Minnesota 5, BU 0

The No. 13 Boston University women's hockey team opened its 2025-26 season with the first of two home games against No. 3 Minnesota, probably the highest-ranked team they'll play all season. The Gophers won, 5-0. 

Last year, BU played two against the Gophers in Minneapolis. Minnesota was ranked No. 2 at the time, and won both of those games (1-0 and 5-2). BU is now 1-8-0 all time against Minnesota, 1-2 at home. The one and only time BU beat the Gophers was in December 2016 in a 6-5 overtime game at BU's Walter Brown Arena.

Tonight, Minnesota scored once in each of the first and second periods, one goal on a power play and the other even-strength. The Gophers added three more even-strength goals in the third period before BU could even pull goalie Mari Pietersen. Last year's backup goalie, Pietersen is BU's lone returning goaltender and played 10 games last season, including two shutouts. Tonight, she blocked 44 of 49 shots (89.8%). 

BU's Lilli Welcke was ejected from the game in the first period for contact to the head, and Kaileigh Quigg was ejected in the third for hitting from behind. 

Sydney Healey returns as BU's top points scorer with 23 last year. She also leads all returning players in goals with 15. Senior Maeve Carey is the team's captain this year. The Terriers have 10 newcomers in seven freshmen and three transfers, including Michelle Pasiechnyk, who transferred after four seasons at Clarkson where she was named the NCAA Goaltender of the Year in 2023-24. She made 750 saves that season and boasted a 25-5-1 record.

Minnesota opened their season with a pair of blowout wins over unranked Boston College at home, winning 7-1 and 11-0, so you have to hand them that. The enemy of my enemy, etc., and any team that beats the Eagles can't be all bad.   

Game 2 against Minnesota is tomorrow afternoon at 4:00. The BU men's hockey team open their season tomorrow at 7:00 with a home game against Long Island University.