UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
GRACIE DAVENPORT | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER
THE HOCKEY ISSUE
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Macklin Celebrini: Projected 2024 No. 1 overall pick gears up for debut season BY GRACIE DAVENPORT Writer
The Boston University men’s hockey team is loaded with talent this season, but one name in particular is on everyone’s radar: freshman forward Macklin Celebrini. The 17-year-old will be the youngest player in NCAA men’s hockey this season, and with the 2024 NHL Entry Draft looming, all eyes will be on the teenager projected to go No. 1 overall. Fortunately for him, he will be joining an experienced squad poised for success. After winning the Hockey East championship and making it to the Frozen Four last season, the Terriers were ranked first in the United States College Hockey Online and Hockey East preseason polls this year. While Macklin is part of the team’s 13 new additions, BU’s returning members have set the precedent and are hungry to get back to the national stage. “Everyone’s on the same page,” Macklin said. “We have one goal, and it’s to win. There’s no other option.” This season’s expectations are through the roof, and the media will be watching the team every step of the way. However, those around Macklin are not worried about the pressure affecting the young phenom. Captain and graduate student defenseman Case McCarthy is locker neighbors with Macklin, so he has gotten to know the firstyear better despite their five-year age difference. “I don’t know if it’s me getting old or him being young, but that kid works,” McCarthy said. “He’s going to live up [to] and exceed every single expectation he has … it just seems like pressure doesn’t faze him when he’s on the ice.” Head coach Jay Pandolfo is not concerned about him either. “I think he’s been used to it for a while,” Pandolfo said. “He’s been a household name in hockey for a few years now, and I think he has very high expectations for
GRACIE DAVENPORT | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman forward Macklin Celebrini (71) passes the puck in a game against Notre Dame on Oct. 20.
himself.” Part of Macklin’s mature demeanor can be traced back to his upbringing — more specifically, to his dad. His father, Rick Celebrini, works in sports medicine and was an athlete himself. Although Macklin’s raw talent cannot be taught, his father’s expertise has only bolstered his son’s on-ice performance. “It’s part of the reason I am who I am,” Macklin said. “It’s helped me significantly. I’m blessed, having him.” Rick Celebrini worked as the Director of Rehabilitation for the Vancouver Canucks, so naturally, his son grew up at Rogers Arena. Macklin was constantly around professional hockey players as a kid, so he got an inside look at what he will one day experience. “The Canucks in general are
my favorite team,” Macklin said. “It was pretty special just being in that environment and seeing at such a young age what the best players in the world are doing.” After his time with the Canucks, Rick Celebrini joined the Golden State Warriors in 2018. Over the next year, his son got a taste for Junior California hockey before shipping off to Minnesota to join Shattuck-Saint Mary’s hockey program. Macklin spent two seasons at the highly esteemed high school development program, racking up 258 points (101 goals, 157 assists) over 102 games. He played alongside another new BU commit, Cole Eiserman. “It’s a special place if you want to develop,” Macklin said. “They have all the resources there if you want it … it changed my life.” After his time at Shattuck-Saint
Mary’s, Macklin had to make a big decision in the spring of 2022. Hailing from British Columbia, the expectation for his next steps would have included playing in the Western Hockey League — a league he grew up watching and always wanted to play for. He ultimately decided to sign with the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel instead. Looking back, he has “no regrets” about his decision. “Chicago, at the time, was the best place for me to go to develop,” Macklin said. “It was a key step in my development for sure.” The Steel has become a destination for high-end talent, attracting players that went on to become high draft picks such as Adam Fantilli and Owen Power. With the Steel, Macklin set the USHL’s single-season scoring record for a U17 player while playing on a line with fellow BU freshman forward Jack Harvey. “[Harvey is] a special player,” Macklin said. “He’s so calm and collected, and he’s obviously a very skilled player. I’m happy he’s here.” The pair is part of BU’s nineplayer incoming freshman class. However, if it were not for good timing, Macklin would not be joining the large group. Early on in his recruitment process, BU was not even on Macklin’s radar. It was not until after Pandolfo was named head coach, bringing in associate head coach Joe Pereira and assistant coach Kim Brandvold, that Macklin committed. Now, with the help of his more seasoned teammates, Macklin has already made himself comfortable at BU. “It’s a little bit of a transition, honestly, having some older guys on the team, but it hasn’t been weird at all,” Macklin said. “They’ve been awesome helping all of us freshmen get into the flow of things.” The transition has been even easier given that his brother, defenseman Aiden Celebrini, is also part of the freshman class. “Going to a new spot with someone you know, it makes
the transition easier, especially because he’s my roommate,” Macklin said. “I always have that sense of home.” Macklin enters this year coming off a shoulder injury he sustained while playing with the Steel and reinjured while representing Canada in the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation U18 World Championship. Over the offseason, Macklin underwent surgery, and thanks in part to his father’s expertise, had a smooth recovery period. “I was, again, blessed to have him there,” Macklin said. “The whole summer, having his experience [was] a game changer.” There was some concern that Macklin would miss the beginning of this season, but after a successful preseason, he played in the Terriers’ season opener against Bentley University on Oct. 7, finding the back of the net and assisting sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson’s overtime winner. BU is playing the first three weeks of its season on the road, but the freshman is looking forward to his home debut at Agganis Arena on Oct. 27. “I’m super excited,” Macklin said. “I’ll have to see it, but I hear we have the best fanbase in college hockey.” Macklin’s name is a leading factor for the preseason hype surrounding this team, but the young player understands it will take a collective effort to go far. “We’re one of the deepest teams in college hockey, and even some of the guys that maybe aren’t as well known, they’re key guys,” Macklin said. “The level and the compete that we have going into the year, it’s going to be fun to watch how we do.” Regardless of any one player’s background, the goal remains the same. This season is championship or bust for the No. 1 Terriers. “All we’re thinking about is, ‘We want to win the national championship,’” Macklin said. “It was presented to us from day one, so we’re going to work on all the details and all of the little things to do that.”
Women’s Beanpot to be held at TD Garden for first time BY BELLE FRASER Director
The Women’s Beanpot Championship is getting an upgrade this season, one that represents a shift in ice hockey and the opportunities available for its female athletes. TD Garden announced in March that it will be hosting both the championship and consolation games for the tournament on Jan. 23, elevating women’s college hockey to a bigger stage they have never skated on before. “It’s a great opportunity for us, but it’s an even greater opportunity for the younger girls, just seeing that we can do this and if they work hard they’ll be able to do it as well,” graduate student defenseman and co-captain Nadia Mattivi said. “It’s a huge honor that we get to represent that and hopefully it will be the norm in a couple of years.” Historically, the Beanpot was hosted on the home-ice of one of the four participating schools: BU, Boston College, Northeastern University and Harvard University. While having one host for all the games helped centralize viewership, the hype around the tournament often dwindled because the
CAROLINE FERNANDEZ | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER
Now graduate student and captain Nadia Mattivi (6) celebrates a goal against the Boston College Eagles at Walter Brown Arena on Oct. 22, 2022.
teams were competing in the same rinks they play the rest of their games in. This year, Harvard is still expected to host the first
round of the tournament at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center, but giving the teams a bigger platform in the championship will make all the difference for
the perception of the women’s game. “If there’s a stage and if people come, it’s going to grow,” senior defenseman, forward and co-captain Madison Cardaci said on an episode of Boston Hockey Blog’s podcast. “People will start to talk, and when people start to talk, things get popular. People just need to see it happening and see that it’s a real and viable option for younger girls.” The women’s Beanpot will have its first-ever sponsor this year — Dunkin’ Donuts. The men’s Beanpot secured the regional favorite as a sponsor in 2023, but the multi-year deal will now extend to both tournaments. Both the consolation and championship games at TD Garden will also be broadcasted by NESN throughout New England. Young girls and boys at home will be able to turn on the TV and see female athletes competing on professional, National Hockey League ice. It will be the beginning of making that spectacle a norm. “I was watching the World Cup this summer and again, it’s a saying that has been going around a lot, but give us the stage and we’ll be able to entertain people and be competitive,” Mattivi said. Beyond the audience, it will be
a special moment for the players who — for the first time in their collegiate careers — have the opportunity to showcase their talents in a widely-known venue. “When we step on the ice, it’s definitely going to be surreal,” Cardaci said on the podcast. “It will be super special, especially being from Boston, playing at TD Garden, being where the [Boston] Bruins play.” The Northeastern Huskies are the reigning Beanpot champions after beating Boston College in the title game last February. The Terriers claimed third place, falling to Northeastern in the first round before topping Harvard 7-4 in the consolation game. BU last won the tournament in 2019 and the team is looking to bring the trophy back to Commonwealth Avenue this season, led by head coach Tara Watchorn, who played in the Beanpot herself as a Terrier during her four years at BU. “[I’m] grateful for all the work from the coaches and administrators that have come before me to get to experience this in my first season,” Watchorn said. “[It’s] such an exciting time for women’s hockey to be able to play the Beanpot at TD Garden. I truly believe our game has come a long way and if you build it, they will come.”
