GOAL BY GOAL: BC Women’s Hockey Makes Quick Work Of UConn In 3-0 Victory

Here we are, a dozen games into the BC Women’s Hockey season, and the 10-1-1, #2 ranked Eagles finally have their first shutout of the season with a 3-0 win over the UConn Huskies. Not only is it their first shutout, but it’s only the second time all year that they’ve allowed fewer than two goals.

But it’s better late than never, and most importantly, it could be a sign that BC’s thin defensive corps might be starting to come together.

Boston College Goal #1 (GWG): 6:23 of the 1st period
Erin Connolly (Makenna Newkirk, Caroline Ross)

BC 1, UConn 0

UConn was pretty much outmatched from the moment the puck dropped in this game. The Eagles scored in the first half of the first period and never looked back.

Erin Connolly got the Eagles on the board with a greasy goal. Right off the draw, Caroline Ross sent the puck into traffic from the high slot. UConn goaltender Annie Belanger was unable to corral the shot, and Makenna Newkirk did just enough to keep the play alive by chirping at the puck. Connolly was next in line, and she found a way to get a good stick on it to send it past Belanger for the goal.

Boston College Goal #2: 7:32 of the 1st period
Caitrin Lonergan (Daryl Watts, Kathleen McNamara)

BC 2, UConn 0

BC’s last two goals were anything but greasy. Caitrin Lonergan and Daryl Watts took turns assisting each other on their respective goals, and both were of the highlight reel variety.

Lonergan’s tally came first, just a minute after Connolly opened the scoring. Watts secured the puck around a couple UConn defenders before backhanding a pass through a lane that only opened for a fraction of a second directly onto the stick of Lonergan. Lonergan only has to fire away at the puck from the doorstep to finish off a beauty of a goal for the young duo.

Boston College Goal #3: 10:56 of the 2nd period
Daryl Watts (Caitrin Lonergan, Serena Sommerfield)

BC 3, UConn 0 — FINAL

The pair was at it again in the second period to really put the game away. Both players put together just some absolutely elite-level hockey for the score. It’s something to behold.

Lonergan does the old Kelli Stack play of circling behind the net to open things up, and she finds Watts in the slot with the pass. Watts holds the puck around a defender (again) before muscling off a complete rocket off the post and in. Poor Belanger has no chance at all.

With Clarkson’s overtime loss to Quinnipiac, the win lifts the Eagles into 3rd or 4th in the Pairwise, depending on what you think of St. Anselm’s chances of actually getting selected into the tournament. If BC can find a way to put up another shutout against the Huskies on Saturday, you’d really get a good feeling about the direction the Eagles are heading.