Boston University’s Mary Beth Miller (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Senior) and University of New Hampshire’s Kristin Blanchette (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) share this week’s America East Player of the Week honors. Boston U.’s Jenna Golden (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) is the America East Defender of the Week, while University at Albany’s Julie Bush (Jordan, N.Y./Jordan-Elbridge) is the America East Rookie of the Week. The accolades were announced Monday (April 10).
Miller played an instrumental role in the Terriers’ two wins this week, tallying seven points, including the 200th of her career, in an 11-8 road victory over Harvard before scoring the game-winning goal with just two seconds left in a 9-8 upset of third-ranked Georgetown. The senior, who added two assists in the triumph over the Hoyas, became just the third player in program history to reach to 200-point mark. Miller’s decisive goal against Georgetown was her third game winner of the year and it helped to stretch the Terriers’ home win streak to 19 games. She has averaged 5.5 points per game during Boston U.’s last six contests.
Blanchette recorded 12 points with eight goals and four assists, as well as four draw controls, two ground balls and one caused turnover to lead UNH to first place in America East with conference victories against both Vermont and UMBC. She scored a career-high six goals, including the game-winning tally, versus UMBC to also match her personal best of six points. Earlier in the week, Blanchette also recorded six points at UVM on the strength of a personal-high four assists, and one of her assists was on the game-winning goal.
Golden allowed just eight goals in each of Boston U.’s wins on the week and made a combined 19 saves. The sophomore helped keep Harvard scoreless for over 37 minutes, stopping 10 of the Crimson’s final 11 shots on goal in an 11-8 road victory on Wednesday. On Saturday, Golden backstopped the Terriers’ to their second win over a top-five team this season, recording seven saves in a thrilling 9-8 victory over Georgetown.
Bush set a career-high with five points coming on three goals and two assists in helping the Great Danes to their first conference win of the season. She added one ground balls and three draw controls against Binghamton. Earlier in the week, Bush delivered two assists and added two caused turnovers and one draw control as the Great Danes defeated Colgate for the first time in school history. Bush is the team’s leading freshman scorer with 31 points on 17 goals and 14 assists. Her 14 assists rank in the program’s top-15 on the single-season chart.