Defensive Depth Goes A Long Way

Injuries can be a coach's bad dream.

An injury to a key player can be a nightmare.

Injuries to multiple key players can take that a step further and make rest harder and harder to come by.

A a situation where injuries rob a team of key players as it approaches postseason and it harbors national championship dreams? Then said coach probably just doesn't sleep.

Despite losing the core of her defensive unit to injury in the second half of the season, however, Boston College women's hockey head coach Katie Crowley isn't losing sleep.

Thanks to the emergence of new players who are proving themselves more than aptly capable, the Eagles stand poised for a run at another Hockey East Tournament championship, all while keeping their dreams of a national title alive and bright.

"There have been injuries to our core in the second half (of the year) and we've lost some key players," Crowley said. "But it's been impressive watching new players step up. When people step up, as a coach, it's great to see, because it's what you look for. They've really taken on new roles or adapted to the changing of roles they already had."

Let's start at the beginning. In mid-January, the Eagles lost defenseman Grace Bizal to an extended injury, then lost freshman Caroline Ross on a fluke injury in practice. Though BC has two of the college hockey's truly elite blue liners in Megan Keller and Kali Flanagan, the losses of Bizal and Ross took away trusted depth and experience, putting added reliance on Keller and Flanagan while forcing the team to reconfigure the players in the back.

For Flanagan and Keller, that meant more minutes. "We went from having five or six defense to losing personnel," Crowley said. "That meant that Kali and Keller started logging more minutes, even if it meant them being on the ice for two minutes at a time or even longer. They also put in a lot of the minutes on the power play and on penalty kill. They did a tremendous job adapting, and they also did a great job of learning to play for longer shifts."

It would be nicely cut-and-dry if it were that simple. But there's a point when the duo needs to rest and step off the ice.

In their place rose a new generation of Boston College defenders, an unheralded group that is now showing just how deep the depth really goes on a talented roster.

It begins with sophomore Serena Sommerfield.

As a freshman, Sommerfield played in 28 games, only 15 of which were Hockey East affairs, and all at forward. She didn't register a point and finished the year with a pair of penalties and a -1 rating. This year, she's turned that into a 34 game schedule, of which 23 games are in conference. She's logged five points, including a goal, but perhaps most important, her plus-minus rating stands at 7.

"Serena's done an unbelievable job," Crowley said. "She wasn't recruited by a ton of teams, which we found to be very surprising, to be honest. She does everything, and she stepped into her role from literally being in the stands. She's been logging time on our penalty kill, and she's shown that she's a very smart type of player."

That's coincided with the emergence of another sophomore, Kathleen McNamara. Playing in only two games last season, she joined the lineup for 19 games this year, recording a 2 rating.

"Serena and Kathleen are both sophomores, so they've played with the team even though it hasn't been in games," Crowley said. "They know the discipline on our zone, and they know the focus within that zone and the system we run. That makes it easier to plug in new players, but it's still not an easy role. Our practices require the same discipline so players can come into games and play. It's a credit to (associate head coach) Courtney (Kennedy) that they've been able to do that."

For the Eagles, who returned Ross in time for the postseason, it's been their mentality - stressing a commitment to the team - that has them in position for another run at a national championship.

The defending Hockey East champions, they'll look to defend their crown this weekend at Walter Brown Arena at Boston University. On Saturday, they'll play Vermont in the semifinals.

"When our players went down injured, we kind of sat back and said, 'Well, okay, let's see what we've got,'" Crowley said. "It's been great for players to show what they can do, and it's made them very effective. It's a credit to our leaders and our captains. Andie (Anastos) helps that a lot, and Keller has been a big leader on defense.

"The roles have had to change due to more fluky things that I've ever seen in my career, but the team has weathered it and stepped up whenever they've been called upon."

But there's also an overarching storyline on the national radar. Despite dealing with significant injuries this year, BC continues to maintain its place among the nation's elite, and the team's top ranking has them in the hunt for another national tournament.

Already having captured their third Beanpot in four seasons and their fourth-straight Hockey East regular-season title, the Eagles are now on to defending their Hockey East Tournament title

Currently sixth in the women's PairWise Rankings, a good showing at the conference championship could position them for a home game in the national quarterfinals.

But with the theme of how this season has gone, it's something the Eagles haven't had a chance to think about.

"We don't talk about (the national tournament) and that's because we really have to focus on Vermont," Crowley said, "It's hard not to think ahead, but this team has had to be good at just staying in the moment. The Beanpot helped us in that regard because we know what a semifinal-type game feels like.

"This team is resilient, and they know that they have to focus first on Vermont and not think about the next one that might be after that."

The Eagles take on the Catamounts on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Players Mentioned

Grace Bizal

Kali Flanagan

Megan Keller

Kathleen McNamara

Caroline Ross

Serena Sommerfield

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