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Jay Pandolfo: Terriers must ‘embrace’ having target on back
CAROLINE FERNANDEZ | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior forward Luke Tuch (11) hoists the Hockey East trophy after the championship game against Merrimack College at TD Garden in March.
BY BELLE FRASER Director
Boston University men’s hockey has returned. Led by head coach Jay Pandolfo, the Terriers look to turn their 2023 Frozen Four heartbreak into motivation for a deeper run in the 2023-24 season. BU’s return to the national stage
last year reinstilled a winning culture within the program as the Terriers skated with a unified identity. Now, it’s time to build on that. “After reflecting on the season, I was very proud of our guys, proud of the program, proud of the way our guys handled themselves,” Pandolfo said. “[I’m] just disappointed that [we]
didn’t finish [the] job.” While the sting from April’s lopsided loss to the University of Minnesota in the Frozen Four still remains, the Terriers came away with an understanding of what it takes to not only be great, but to be the best in college hockey. “Taking nothing away from Minnesota, they’re an excellent team, but I didn’t think we gave them our best,” Pandolfo said. The Terriers must now start their journey from scratch, relying on a new-look roster brimming with young talent. As is the reality of college hockey, BU lost 13 players at the end of last season after they signed to the National Hockey League, graduated or entered the transfer portal. However, the squad’s nineplayer freshman class –– along with three transfer goaltenders and junior forward Jack Hughes, who left Northeastern University –– could very well help this year’s Terriers imitate or even surpass the Hockey East powerhouse BU was last season. Headlined by forward Macklin Celebrini, the crop of first-years will look to have an immediate impact. While Celebrini is the biggest name of the class, defensemen Tom Willander and Gavin McCarthy and forwards Jack Harvey and Shane Lachance are newcomers to look out for as well. In the first month of full-team practice, Pandolfo has preached the Terrier motto to new players and returners alike: do things “the right way.” “Every day, we want to do things the right way,” Pandolfo said. “That’s what our guys
bought into last year, and that’s what, up to this point, the guys have bought into this year.” Pandolfo enters his second season as head coach, having joined the program as an associate head coach under Albie O’Connell in 2021. He received the promotion to bench boss the following year, and has not looked back. The former Terrier captain, who was an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins prior to returning to college hockey, came in and completely changed the team’s culture. He raised the standard for what it means to throw a BU jersey on, and he has been able to do it right in front of his family. “That’s one of the reasons I came back to college hockey, was to be able to spend more time with my family. My kids are here all the time, they’re at all the games,” Pandolfo said. “That’s a really nice part of it.” The young Pandolfos are in for a treat this season, as they get to watch sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson compete for a Hobey Baker Award. Hutson, who was drafted by the Montreal
Canadiens in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, opted to return for a second year of Terrier hockey and was named part of the Terriers’ leadership group as an assistant captain. “[Hutson] just leads by example,” Pandolfo said. “He sets the pace a lot for us in practice by his work ethic and how hard he competes. [He] never quits on anything [and] wants to win everything. It goes a long way for our group how he’s wired that way.” The buzz around the BU program ahead of the 2023-24 season is palpable. The Terriers were voted first place in the U.S. College Hockey Online preseason rankings, and while the team doesn’t discuss the noise coming from outside the locker room, it sets an expectation league-wide and beyond that BU is the team to beat. “The guys we have here, they understand that the polls really at this point mean nothing,” Pandolfo said. “We have to know that we are going to get every team’s best every night, so we have to be prepared for that.”
CAROLINE FERNANDEZ | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER
Jay Pandolfo watches over the bench during the Hockey East semifinal game against Providence College at TD Garden in March.
In her first season as head coach, Tara Watchorn hopes to respect past, represent future
HUI-EN LIN | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
Boston University women’s hockey coach Tara Watchorn (SAR’12) at the home opener against Northeastern University on Oct. 6.
BY BRIAN FOISY Writer
As Tara Watchorn enters her first year as head coach of Boston University’s women’s ice hockey team, she has been pushing a simple message: to respect the past and represent the future. “It just felt so applicable to where we’re at as a program,” Watchorn said. “It’s so foundational, and it’s everything that we’re building on top of it.” The motto, which Watchorn acknowledges is not an original creation, has an ear-worm quality. Everything about her, down to her office decor, seems to embody
this mantra, albeit likely not intentionally. Hanging above the desk in her office is a shelf full of trophies and plaques, including those commemorating her years at BU where she won two Hockey East titles in a four-year collegiate career. “We have an amazing history now for a relatively young program to celebrate,” Watchorn said. Becoming only the second coach in this program’s history was obviously a difficult task, but it was made easier because of Watchorn’s experience with the program. “I didn’t have to learn 27 new names. It was a perfect place to
start,” Watchorn said. In the time between serving as an assistant for BU and returning to her alma mater, she had a year’s experience as the head coach at Stonehill College. The team played their inaugural season in Division 1 last year and had a 1916-2 record. “There was a lot of things about that opportunity that were the right fit for me in the timing of my career,” Watchorn said of her time at Stonehill. While still working as an assistant for BU, Watchorn said she began to think of ideas for what her own team and program could look like. “All of those experiences, I didn’t realize, were slowly building my vision that I had for a hockey program and how to run it,” Watchorn said. When she began her tenure as coach after her hiring in April of last year, Watchorn started to take stock of what pieces of the program’s history and culture were essential for keeping. “I know they were all really excited for a fresh start, but with that being said, it’s reflecting on what’s the good we want to bring with us,” Watchorn said. After these initial meetings focusing on respecting the past — which included Zooms and coffee dates with individual players and group meetings with team leadership — Watchorn pivoted towards representing the future. “Now all the focus has been on, ‘How do we want to represent the future?’” she said. “What do we want BU women’s ice hockey to look like, sound like, feel like? How do we want to leave this program in a better place?” Senior captain Madison Cardaci, on an episode of Boston Hockey Blog’s podcast, said “the energy changed so much” when
Courtesy of BU Athletics
Watchorn (27), an Olympic gold medalist who played at BU from 2008 to 2012, is the second coach of the Terrier women’s hockey program since its creation in 2004.
Watchorn became coach. “Even just the past two weeks, I’ve never experienced this much positive culture and this much improvement,” Cardaci said on the podcast. “It’s such a testament to [Watchorn] and who she is as a person.” A lot of the focus in offseason work and early practices has been on improving the Terriers’ scoring. This approach is something that Watchorn has employed out of necessity. “In a lot of ways for us, with a brand new coaching staff, our preseason is like short-term competition. We can’t cover everything in four weeks,” she said. Learning from her work with Hockey Canada’s U18 roster this summer, who only had one full practice before the beginning of tournament play, Watchorn decided to teach offense in practice and let defensive work come in the film room. “I’ve coached [defense] and [penalty killing] so much of my career. I really feel like you can teach so much of that through
video,” Watchorn said. “I think you get so much more out of your practices when you’re talking about offense.” On her approach to defense in general, Watchorn believes that the most effective learning happens when you preach identity and mindset — which she believes is “more than half the battle” — before teaching strategy and concepts. “Especially with women, I find if you give them too much, they’re gonna do everything you ask them to do, but all too often, they don’t know why,” Watchorn said. Despite all of her experience, the unique task of being a head coach at Boston University will still be a challenge, especially given the high expectations for the program under new leadership. BU’s Director of Athletics, Drew Marrochello, emphasized the program’s “national aspirations” at Watchorn’s introductory press conference. “It’s hitting me more and more how big hockey is here,” Watchorn said. “Everything’s bigger at BU, in the best way.”
