Strong season start for Sarah Belliveau

Woods Harbour’s Sarah Belliveau is starting her third season with the NCAA Division I Northeastern Huskies with determination and grit.

A second collegiate victory and a first career shutout earned the junior goalie the title, Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week, by the Hockey East Association on Nov. 5.

“She’s picked up her play,� said assistant coach Linda Lundrigan. “She’s very dedicated, a very quality person.�

For the first two seasons at Northeastern, Belliveau didn’t get a lot of net time, with graduating star goalie Marisa Hourihan starting for the Huskies.

“Sarah seems determined to step up and take that role,� said Lundrigan, as do the other two goalies on the roster.

“All three are trying to stake their claim on that spot,� said Lundrigan.

So far this season, Belliveau has appeared in six games for the Huskies, including five starts.

Belliveau has been in net for each of Northeastern's two victories, and currently boasts the team's best goals-against average (3.64) and save percentage (.877).

Belliveau made 28 saves on 33 shots in her first start of the season, a 5-2 loss to Quinnipiac on Oct. 14. She earned her first collegiate victory by making 26 saves in a 6-5 win over Maine on Oct. 22. She recorded her first career shutout by making 22 saves in a 3-0 win over Niagara on Nov. 4.

On Nov. 12 she stopped 31 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss to Connecticut.

“Limited playing time and lots of practice has worked out well for her,� said Lundrigan, adding Belliveau now has the attention of Team USA goalie Chandra Gunn, who has joined the coaching staff.

“She is being mentored on what it’s like to be at that level of competition,� said Lundrigan.

Gunn, a two-time All American graduate from Northeastern, has been the starting goalie for Team USA since 2002.

Belliveau, a graduate of Barrington Municipal High School, was awarded a full scholarship to Northeastern.

Last season she played in four games for the Huskies, putting up a 4.70 goals against average and an .866 save percentage.

In 2004/05, she started in the 4-0 exhibition victory over BU in the Beanpot, stopping all 11 shots she faced.

Before Northeastern, Belliveau played for Nova Scotia during the Canada Winter Games, leading the team to a 3-1-1 record with a .950 save percentage for a fifth place finish - the highest ever for a Nova Scotia women’s hockey team.

Belliveau was also a member of the Shelburne County Bantam AA boys’ squad who won the provincial title in 2000/01, compiling a .930 save percentage and a 25-2-1 record for the season.

At BMHS she was a four-sport athlete, playing soccer, basketball, softball and hockey.