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Two of Hockey East’s best women’s teams tangle in weekend series

Northeastern, a national title contender, will face a tough challenge from a Boston College team with high hopes of its own.

The Northeastern women's hockey team defeated Providence in the 2021 Hockey East championship game, part of a five-year reign atop the conference.

By Dave D'Onofrio

1 minute to read

One of the more dominant teams in Boston’s recent sports history is back at the top of its game again this season. But to remain Hockey East’s top dogs early this season, they’ll need to handle a weekend threat from one of their Beanpot rivals.

The Northeastern women’s hockey team has won the past five Hockey East championships, and an overtime, semifinal loss was the only thing that prevented them from a winner-take-all shot at a national championship last spring. This season the Huskies leapt back over the boards and hardly slowed their stride, dominating their first seven games by an aggregate score of 35-5, and earning commensurate respect from the national polls.

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Over Veterans’ Day weekend, Northeastern will engage in a home-and-home series with Boston College — and, as good as the Huskies have been for years, the Eagles are no slouch, either. BC was the last team other than Northeastern to wear the league’s regular-season crown, and has finished each of the past five seasons as a top-four team while twice ranking as the conference’s runner-up.

Both teams boast elite talent, with Northeastern’s Maureen Murphy and Alina Mueller joined by BC’s Hannah Bilka as the first Hockey East skaters to hit double-digits in scoring earlier this season. However, scoring is likely to be a challenge with staunch defenses at either end, and each led by a stalwart between the pipes. BC’s Abigail Levy got off to a great start this season, while Northeastern’s Gwyneth Philips has played like one of the nation’s best goaltenders.

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The teams play at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena on Friday, then at BC’s Conte Forum on Saturday — and families looking to bring the kids to see two of the nation’s best teams may be excited to know that both games are scheduled for the afternoon. Friday is Veteran’s Day, meaning no school for most, and the puck drops at 1:30. Saturday they’ll start at 2.

Tickets should be widely available, and for Friday’s game at Northeastern can be purchased in advance. At BC, women’s hockey tickets are bought at the gate on game day.

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