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The Terriers’ 10 most important games this season
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Fresh off a run to the 2023 Frozen Four, the Boston University men’s hockey team is brimming with talent, confidence and experience. The Terriers have soaring expectations this season, and they won’t have to wait long to face off against some of the nation’s best. This year’s schedule features big games from start to finish. Here are the five biggest.
Boston University’s women’s ice hockey team is seeking to have a strong season to begin the tenure of new head coach Tara Watchorn. It will be a tall task, as the team has a schedule filled with exciting matchups against top teams within their conference and outside. Here are the five most important games of the season for the Terriers.
BY MITCH FINK Writer
No. 5: Jan. 9 vs. Northeastern Believe it or not, BU has not defeated Northeastern University at Agganis Arena since a 6-3 triumph during the 2019-20 season. The Terriers will have a chance to flip that script — and earn sweet revenge for last year’s Beanpot semifinal — in this showdown with the Huskies. Northeastern may have lost star goalie Devon Levi and their former leading scorer in forward Aidan McDonough, but the Huskies are off to a strong start, and this will likely be a top-20 matchup by the time the game is played. No. 4: Nov 3-4 vs. North Dakota This clash of college hockey titans will be the first of BU’s marquee matchups on home ice. The Fighting Hawks missed the NCAA Tournament in what was a disappointing season by their lofty standards, but they return top scorer senior forward Riese Gaber and will see seven impressive freshmen enter the fold. Three of those seven — defenseman Jayden Perron and forwards Michael Emerson and Jake Livanavage — played with BU superstar freshman forward Macklin Celebrini on the USHL’s Chicago Steel. No. 3: Nov. 25 vs. Cornell BU should know exactly what to expect when it faces off against Cornell University for the ninth edition of Red Hot Hockey at Madison Square Garden. The game will mark the fourth time the two teams have played in the last two years, including BU’s 2-1 win in the Manchester Regional Final last season. Not only that, but exposure to NHL ice early in the season will only help this young BU squad. A trip to the World’s Most Famous Arena could help key freshmen like Celebrini and defenseman Tom Willander acclimate to big-time college hockey before the high-leverage games coming in the spring. No. 2: Nov. 22 vs. Quinnipiac This one does not need much explanation. The lights will be bright at Agganis Arena when the Bobcats, the reigning national champions, ship up to Boston for a midweek showdown. The Dog Pound may be thinner than usual with Thanksgiving break that week, but expect a healthy crowd to make it out to Agganis for this high-powered nonconference battle. Per BU Hockey Stats, the matchup will be just the second time the Terriers have played the defending national champion in a non-conference game since BU played Union College in 2015. It will also be the only non-conference game between teams that made the Frozen Four last year. No. 1: Jan. 26-27 vs. Boston College The Boston College series would make this list every year, but this season’s rendition of the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue is colored by an injection of star power the rivalry hasn’t seen in years. Neutral Zone ranked BC’s recruiting class as the best in the country after the Eagles lured in three first-round picks in the 2023 NHL Draft: freshmen forwards Will Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. Sophomore forward Cutter Gauthier, who was selected 5th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022 draft, will also return for BC. With the return of star defenseman sophomore Lane Hutson and the arrivals of Celebrini and Willander — the latter of whom was selected 11th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2023 NHL Draft — BU is one of the only teams in the country with the talent to match their B Line rivals.
BY BRIAN FOISY Writer
No. 5: Nov 24-26 vs. Robert Morris and Minnesota State The Terriers are set to play two non-conference games against Robert Morris University and Minnesota State University at the Smashville Showcase in Nashville, Tennessee, just after Thanksgiving. These showcase series seem to have become a yearly tradition for the team, who played last year in the Henderson Hockey Showcase against Yale University and Penn State University in Nevada. Minnesota State had a 15-20-1 record last year, finishing sixth in a crowded conference which includes Ohio State University and University of Wisconsin. Robert Morris just this year reinstated its Division 1 women’s ice hockey program after not playing in the 2022-23 season. No. 4: Dec. 8 vs. Holy Cross BU will face off in a rivalry game against College of the Holy Cross in early December at Walter Brown Arena. Holy Cross has started off their season 1-4-1, but have been a high-scoring team, scoring 13 goals in their first six games. The leading goal scorer for the Crusaders so far this season has been senior forward Millie Sirum, with three goals. The Terriers will be playing for the Turnpike Trophy when they face off against the squad from Worcester, Massachusetts. No. 3: Dec. 9 vs. Providence BU will be looking for its first regulation win against Providence College since Halloween of 2021 in this early December matchup. Last year, the Friars beat the Terriers twice before losing in a shootout. Providence was ranked No. 14 in the preseason poll from U.S. College Hockey Online and is expected to be a major contender within Hockey East. The Friars will have somewhat of a new look this season after losing their top-two goal scorers, forwards Sara Hjalmarsson and Noemi Neubauerova. Nevertheless, this game against Providence will be another early test for the Terriers. No. 2: Jan. 16 vs. Boston College (Beanpot Semifinals) The Beanpot Semifinals will be a Battle of Commonwealth Avenue for both of BU’s hockey teams this season, with the women’s team opening up their hunt for the trophy against Boston College in the first round. This year’s Beanpot will be especially significant given that it is the first year in which the consolation and championship rounds for the women’s team will be played at TD Garden. Jan. 16 will be the second of four meetings between BU and BC this season and will be an opportunity for Watchorn to make a name for herself as a coach. No. 1: Jan. 19-20 vs. Vermont The University of Vermont is another highly ranked conference foe for the Terriers this season. The Catamounts will visit Boston for a two-game series in between rounds of the women’s Beanpot. BU went 2-1 in the season series against UVM last season, including a memorable overtime 2-1 victory at home which was the fifth of a six-game unbeaten streak for the Terriers. Expect an increased presence from senior forward Natálie Mlýnková, who led last season’s Catamounts in goals and came second in points.
