HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES

Boston College and Boston University split a weekend series, the road team winning each night. Jesse Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) scored twice in the Terriers’ 3-2 win at No. 6 Boston College on Friday. The senior netted her squad’s first goal of the game and added the primary assist on the tying goal before scoring the game-winner with 40.3 seconds to play. The next day, Abigail Levy (Congers, N.Y.) posted a 35-save shutout, stopping at least 11 shots in all three periods. It marked BC’s first shutout of BU in 17 games, dating back to March 6, 2016.

Holy Cross took a 1-0-1 weekend from Maine, backboned by 76 saves from Jada Brenon (Pendleton, N.Y.) She made 41 stops in Friday night’s 2-1 victory before turning aside 35 more in Saturday’s 1-1 draw. The Crusaders will enter the Hockey East Tournament for the first time in program history this week.

Northeastern secured the top seed in the Hockey East Tournament, winning twice at Vermont to finish the year with a 17-1-1 record. The Huskies were paced by a goal and an assist each from Chloe Aurard (Villard-de-Lans, France), Megan Carter (Milton, Ont.), and Katy Knoll (Amherst, N.Y.) Goaltender Aerin Frankel (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) allowed just two goals in 120:00 of work, setting a new league single- season record with a .971 save percentage. Her 0.65 goals against average is also second best in league history.

The 2021 Hockey East Women’s Tournament will be a single-elimination format with each game hosted at the home arena of the higher seed. The opening round will begin this week to pare the field down to eight for the Quarterfinals on Sunday, February 28. Semifinals will take place on Wednesday, March 3 and the championship game will be held on Saturday, March 6 to determine the winner of the 2021 Bertagna Trophy and an automatic berth into the National Championship Tournament.

ARMY ROTC HOCKEY EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jesse Compher - Boston University

Jesse Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) led the league with three points (2g, 1a) last weekend, and was fantastic in the Terriers’ 3-2 win at No. 6 Boston College on Friday, netting two goals. She scored her squad’s first goal of the game with a nifty wrist shot, then had the primary assist on the tying goal before scoring the game-winner with 40.3 seconds to play.

PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Millie Sirum - Holy Cross

Millie Sirum (Oslo, Norway) posted two points (1g, 1a) in an undefeated weekend against Maine, including scoring the lone goal in a 1-1 tie with the Black Bears on Saturday. She led all league rookies in points, power-play goals (1), power-play assists (1), power-play points, and shots on goal (8) in just two outings.

HOCKEY EAST WOMEN'S DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Aerin Frankel - Northeastern

Aerin Frankel (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) set a new league single-season record with a .971 save percentage this season, stopping 368 of 379 shots and allowing just 11 goals. Her 0.65 goals against average is also second best across conference competition in league history. She also assisted on Katy Knoll’s goal on Saturday, her 100th game in a Huskies’ net.

HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS

Hannah Bilka, BC (So., F; Coppell, Texas) Had a goal and an assist on the weekend in the Eagles’ split with Boston University. The sophomore had an assist on Friday and then scored on Saturday to move her point streak to seven games (4g, 4a.) She finished with seven shots on goal and a plus-three rating with two blocked shots.

Abigail Levy, BC (Jr., G; Congers, N.Y.) Posted a 35-save shutout at Boston University on Saturday to secure the second seed in the Hockey East Tournament. She finished the weekend 1-1-0 with a 1.50 goals against average and a .952 save percentage. She stopped at least 11 shots in all three periods on Saturday and had a weekend-high 14 saves in the third period on Friday. It marked BC’s first shutout of BU in 17 games (3/6/16).

Kate Stuart, BU (Jr., G; Chilliwack, B.C.) On Friday in the Terriers’ 3-2 win at No. 6 Boston College, Stuart made a season-high 27 saves, including a spectacular glove save on Hannah Bilka late in the third period to keep the game tied.

Antonia Matzka, HC (Sr., D; Moedling, Austria) Dished out two assists in Holy Cross’s 1-0-1 weekend against Maine, setting up the tying goal in Friday’s 2-1 win before adding a helper on the Crusaders’ lone goal in Saturday’s 1-1 stalemate.

Jada Brenon, HC (Jr., G; Pendleton, N.Y.) Recorded an undefeated record against Maine on the weekend, going 1-0-1 across two games, allowing just two goals and making 76 saves. She made 41 stops in Friday night’s 2-1 victory before turning aside 35 more in Saturday’s 1-1 draw. Saturday’s performance included a highlight-reel save late in the third period to keep the score tied at 1-1.

Chloe Aurard, NU (Jr., F; Villard-de-Lans, France) Recorded her 100th career point and earns her spot as the 32nd women’s hockey player to reach this accomplishment in Northeastern history. Aurard leads the country in game winning goals (5), ranks in the top-10 nationally for goals per game, second in power-play goals and top-5 in short-handed goals.