GOAL BY GOAL: BC Women’s Hockey Unleashes Another Goal Explosion In 7-3 Win Over Northeastern

On Friday night, Northeastern toppled #1 Wisconsin by a score of 3-2 and became the only team to put a blemish on the Badgers’ perfect season. Tuesday night, the Eagles blew the doors of the Huskies.

Led by a Caitrin Lonergan hat trick and another three points from freshman Daryl Watts, Boston College easily handled Northeastern at Conte Forum by a final score of 7-3.

Oh, transitive property. You’re fun.

Boston College Goal #1: 3:10 of the 1st period
Caitrin Lonergan (Kenzie Kent)

BC 1, NU 0

This game was the entire BC Women’s Hockey season in a nutshell: sensational offense, an even shot count, and a frustrating number of goals allowed given the level of domination. These are just the things we’re going to have to get used to.

Fortunately the “sensational offense” part doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Caitrin Lonergan got things started early for BC with a laser from the high slot. Skating backwards, she still manages to get an impressive amount of oomph on the slap shot to beat Northeastern goaltender Aerin Frankel cleanly.

Northeastern Goal #1: 4:15 of the 1st period
McKenna Brand (Ainsley MacMillan, Denisa Křížová)

BC 1, NU 1

But Northeastern scored the next goal to at least keep the game close for a little while.

It starts with a nice dump in at the blue line from the eventual goalscorer, #7 McKenna Brand. Her little behind the back pass to the goal line starts the play, and she heads over to the net. Still there’s not too much to worry about for BC — the puck is along the perimeter and there isn’t much of a threat.

However, Ainsley McMillan’s shot from the blue line is not controlled by Burt, and the rebound pops right out to the doorstep. Brand finds the rebound and puts it in to tie the score. Certainly this is a play that Katie Burt would like back.

Boston College Goal #2: 11:53 of the 1st period
Daryl Watts (Caitrin Lonergan, Willow Corson)

BC 2, NU 1

But fortunately, BC rattled off a few goals in a row to take the pressure off for the rest of the game.

Watts and Lonergan combined on this goal for one of the nicest plays of the season. The give-and-go to a one-timer twisting the goaltender into a knot was reminiscent of a goal that the original BC duo of Allie Thunstrom and Kelli Stack scored their freshman year.

Let’s pause for a nearly 11 year old throwback:

Looks familiar!

Boston College Goal #3: 2:09 of the 2nd period
Delaney Belinskas (Kenzie Kent)

BC 3, NU 1

As nice as BC’s first couple goals were, their third was a brutally soft score allowed by the Northeastern goalie.

The Huskies win the faceoff, but Kenzie Kent somehow chases down the puck carrier from the point and just throws the puck toward the goal mouth. Frankel looks like she covers just about everything except the puck, and Delaney Belinskas manages to get a stick on it to poke the puck through.

Yikes.

Boston College Goal #4 (GWG): 14:30 of the 2nd period
Caitron Lonergan (Daryl Watts, Willow Corson)

BC 4, NU 1

Back to the pretty goals.

Caitrin Lonergan scores her second of the night on a wicked wrist shot coming across the slot, but the play begins with the expertise of Watts. Watts gets herself onside and pulls the puck outside the zone. She deftly feeds Lonergan across the blue line, allowing her to come in one on one on the defender.

She pulls off her cut around the defender, and the shot beats Frankel, putting BC up 4-1 and chasing the freshman goaltender from the game.

Northeastern Goal #2: 17:38 of the 2nd period
Lauren Kelly (McKenna Brand)

BC 4, NU 2

But it wouldn’t be a BC women’s hockey game without multiple goals allowed!

The Eagles have a defensive lapse to thank for this one. Ryan Little tries to clear the BC end, but doesn’t do enough with the puck and it lands right on the stick o a Northeastern player inside the blue line. It takes all of a half second for Brand to fire the puck toward Lauren Kelly at the goal mouth, who gets a deflection to beat Watts and make it 4-2.

It’s a good example of how the defensive side of the game is so difficult to get locked down. The smallest mistake can get turned around on you in a hurry.

Boston College Goal #5: 2:18 of the 3rd period
Kenzie Kent (Caitrin Lonergan, Delaney Belinskas)

BC 5, NU 2

But for every defensive miscue, it seems like the BC offense is there to pick them up tenfold.

Two-sport star Kenzie Kent gets in on the action for BC’s fifth goal. Lonergan sends the initial shot in on net that new NU goaltender Brittany Bugalski can’t control, allowing a rebound out front. Kent’s reflexes are razor sharp on this goal, and she makes a perfect flip of the puck over Bugalski’s shoulder for the nice goal.

Boston College Goal #6 (TD): 3:02 of the 3rd period
Daryl Watts (Grace Bizal, Makenna Newkirk)

BC 6, NU 2

The Eagles scored a touchdown for their second straight game, with Daryl Watts finding the end zone for goal number six.

This goal is all about the silky-smooth hands of the freshman. Watts takes the pass at the faceoff dot and meanders the puck closer to the slot with a few skaters making traffic out front. She dipsy-doodles the puck into a shooting position, and before anyone really expects it she’s ripped off a wrist shot that surprises everyone and beats Bugalski.

Boston College Goal #7 (SHG, HT, PAT): 16:32 of the 3rd period)
Caitrin Lonergan (Serena Sommerfield)

BC 7, NU 2

Not to be outdone, Caitrin Lonergan scores shorthanded for BC to kick the extra point and complete the hat trick.

This is just as simple as it gets. Lonergan is on a clean breakaway — and I do mean clean — allowing her to pretty much do what she wants. She opts for the emphatic backhand past Bugalski, who really doesn’t have a chance.

Northeastern Goal #3: 18:32 of the 3rd period
Skylar Fontaine (Denisa Křížová, McKenna Brand)

BC 7, NU 3 — FINAL

Northeastern found one last goal in garbage time off another BC turnover — this time off the stick of Watts, of all people. Once again, a lackluster clearing effort ends up on a Northeastern stick, and BC is suddenly forced to chase the play. Křížová battles her way through a handful of Eagles before dishing the puck over to Fontaine, who fires past Burt to make it 7-3, which would be your final.

So, still plenty of things to work on for the Eagles for sure, but they have to like that they were able to go out and clean the clock of a team that just took down the undisputed #1 team in the country. Furthermore, in two games since putting Watts and Lonergan on separate lines, the Eagles have put up a whopping 15 goals.

Lonergan and Watts still lead the nation by a ton in points and points per game, and don’t appear to have been slowed down by being split up from each other. Ideally, having one of the superstars on the ice for more than ²⁄₃ of the game should also help team defense in the long run, although that remains to be seen.

BC gets a home and home against Boston University next this weekend. It’ll be the last two games of the year for the Eagles against the Terriers unless they meet up in the Beanpot or Hockey East tournament, so this is a pretty big weeked for BC. They’ll be home at 2pm on Friday before heading down Comm Ave for a 3pm game on Saturday at Walter Brown.