20 Questions with No. 20: Lane Hutson BY GRACIE DAVENPORT Writer
Quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity. 1.What was your biggest influence in terms of getting into hockey? I’d say my biggest influence was my dad. I never really played any other sports, it was just hockey. 2.Why Boston University? There were a couple of other schools in the mix, but BU has a track record of bringing guys and putting them in a good position to play pro hockey in the NHL, and that’s my ultimate goal. 3.Who was your favorite NHL player growing up? Patrick Kane. 4.What is your favorite hockey memory? A more recent one was the Men’s World Championship. It was really cool going to Finland and getting a taste of playing against older guys. 5.As a team, you were fortunate to have a great season last year, but why should fans be excited for this season? Everyone who saw us last year knew we had a good team, and we’re even more excited this year. We got a little bit better, and we know what it takes to get to where we were, and we’re going to hopefully do everything over again, just a little bit better. 6.Looking at the upcoming season, what are your goals for yourself and the team? We want to win a Beanpot, Hockey East regular season, Hockey East playoffs and then obviously go to the National Championship and take care of business. For myself, I just want to be a leader for the team and help in
any way I can to achieve our team goals. 7.You were named one of four assistant captains this season. What does that mean to you? I was definitely surprised. It means a lot for my teammates and coaches to have trust in me to be a part of the leadership group. Letters aside, we have lots of leaders in our locker room. 8.There are a ton of exciting matchups this season, but which one are you most looking forward to? Obviously any game at TD Garden is going to be a good game. Whether it’s the Beanpot or Hockey East playoffs, those games are always ones to look forward to. 9.Your friend Logan Cooley got some heat for going back on his decision to stay at the University of Minnesota for his sophomore year. A lot of people thought you might also sign an NHL contract after last season. What went into your decision to return this year? For myself, it’s getting that taste of winning with this team. To get so close to winning a National Championship and not being able to do it stinks. I definitely want another crack at that. 10.You had a busy offseason — traveling to the IIHF Men’s World Championship, Montreal Canadiens Development Camp and Biosteel NHL Camp. Did you find any time to relax? Right after the season I took a little break, and then it was right to Men’s Worlds. I’m just taking little breaks at a time, but not having breaks is always a good thing. 11.Who was the coolest person you met at Biosteel? Probably Sidney Crosby and
Cale Makar. They’re two really good players, and they’re great guys, too. 12.What did you focus on this offseason, and how do you feel entering this season? Obviously getting bigger, faster, stronger — all those. Just knowing what it takes to play a full college season and getting myself ready in any way I can. 13.Who on the team do you see working hard but does not get the recognition for it? There’s a couple of guys. I’m going to say a guy like Nick Zabaneh, Devin Kaplan, my brother. Those are three guys who I think put in the work but kind of fly under the radar, and they’re a really big part of our team. 14.Who is hitting the 10-goal mark first this season, you or Quinn? It’s probably going to be Quinn. He’s got a really gifted shot — he can get 10. 15.What is something that nobody knows about Quinn? He’s pretty funny. He doesn’t seem like a funny guy, but he actually is pretty funny. Don’t tell him that. 16.Who has been the toughest player to face in Hockey East? A couple of guys I didn’t like playing against were Trevor Kuntar and Nikita Nesterenko from Boston College. Kuntar’s hard to play against. He gave me a tough time. Both of those guys got up in my grill, but they’re good players. 17.How do you spend an off day, and do you have any Boston food recommendations? I don’t do too much on off days. Just kind of try
to recover, but one restaurant that I found out about last year from Luke Tuch is Grill 23. 18.If you could have dinner with one celebrity, who would it be? Probably Michael Jordan. He’s awesome. 19.Besides playing in the NHL, what would your dream job be? I mean it has to be with hockey, so hockey coach, [general manager], any of that. That would be cool. 20.And then lastly, how far is this team going this season? We’re going all the way this year. Obviously the work starts now, but that’s always the goal.
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CAROLINE FERNANDEZ | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomore defenseman and assistant captain Lane Hutson (20) holds the Hockey East trophy after scoring in overtime to secure the championship for the Terriers at TD Garden in March.
MOLLY POTTER | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
(Left to right) Freshman forward Macklin Celebrini (71) and sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson (20) in Boston University’s offensive zone during a game against Bentley University on Oct. 7.
Three freshmen to watch for BU’s women’s hockey team BY BRIAN FOISY Writer
Along with head coach Tara Watchorn — the new face standing behind the bench for Boston University this season — the BU women’s hockey team has added several exciting additions on the ice. Six first-years are joining the Terriers’ roster this season, a group composed of five forwards and a goalie. Here’s what to expect from three of the most highly anticipated arrivals to this year’s roster. Alex Law - Forward Alex Law — a native of Whitby, Ontario — served as the assistant captain on Canada’s gold medal-winning team in the 2022-23 Under-18 World Championship, a tournament where Watchorn served on the coaching staff for Team Canada. Law was one of the main pieces on that team, notching seven points over four games. Law spent the last couple years playing on the Durham
West Lightning Jr. team in the OWHL Under-22, scoring 14 goals in each of her previous two seasons. Law also plays on the women’s lacrosse team at BU and twice won a gold medal playing lacrosse for Team Canada in the Under-18 Women’s World Championship.
Jackson Kinsler - Forward Last season, Jackson Kinsler played on a Shattuck-Saint Mary’s team that won the 2023 Chipotle-USA Hockey National Girls Tier I Under-19 Championship, providing the Sabres 30 points in 53 games. Before that, she spent two seasons in the East Coast Wizards system based in Bedford. While growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, Kinsler spent time playing for Team Wisconsin and playing on boys’ hockey teams. Mari Pietersen - Goalie Mari Pietersen is an addition to an already-talented group of goalies on the Terrier squad. She won a gold medal in the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship as the starter for Team Canada, posting a 1.32 goals-allowed
HUI-EN LIN | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman forward Alex Law (9) fights for the puck against Northeastern University at the women’s home opener on Oct. 6.
average and a .938 save percentage in the tournament. In her last two seasons, while playing for the Etobicoke
Dolphins in the OWHL Under-22, Pietersen allowed fewer than two goals per game in both campaigns.
She won another gold medal in 2022, this time with the Dolphins in the Provincial Under-22 Elite tournament.
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Design by CLARE MCMILLAN
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Shane Lachance set to create his own legacy in first year with Terriers
Courtesy of Jon Ratner
Freshman forward Shane Lachance (18) removes his gloves during a practice in September.
BY BELLE FRASER Director
It seems Shane Lachance was always destined to don the scarlet and white. The freshman forward, and grandson of legendary former Boston University men’s hockey coach Jack Parker, will hit the ice at Agganis Arena this season, carrying on a legacy that helped build the program. “It’s obviously surreal. I’ve been growing up here, coming to games, coming to practices, but it’s definitely nice to see it from the student-athlete perspective,” Lachance said. “I couldn’t be happier to be here.” Parker was at the helm of BU’s program from 1973 to 2013, setting a standard of excellence for Terrier hockey that each year’s team strives to match and surpass.
Three national championships, 11 conference titles and 21 Beanpot trophies define the Parker era in terms of hardware, but the gritty, relentless and proud culture he created is what truly marks his time at BU. While Parker has usually attended most home games since retiring, he said this season will be even more interesting with Lachance making his Terrier debut. “I’m excited for him. It’s something he’s always wanted to do,” Parker said. “He’s always been a BU fan, and he’s always pushed himself to be a hockey player. He’s living his dream.” Current head coach Jay Pandolfo, who skated for Parker from 1992 to 1996, will be in charge of sculpting Lachance into a true BU hockey player and utilizing his specific skills to help
the team win. According to Parker, Pandolfo is the perfect person for the job. “He’s a great guy and a great coach. I think it’s nice that Shane is playing at BU, but it’s even greater that he’s going to play for a guy like Jay Pandolfo,” Parker said. Pandolfo said he is just going to be himself and try to boost Lachance’s development the best he can. While the season is still young, Pandolfo has been pleased with what he’s seen from Lachance. “He’s a very mature kid. He’s already got leadership skills even though he’s only a freshman,” Pandolfo said. “I think he’s going to contribute a lot this year to our lineup.” Lachance is also following in his father’s footsteps: Scott Lachance played for BU during the 1990-91 season before having a 13-year NHL career. “It was always BU from the start. Ever since I was a young kid, I’ve always wanted to go here, so when it came time to decide, it was pretty much a no-brainer,” Shane Lachance said. The forward has been present for some of BU’s biggest moments in the past 20 years. Zooming into the photo commemorating BU’s win in the 2009 National Championship, Shane Lachance crowds the trophy with his two brothers, taking in the glory of the program’s fifth title. “It’s an incredible story because it wasn’t like he just was in the photo in Washington, D.C.,” said Colby Cohen, a former Terrier defenseman who skated for BU from 2007 to 2010. “Him and his two brothers were around a lot.” The Lachances became an extended part of the Terrier family, often hosting players at their home for holiday meals when the campus dining halls were closed during breaks. Cohen and his teammates would skate with Lachance and his brothers on their small backyard rink, becoming role models for the aspiring hockey players.
