But there’s more to the story than what happened on the ice at Walter Brown Arena that night.
In 2010, Witt decided to leave her post as the head coach at Yale, a position she had held for eight years (winning more games than anyone in program history) to join Dave Flint’s staff on Huntington Avenue. She also yearned to be back in the area, closer to friends and family.
“Hilary has helped us in so many ways,’’ said Linda Lundrigan, her fellow assistant coach at NU.
Before the 2010-2011 season, Pickett was starting to question her ability as a player. A graduate of St. Mark’s School (where she led the Independent School in scoring in ’07 and ’08), she had scored 10 goals the year before, her freshman season, but her lack of confidence was getting in her way. It’s not that she was playing poorly, but the potential her coaches once saw was still just that - untapped and waiting to be set free.
When Witt (the Huskies’ all-time leading scorer) returned to Northeastern and saw Pickett play, she couldn’t help but notice that potential.
“The first thing she ever said to me was, ‘You’re going to have to a 20-goal season this year,’ ’’ Pickett said. “And I just laughed at her. That was absurd.’’
Pickett netted just 20 points last season (10 goals, 10 assists). But what Witt saw from the 5-foot-4 forward in the later parts of last season - the stick work, decision-making, and finishing ability - convinced her that Pickettt was ready to be a star.
And this season, after two years under the watchful eye of Witt, Pickett has been sensational, with 16 goals and 22 assists in a 19-6-3 start for the seventh-ranked Huskies.
Her breakout moment came on Tuesday night, in overtime of the biggest game of the season, when Kendall Coyne fed her a pass to create a breakaway against BU goalie Kerrin Sperry.
“Last year, she was pressing,’’ Lundrigan said of Pickett. “She was just missing those shots. That’s another area where someone like Hilary has been hugely instrumental in boosting Casey’s confidence, telling her to be patient and calm.’’
