Aug. 16, 2011
After reaching the championship game of the NCAA Frozen Four in just its seventh year as a varsity program, the Boston University women's ice hockey team has claimed the top spot in the Terrier Twelve for the second year in a row.
The Terriers earned their first-ever Hockey East regular-season title and secured an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament after being upset in the conference tournament. BU went to post a thrilling 4-2 victory at home against Mercyhurst in the NCAA quarterfinals to secure the program's first-ever berth in the Frozen Four.
At the Frozen Four in Erie, Pa., the third-seeded Terriers were matched up with second-seeded Cornell in the national semifinals. Goals from four different players allowed BU to come away with a 4-1 victory to become the first Hockey East school to advance to the national championship game.
In the final, defending champion Wisconsin proved to be too much for the Terriers, who dropped a 4-1 contest to the top-seeded Badgers. BU set a program record for wins with its 27-7-4 season mark.
The Terriers opened the season with high hopes thanks to a strong group of returnees and arguably the best recruiting class in the country. After a season-opening split in a series at North Dakota, the Terriers won their next five contests to jump out to an early record of 6-1.
BU moved up the national rankings throughout the year thanks to a program-record 13-game win streak that stretched from Nov. 21 until the end of January.
The senior class of Lauren Cherewyk, Jillian Kirchner and Holly Lorms combined for 77 wins over their four years with the program and helped the Terriers go from a team in the middle of the Hockey East pack to being a national title contender.
Graduate student Catherine Ward joined the Terriers for just the 2010-11 season, but certainly left a permanent mark, as she became the program's first-ever All-American with a spot on the ACHA Second Team.
Ward, a defenseman, was joined on the Hockey East All-Star First Team by junior forward Jenn Wakefield and freshman forward Marie-Philip Poulin, who was tabbed the league's Rookie of the Year.
Wakefield transferred to BU prior to the season and went to tally team highs in points (54) and goals (32). Philip-Poulin averaged a team-best 1.68 points per game in her rookie campaign with a scoring line of 24-23--47. Ward contributed 31 points on the strength of a squad-best 27 assists.
In all, seven Terriers recorded 20 or more points on the year. Kirchner finished third on the team with 32 points (11g, 21a) and junior Jenelle Kohanchuk matched Ward with 31 points on 10 goals and 21 helpers.
Kirchner was a Hockey East Second Team All-Star and freshman goaltender Kerrin Sperry and junior defenseman Tara Watchorn received league honorable mention. Sperry turned heads early by going undefeated in her first 18 starts (16-0-2) before finishing with a 1.63 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Watchorn contributed 25 points on six goals and 19 assists.
The Terrier Twelve
No. 2 - Thrilling Comeback Highlights Championship Season
No. 3 - Stellar Defense Propels BU to Record Year
No. 4 - All-America Efforts Highlight Track & Field Season
No. 5 - Men's Cross Country Returns to the Top
No. 6 - Women's Tennis Keeps Streak Alive
No. 7 - Men's Crew Claims Program-Record Five Cups
No. 8 - Wrestling Post Best NCAA Finish in 14 Years
No. 9 - BU Claims League-Record 11th AE Commissioner's Cup
No. 10 - Setterlund Helps Terriers Earn AE Regular Season Title
No. 11 - Men's Soccer Captures AE Regular Season Title
No. 12 - Alford Named AE Player of the Year, Leads Women's Basketball to Title Game
A Letter from Athletic Director Mike Lynch