“It was quite exciting for them to follow the team and know the players and go down to the dressing room after the games,” Parker said. “I think a number of those players are probably flabbergasted that Shane [Lachance] is old enough to be playing at BU now.” It’s a feel-good, full-circle moment for everyone involved, but it’s not where the story ends. Lachance has played the roles of a BU fan and the coach’s grandson, but now it is time he makes his own mark on the Terrier team as nobody other than himself. The 6 foot 5 inch, 218-pound forward brings great size to BU’s offense, pairing sharpshooting with strong netfront presence. Selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, Lachance has spent the last two seasons in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms and captained the squad to its first Clark Cup in franchise history in May. Lachance posted 54 points (33 goals, 21 assists) through 62 regular season games and added six points (three goals, three assists) during the Phantoms’ victorious playoff run. “[Lachance is] not going to BU only because he’s Jack Parker’s grandson. Shane’s going to BU
because he’s a top-end Division-I player,” Cohen said. “He’s got a lot of high-end attributes in his game. He’s great around the net, he’s great below the circles, he’s big, he’s a leader.” Lachance is joining a BU roster this season that is gunning for it all after falling short in the 2023 Frozen Four. While the USHL is not the NCAA, he has a winning pedigree and will lean on his championship experience in Youngstown as he begins collegiate action. “Once you win once, you don’t want to stop winning. It’s an awesome feeling for four or five days, and then you’re like, ‘Alright, onto the next year.’ You just want to do it again,” Lachance said. From sitting in the stands, rushing the ice and hanging in the locker room after games, Lachance is now opening a new chapter of his BU story –– one he intends to write himself. “It’s going to be cool. Honestly might be a little bit nervous at the beginning, but it’s an awesome experience for me,” Lachance said. “I’m so lucky to be able to be here and put on this jersey. I’m just going to go out there and do my best and enjoy it and try to make my own legacy here.”
Courtesy of the Associated Press
Shane Lachance (left of trophy) celebrates with grandfather and then Terrier coach Jack Parker (center) after winning the 2009 National Championship in Washington D.C.
Breaking down the BU ties in the inaugural PWHL Draft BY MITCH FINK Writer
Four former Boston University women’s hockey players were selected in the Professional Women’s Hockey League draft last month. The quartet will join fellow Terrier alumna Marie-Philip Poulin in the newlyformed league. Poulin signed to the league’s Montreal-based squad before the draft as one of the franchise’s three inaugural players. Marie-Philip Poulin (Forward) — Montreal, pre-draft signing It is no surprise that Marie-Philip Poulin was one of the first players signed to this new league. Poulin is widely considered one of the greatest women’s hockey players of all time, and is certainly the greatest player to come out of the BU women’s hockey program. She recorded 81 goals and 100 assists over a decorated four-year career, and in her senior season, she was named a First Team All-American and finished in the topthree for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the best collegiate women’s hockey player each year. Despite garnering so many accolades playing for the Terriers, Poulin’s legendary status was cemented in her time with the Canadian National Team. Not only is the Quebec native a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, but she scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game at three different Olympic Games — 2010, 2014 and 2022. Nicknamed “Captain Clutch,” she served as captain at BU, with Team Canada since the 2014-15 season and with the Montreal Canadiennes of the now-defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League. She’ll almost certainly captain PWHL Montreal, too. Jesse Compher (Forward) — Toronto, Round 5
FALON MORAN, MADDIE MALHOTRA, STEVE MCLAUGHLIN, MADDIE MALHOTRA, JUSTIN HAWK | DFP FILE
Five former Boston University women’s hockey players will play in the Professional Women’s Hockey League during its inaugural season in 2024.
Jesse Compher played for BU from 2017 to 2021 before transferring to Wisconsin for a fifth year. In an outstanding sophomore season, she ranked first in Hockey East and third in the NCAA in scoring with 61 points. She also captained the Terriers her senior season. An offensive-minded force, Compher was a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award in her sophomore year, and was named a Second Team All-American that season. She has also made her mark on the international level. Compher, who grew up in Illinois, earned a gold medal with the United States at the 2016 and 2017 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championships. These performances helped her earn a spot on the roster of the U.S. Women’s National Team for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championships, and she won a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Corinne Schroeder (Goalie) — New York, Round 6 One of the most prolific netminders in BU history, Corinne Schroeder is the lone former Terrier to join an American PWHL franchise. She was the third goaltender off the board in the draft, and the 33rd overall pick.
Schroeder’s stats at BU stand alone. The Canadian posted a .929 save percentage and a 1.98 goals-against average in her four years with the Terriers, both of which are the best career numbers in program history. She was named to the National Goaltender of the Year watchlist in the shortened 202021 season. She didn’t slow down at the professional level. Schroeder earned Premier Hockey Federation Goaltender of the Year honors last season for her dominant 19-1-1 record, 1.67 goals-allowed average and .955 save percentage with the Boston Pride. Victoria Bach (Forward) — Toronto, Round 7 Victoria Bach is a bonafide goalscorer. The forward was the first skater in BU women’s hockey history to eclipse 100 career goals and is also the program’s alltime leader in points with 198. She was a Hockey East first-team All-Star her junior and senior seasons and — like Poulin — was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award her senior year. Bach’s selection to the Toronto franchise is something of a homecoming, since she grew up in nearby Mississauga, Ontario. Professionally, Bach has played for the Markham Thunder of the CWHL, with whom she won Rookie of the Year honors.
She was also selected by the Metropolitan Riveters of the PHF, then NWHL, in 2017, but opted to play with the Thunder instead. She has also played with the Canadian National Team. Rebecca Leslie (Forward) — Toronto, Round 12 Rebecca Leslie is BU women’s hockey’s all-time assist leader with 102, and she will have plenty of opportunities to set up Compher and Bach as a fellow member of the Toronto franchise. The Ottawa native took to the CWHL after graduation, signing with the Calgary Inferno. At BU, Leslie earned New England Division I All-Star honors and was named to the Hockey East Second Team All-Star Team her sophomore and senior seasons. Leslie’s reunion with Bach will be a meaningful one. The two were roommates and linemates at BU, who grew up competing against one another in the Ontario youth hockey circuit. Then, they played together on the Team Ontario U17 team, leading that squad to a championship in the Canadian National Women’s U17 championship. Courtney Kessel — Boston, Head Coach Kessel may hold the record for the shortest coaching tenure in BU history, but for good reason. After coming to Boston in May to become BU’s associate head coach under Tara Watchorn, Kessel stepped down in September to take on the head coach role for the Boston PWHL franchise. An Ontario native, Kessel played college hockey at the University of New Hampshire, and competed professionally with the Brampton Thunder of the CWHL. Her impressive coaching resume includes stints as the bench boss of the CWHL’s Toronto Furies, four years as an assistant at Princeton University and roles in the coaching staff for the U18 Canadian National Team.
Mathieu Caron: the new BU goalie’s long, winding journey to Commonwealth Avenue BY GRACIE DAVENPORT Writer
It would not be entirely true to say that Mathieu Caron chose to be a goaltender fully on his own. At just six months old, the native of British Columbia was dropped off at his babysitter’s home and was quickly dragged into a game of floor hockey. “They decided to put me in front of the mini hockey net and started firing away,” Caron said. Now, fresh off a year at Brown University where he was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, the junior transfer has been leading the way in net for the Boston University men’s hockey team this season. The Terriers welcomed an entirely new goalie rotation after Drew Commesso signed to the NHL, Vinny Duplessis transferred to Quinnipiac University and Patrick Schena graduated. Caron has had big shoes to fill, but the newest Terrier was ready for this next chapter. “The locker room is amazing,” Caron said. “All the guys have been really nice to me. I think they’re just as excited as me to have a competitive season and hopefully win a lot.” Fueled by his parents’ wishes, Caron grew up playing every sport, but the Canadian naturally gravitated toward hockey. At age 15, he started playing for a local youth team, the Yale Hockey Academy, where he eventually played alongside the likes of future NHL players Bowen Byram and Dylan Cozens. “It really gave me the chance to grow my game,” Caron said. “I wouldn’t say it was the perfect season but definitely a lot of lessons learned.” It was during this time that Caron decided to forge his own future. Like most budding hockey players from B.C., Caron initially hoped to play in the Western Hockey League. However, feeling underdeveloped and on the shorter side for goalies, Caron held out for the NCAA instead. “Western Canada definitely
MOLLY POTTER | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior goaltender Mathieu Caron (62) covers a puck in the men’s season opener at Bentley University on Oct. 7.
has a major emphasis on Major Juniors,” Caron said. “It felt like it wasn’t quite the fit for me.” Caron spent the next five seasons in Junior A — with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL — a common route for Canadian players seeking to play college hockey. During just his second season, Caron got his first taste of winning. The then 18-year-old split time in net and went all the way, winning the 2018 Royal Bank Cup. Then, in year three, disaster struck. “Unfortunately, [I suffered a] freak accident, got myself torn from a guy falling into me,” Caron said. The post-surgery road to recovery was a nine-month-long process, and Caron faced steep adversity heading into his fourth year. Although not reflected in his statistics, Caron battled coming back from his injury. “Mentally, [I] wasn’t feeling 100%,” Caron said. “[I] felt like I was just struggling.”
