one team the Catamounts managed to win the season series from that group a year ago was Northeastern, which comes into this series potentially looking to move into first place in the conference. With a tight battle for seeding between last season's top four, as well as potential dark horses including Vermont and Providence, the Huskies know that dropping points early in the year could be the difference come February and March.

The key for the Huskies so far has been senior Lily Shannon who is in the midst of a breakout season as she’s posted 14 points in just eight games, good enough to be named runner up for Hockey East Player of the Month in October. The former Hockey East All-Rookie member is already more than halfway to her career high in points and has matched her best mark of nine assists to pace the Huskies in both categories. Her three points last weekend helped Northeastern sweep Boston University in a Beanpot championship rematch, including a pair of goals Saturday in a 7-3 route.

A win in the series opener would lift Vermont to its first winning record in 675 days, dating back to midway through the 2023-24 season. A balanced attack has powered the Catamounts with half a dozen skaters recording five or more points, with four of the group in their third year of collegiate hockey. Stella Retrum and Lauren O’Hara lead the attack with Retrum leading the team with seven points and a share of the team lead with three goals and O’Hara picking up five assists as the offense has primarily ran through her. The scoring depth will have to contribute from the top line on down against one of the conference’s most talented goaltenders in Lisa Jönsson.

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Chris Vogel
CHRIS VOGEL

Chris Vogel has spent the last five years in sports media; including as a play-by-play broadcaster for ACC Network Extra and Hockey East on ESPN. He’s a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and in his final year as a graduate student at Boston College, where he serves as the radio voice of Boston College Women’s Hockey on WZBC 90.3; the flagship radio network of Boston College Women’s Athletics. He’s the host of the “All Things Hockey” podcast, and cover women’s college hockey for College Hockey On SI.

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