During that time, Caron was fortunate to make his commitment to Brown University in a year where he felt most schools were not looking for goalies. With academics as a priority, Caron felt Brown was a good fit. “The recruiting process definitely is a little [different] for goalies,” Caron said. “I felt pretty confident I could go in and play a decent amount off the bat … very happy I made that decision.” Once at Brown, Caron transitioned seamlessly into the starting role. Although his the Bears consistently finished towards the bottom of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, Caron dazzled in net, posting a .921 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average last year. Caron started in all but six of the Bears’ 30 matchups last season, missing only a stretch of games at the beginning of second semester with a concussion. The idea of transferring did not even surface until after the season ended.
Still recovering from the concussion, Caron used the offseason to catch up on homework and reflect on his personal goals. In the end, he did not feel Brown was meeting his needs. “[I] went away for spring break, [talked to] family, friends,” Caron said. “At that point, [I] wanted to give a push hockey-wise to move onto the pro level, and I felt like Brown wasn’t the place for me to do that.” This time around, Caron said he thought schools were hunting for goalies, so he entered the transfer portal. Caron received “lots of calls” but cut down his list by prioritizing academics. From there, the decision became clearer. On top of BU’s rigorous coursework, the location was also appealing. “I had felt comfortable in the New England area, and Hockey East was definitely the conference I wanted to go to,” Caron said. “Everything kind of felt right, and I picked BU.”
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This season, Caron entered a completely different playing environment. BU is under a lot of pressure to perform, but Caron was not worried. “I was on a winning program in Juniors, so I’m no stranger to winning,” Caron said. “I’m an extremely competitive guy.” After starting in all four of BU’s games thus far, the new Terrier has settled into his new home. “The facilities here are amazing. [I’m] getting to be around so many pro guys [and] running into NHL players in the rink,” Caron said. Taking shots from guys like sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson and freshman forward Macklin Celebrini is no easy task, but Caron and his fellow goalies — senior Henry Graham and graduate student Nick Howard — have united to support one another. “It’s a very competitive environment, but at the end of the day, we’re the best of friends, which is not always the case,” Caron said. “It’s very much a positive environment of support, and we’re all helping each other out.” Outside of the highly-touted duo of Hutson and Celebrini, Caron said the toughest player to face in practice thus far has been sophomore forward Devin Kaplan. “[Celebrini and Hutson] are extremely shifty, extremely crafty, always trying stuff that I’ve never seen before,” Caron said. “But I’d say [Kaplan] probably [has] got one of the best shots I’ve ever seen.” While practice has been challenging, the stiff competition has only made Caron that much sharper. The Terriers played their first three weeks of the season on the road, but Caron is more than ready for the home opener at Agganis Arena. “I’m very excited to finally get to experience a game at Agganis,” Caron said. “Alumni, coaches, present players [and] fans really say it’s one of the best places to play college hockey.”
Opinion: Pick a starting goalie, and stick with her BY MITCH FINK Writer
Just a few games into her tenure as head coach of the Boston University women’s hockey team, Tara Watchorn has a critical decision on her hands. Who will be the Terriers’ starting netminder? Both of last year’s starters — graduate transfer Andrea Brändli and junior Callie Shanahan — are out of commission, for two different reasons. Brändli is now playing professional hockey in Sweden, and Shanahan, who came into the season as a contender — if not favorite — for the starting gig, will be out of the lineup until the second semester, according to Watchorn. That leaves Mari Pietersen, a highly touted freshman who won the 2022 IIHF World
Championship with Team Canada, and Alexa Matses, a graduate transfer from Northeastern. Matses only appeared in five games across four seasons with the Huskies — and started none of them — but she played behind Aerin Frankel and Gwynneth Philips, two of the greatest women’s college hockey goalies in recent memory. Thus far in the season, it seems Pietersen has the upper hand. She has started three of BU’s four games so far and delivered solid results. The freshman has made 50 saves across those three starts, posting a 2.60 goals-against average and .862 save percentage. That being said, Matses may own the most impressive
goaltending performance of the season, conceding just one goal to a potent Northeastern offense in a 28 save effort during a 2-0 loss to the Huskies on Oct. 7. Northeastern’s second goal came with BU’s net empty at the end of the third period. I’m not here to tell you who Watchorn should start — after all, what do I know? But regardless of who could earn that starting spot, Watchorn must make a decision, and she must make it soon. Watchorn should let BU’s goalie competition play out, but when she makes a decision on which netminder can give the team the best chance to win each night, she should stick with that goalie. That clarity would make
HUI-EN LIN | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman goaltender Mari Pietersen (92) leads the Terriers onto the ice at Walter Brown Arena on Oct. 6 against Northeastern University for their home-opener.
the starting goalie feel more confident in her role. I presume it would make the backup feel more confident in her role, too. Plus, a solidified starting goalie would instill confidence in the whole team. It must be difficult to play in front of a different goaltender every other game. Of course, BU’s starter should not be playing in every single game. A quality backup goalie is an invaluable asset to a hockey team. Just ask last year’s men’s hockey team. Drew Commesso was the established starter, and everyone
in BU’s locker room knew it. But if Commesso was struggling or injured, backup Vinny Duplessis was a proven alternative who could step up and win the Terriers a game. That dynamic is what the women’s hockey team so desperately needs. Pieterson and Matses can’t both be Commesso. But can one be an effective, established starter and can another be a reliable backup option? If Watchorn and her new staff can sort it out, BU would be better for it.
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Editorial Board THE I N D E PE N D E N T STUDE NT NEWSPAPE R AT B O STON U N IVER SI TY
The Daily Free Press is published Monday through Friday during the academic year except during vacation and exam periods by Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc., a nonprofit corporation operated by Boston University students. Copyright © 2023 Back Bay Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
Chloe Patel, Editor-in-Chief
Emilia Wisniewski, Managing Co-Editor Stella Tannenbaum, Managing Co-Editor
Austin Chen, Sports Co-Editor Annika Morris, Sports Co-Editor Andrew Burke-Stevenson, Photo Co-Editor Molly Potter, Photo Co-Editor Lila Baltaxe, Layout & Graphics Co-Editor Clare McMillan, Layout & Graphics Co-Editor
Belle Fraser, Director
Mitch Fink, Writer Gracie Davenport, Writer and Photographer Brian Foisy, Writer Special thank you to Kevin Edelson, Ashley Jackson and Brian Kelley.
Lilli and Luisa Welcke: A bond formed at birth BY GRACIE DAVENPORT Writer
Lilli and Luisa Welcke are sisters first and hockey players second. Having always played on the same team together, the set of identical twins share a special bond and will bring it to the Boston University women’s hockey team this fall. After spending one season with the University of Maine, the second-year twins made the transfer to Commonwealth Avenue. “They have great experience at the college level, [at the] international level, they bring all of those experiences to the locker room,” head coach Tara Watchorn said. “We’re really excited to see what they’re going to bring.” Hailing from Heidelberg, Germany, the Welckes have played in the German women’s professional league, for the German national team and now take on the NCAA. Surprisingly, hockey was not always the plan. Nobody in their family before them played the game, so they fell into the sport by accident. “Growing up, we didn’t really think we would get this far in hockey,” Luisa said. “We just picked it up and didn’t really know that it even existed before.” During their childhood, the two enjoyed playing tennis with their older sister. When the twins were 8 years old, the three sisters hoped to sign up for tennis camp together, but after realizing it was too late to, the trio tried out a hockey camp instead. After soaking up quality time with each other on the ice, it was at this moment that they realized hockey could be a part of their futures. “We had just started playing with our sister, and it was fun to play a
HUI-EN LIN | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
CRISTINA ROMANO | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER
new sport all together,” Luisa said. “We just stuck with it.” In the beginning of their careers, the Welckes never had the opportunity to play with other girls. With Germany not offering any female youth hockey programs, the twins had no other option than to play with boys. While that experience was certainly unique, the circumstances only helped the Welckes find a new level in their game. “I think it really pushed us,” Lilli said. “Physically, at some point, [boys] have an advantage, and we still played with them.” The sisters came to the United States for the 2018-19 season, which marked the first time the pair was able to play for an allgirls team. The pair left their home country to attend the Kent School — a boarding school in western Connecticut. In addition to getting to know their new teammates, their environment away from the ice took some adapting to. The Welckes had never been to the U.S. before, and English was not their first language. “[There was] definitely a culture shock,” Luisa said. “They had a really good hockey program, so
I don’t think we had any problem adapting to it, but it was still a big change for us.” Although it was not an easy transition, it was necessary for the sisters’ long-term goal of playing in the NCAA. The Welckes initially committed to Ohio State University, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed their plans. “It was a little bit chaotic, our recruiting process,” Lilli said. “At some point, [we] didn’t really have much choice anymore.” From there, the sisters decided on Maine, but were unable to physically visit the campus before committing, one reason for their eventual departure. Regardless of the situation, the Welckes put up impressive numbers during their time as Black Bears. Both sisters were named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and finished in the top four on their team in scoring. Combining for four game-winning goals, the twins totaled 14 goals and 29 assists. Almost prophetically, the twins had arguably their best performance of the year when the Terriers hosted the Black Bears for a weekend series last December.
Sophomore forward Luisa Welcke (16) fights for the puck against Northeastern University at the women’s home opener on Oct. 6.
Sophomore forward Lilli Welcke (26) warms up before a game against Syracuse University on Oct. 20.
The sisters combined for five points and scored the game-winners on back-to-back nights. “Those games were [some] of our best games of the season,” Luisa said. “The atmosphere was really good, and we were really hyped.” Despite their on-ice success, the Welckes did not feel Maine was the right fit for them. Once the offseason rolled around, they entered the transfer portal. “We wanted to try something else,” Lilli said. “It’s always been our dream to go to BU, so it was a no-brainer once we had the option to come here.” When looking at their options, the sisters had no interest in separating. “In high school, we made the decision to stick together, so at that point our decision was already made,” Lilli said. “We’re going to stay together through college.” This season, the Welckes will have the chance to etch their names in BU hockey history as the women’s program enters a new chapter. The Welckes’ unteachable chemistry will make them a force in BU’s lineup, and playing on the same line together will only further that chemistry. “Some flaws that Luisa has I can complement, and the other way around,” Lilli said. “As long as our line does well, we’re both happy.” In terms of the pair’s futures, they arrive at BU at a promising time, as the sport is welcoming overdue change at the college hockey level and beyond. The consolation and championship games of this season’s women’s Beanpot tournament will be hosted at TD Garden. The Welckes never thought they would have the chance to play in the Boston tournament, and with the additional news, they are more excited than ever.
“It means a lot, especially for women’s hockey,” Lilli said. “NHL teams play in [TD Garden], and now being able to play there [ourselves] is amazing.” The news came just ahead of the announcement of the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey League set to debut in 2024. The Welckes are still unsure where they will end up after BU, but they could see themselves playing in the new league in the future. “We don’t really know yet what we want to do afterwards, but the PWHL is definitely growing, and it’s amazing to see the opportunities that women get now,” Luisa said. Before they get too ahead of themselves, however, the Welckes are focusing on their debut season in scarlet and white. “We both really like the atmosphere in [the Walter Brown Arena], so we’re glad that we’re on the BU team now,” Lilli said. “We have a really good group here, and I think that we’ll do very well in Hockey East.”
Courtesy of Luisa Welcke
The Welcke twins.
Jack Hughes finds ‘fresh start’ in his transfer from Northeastern to BU BY BRIAN FOISY Writer
Jack Hughes didn’t pull punches when talking about the Boston University men’s hockey teams of years past. “I had probably hated almost every guy on this team the last two years,” said Hughes, a junior who played forward for Northeastern University the last two seasons. There’s always been a natural rivalry between Northeastern and BU: they’re both Beanpot schools, both located in Boston, and they both compete for many of the same prospects. In recent years, though, the rivalry reached its apex. Fueled by four meetings between the two in the past eight Beanpot finals and, in more recent years, matchups where BU met the immovable object that was former Husky goalie Devon Levi. “Anytime we played BU it was like, ‘This is a must win.’ I think those were probably our best games over the past two years,” Hughes said. Now, just a year after his Huskies beat the Terriers in the opening round of the Beanpot, Hughes finds himself on the opposite side of the rivalry. “Maybe I said something to a guy or two on the ice … but no one’s holding that against me, and
GRACIE DAVENPORT | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior forward Jack Huges (27) prepares to take a faceoff during a game against University of Notre Dame on Oct. 20.
vice versa,” Hughes said. “That’s just kind of how it goes.” Hughes’ departure from Huntington Avenue was part of an offseason marked by roster turnover. The aforementioned Levi joined the NHL along with Jayden Struble and former captain Aidan McDonough, while senior forward Sam Colangelo and Jack’s brother, graduate student forward Riley Hughes, left in the transfer portal to Western Michigan University and Ohio State University, respectively. BU has become acquainted with the highs and lows of the transfer portal in college hockey.
The school netted a big fish in Brown University’s Mathieu Caron, the goalie expected to start a majority of games for BU in net this year. Several Terriers exited through the portal as well, including graduate student forward Ethan Phillips, senior goalie Vinny Duplessis, and graduate student forward Jamie Armstrong — whose transfer to Boston College is a parallel example of an interrivalry transfer this offseason. For Hughes, the transfer represented a new beginning. “At the end of the year, I just felt like I needed a fresh start. I didn’t do as well as I had hoped in either season,” Hughes said. “It was best
for me to start somewhere new.” Hughes had two 16-point seasons in his time at Northeastern, scoring five goals in 32 games last year. “It was time for me to do something new and look out for myself a little bit,” Hughes said. After a rookie season in which Hughes was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and won Northeastern’s Rookie of the Year Award, the Los Angeles Kings selected the forward in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft Hughes cited playing time and an opportunity to improve as part of his reasoning to join the Terriers. “I wanted to go somewhere where I thought I would play, but I wanted to go somewhere where I’m going to get better,” Hughes said. “I want to go somewhere to win. Obviously, we’re going to have a really good group.” BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said the Terriers were happy to give Hughes the fresh start he was looking for. “I really liked [Hughes] as a player, playing against him there for two years at Northeastern. He was looking for an opportunity to change, and it worked out for us to have a chance to get him to come here,” Pandolfo said. Despite the rough patches on the ice in his time at Northeastern, Hughes still has fond memories
from his time as a Husky. “I had a great time, even though, at times, the hockey wasn’t going the way I wanted it to go, where I knew it could go, but I would say close to 100% of the time, I was having a lot of fun, at the rink and away from the rink,” Hughes said. Hughes was honest about the adjustment to playing with a new group at BU. “It’s been hard,” Hughes said. “Practices are hard — they’re fast.” The speed of the Terriers isn’t new to Hughes, who said that Northeastern’s scouting report fixated on the quickness of BU’s skaters, and on preparing for BU’s skilled defensemen in the defensive zone. “We wanted to try to take that away from them, their strengths, being good off the rush and playing fast,” Hughes said. “There was Dom Fensore and [Lane] Hutson, and you got to take different angles on those guys versus some other guys to not get beat up on the ice.” Hughes said he has BU’s Jan. 9 matchup against the Huskies circled on the calendar, for obvious reasons. Still, he hopes there isn’t any bad blood when he takes on his former teammates. “I’m still friends with a lot of those guys. A lot of them I’m really close with,” Hughes said. “I don’t think they hate me for it.”
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BU’s McCarthy brothers are making an unlikely reunion reality BY MITCH FINK Writer
Little Gavin McCarthy lay face-down in the snowbank that lined the ice, looking more like a crumpled checking dummy than a hockey player. Gavin caught his breath, brushed the snow off his helmet cage and charged back onto the ice — if only to be crushed back into the snow seconds later by his older brother, Case McCarthy. Fighting back was a tough proposition. After all, Case was over four years older than him. Such was life at the McCarthys’ backyard ice rink in upstate New York, where Gavin, Case and their brother, Aiden McCarthy, spent countless hours during the winter. The physicality was all in good fun, but those brotherly scraps and hits have come to define Gavin and Case as they have grown into hard-checking defensemen for the Boston University men’s hockey team. When they suited up for the Terriers, it marked the first time the brothers played for the same organized hockey team. The milestone arrived at the nick of time, as Gavin is a freshman and Case is a graduate student. “It’s amazing,” Gavin said. “I never thought I would really have this opportunity with him, especially with him as the captain of the team.” Case agreed. “It’s awesome,” he said on the
podcast. “It’s weird having him here, because the first four years I didn’t expect to play with him, but I’m super grateful to have the opportunity.” The brothers are almost fourand-a-half years old apart, which meant that they never overlapped in school or in the junior hockey ranks. Then, Case gained an extra year of NCAA eligibility after the COVID-19 pandemic halted BU’s 2020-21 season. He elected to use that eligibility to return for a fifth season. That decision was especially obvious for him after suffering a serious upper-body injury in the Hockey East semifinals that kept him sidelined for the Terriers’ run to the Frozen Four last year. Meanwhile, Gavin developed into a highly-touted prospect after five years with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and a stint with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks last season. The native of Clarence Center, New York, was selected by his hometown team, the Buffalo Sabres, in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft. As Case was being recruited, Gavin got a behind-the-scenes look at BU’s program and facilities by joining his brother’s tour. That early exposure to the program played a role in Gavin’s decision to commit years later. Case encouraged Gavin to explore his options and pick the school that was right for him, but Gavin called the decision to commit to BU a “no-brainer.” “[Case] couldn’t be more happy that I ended up here,
because he loves it here,” Gavin said. Joseph likes to call hockey the “cornerstone” of the McCarthy family. “Sport in general is a good learning lesson for kids growing up, and we use hockey in that same exact [way],” Joseph said. “We used sport in general and specifically hockey as a teaching lesson for day-to-day life, whether that’s working within a team, working with people with different views or failing.” Joseph, a former Navy SEAL, played hockey through high school. The McCarthys started their family near Albany, New York, but uprooted and moved to the Buffalo area, which allowed the kids to play youth hockey in nearby Canada. “At that point, we dedicated ourselves to the sport for them,” Joseph said. Clearly, that sacrifice has paid off. Case, who has played in over 100 BU hockey games, was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. Gavin has been projected as playing a regular role at the NHL level. For now, they’re focusing on the season ahead and the unique opportunity to play with one another. “Now I can bring him into my community for the [last] couple years,” Case said on the podcast. “It definitely played a role into my decision to come back. There’s not many opportunities you’ll get to play with your brother at this level.”
meetings really early on to try to build that culture that maybe we kind of lacked a little bit last year,” Foulem said. Foulem described the culture the team is building as like a “family.” It is something Watchorn has been insistent about since walking through the locker room doors for the very first time, Foulem said. As an alumna of the program, Watchorn not only understands Terrier pride, but what it takes to win in Hockey East. The former star defender skated on the BU blue line from 2008 to 2012 and played a major role in clinching the program’s first two conference titles in 2010 and 2012. Working off the foundation that Durocher built, Watchorn has set high standards this season. It seems her players have embraced them. “The moment she stepped into the locker room for the
first time, we knew this was going to be a new era of BU women’s ice hockey,” Cardaci said on an episode of Boston Hockey Blog’s podcast. “I’ve never experienced this much positive culture and this much improvement.” By the end of the 2022-23 campaign, it was clear something had to shift for the Terriers. They finished with an 11-20-3 overall record and lost in the first round of the Hockey East Tournament. More importantly, BU struggled to find consistency and seemed to lack a unified identity. Mattivi decided to come back for her fifth year because she believed in the group and knew they could find ways to win, especially with a new voice in Watchorn. “Our senior year was kind of a roller coaster,” Mattivi said. “I obviously thought about other opportunities, but I’ve always wanted to come back. You can’t get what we have here anywhere else.” A vital aspect of addressing the product on the ice has been developing their relationships off the ice. Foulem said integrating the team’s new arrivals has been “pretty easy” because of the work they have been putting in to help build a supportive culture. “They’re willing to take that extra step to make sure they’re into the team, and then we’re also obviously helping them and making sure they feel included,” Foulem said. “I could talk to literally anyone on the team and it just feels like a big family.” While this season will be Foulem’s first as part of the leadership group, Cardaci was an assistant captain her junior season. Cardaci’s new role is the realization of a long-held dream. “I’ve wanted that position pretty much my whole life,” Cardaci said on the podcast. “I’ve dreamed about being a
MOLLY POTTER | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
Graduate student and captain Case McCarthy (7) controls the puck in a game against Bentley University on Oct. 7.
GRACIE DAVENPORT | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman defenseman Gavin McCarthy (2) during the Scarlet and White scrimmage on Sept. 30.
Courtesy of Joseph McCarthy The McCarthy brothers.
Women’s hockey fosters familial culture under new coach’s leadership BY BELLE FRASER Director
There is a fresh energy surrounding Walter Brown Arena and the Boston University women’s hockey team this season. Following the announcement of Brian Durocher’s retirement in February and the hiring of head coach Tara Watchorn in April, the program is officially entering a new era. It is spearheaded by a leadership group made up of graduate student Nadia Mattivi and seniors Madison Cardaci, Lacey Martin and Catherine Foulem. The Terriers took the offseason to reimagine what it means to wear the BU jersey. They discussed the tangible steps needed to add a competitive edge and spark — which seemed to be missing last year — back into their game. “We started having team
HUI-EN LIN | DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior assistant captain Lacey Martin (17) records a shot against Northeastern University on Oct. 6 at Walter Brown Arena.
Division I women’s ice hockey captain. It’s kind of sappy.” Most teams begin their preseason preparation with defensive work, but Watchorn started her group with offense. The Terriers struggled with scoring last year and it sunk them in tight conference matchups. As they look ahead, burying the puck in the net will be a priority. “I think this year, you can see that the intensity’s up,” Martin said. “We go hard in, hard out every drill we do, we stop at the net. Those little habits will translate to a very high compete level in a game.” Martin is poised to have a breakout performance this season in Watchorn’s system. Martin fired off 101 shots last year and created many of the Terriers’ high-danger opportunities, but only managed five goals and 13 assists. The senior forward is entering
her second year as an assistant captain and said that she was feeling a lot more comfortable with the responsibility. As part of her leadership position, Martin is an important voice in the conversations that have and will define her squad’s new chapter. In what could be their final run on Commonwealth Avenue, Mattivi, Cardaci, Martin and Foulem are determined to restore a winning, competitive culture not just for themselves, but for the women who come after them. “All four of us are really excited to take responsibility and start the change,” Martin said. “I hope to see the program in a way better place in five to ten years, and I know Tara and the rest of the coaching staff will be able to do that, so I’m very confident in us as a group and them going forward.”
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TARA WATCHORN ERA
GRACIE DAVENPORT | BHB PHOTOGRAPHER