GOAL BY GOAL: BC Women’s Hockey Imposes Its Will On Boston University In 4-3 Win

You see a 4-3 final score and you think a couple things.

First, you think “that was probably a pretty entertaining, back and forth affair.” And it kind of was! The Eagles never trailed, but the Terriers found enough goals to never let BC get too comfortable.

Your second thought on seeing that final score is probably “this seems like it was a pretty even game.” On this point, you would be wrong. Boston College easily handled Boston University everywhere but the scoreboard on Tuesday night, territorially dominating their foes from down the street and outshooting the Terriers 37-13. Were it not for a couple brief signs of life from BU, this game could have gotten out of hand — but instead, the Eagles had to settle for closer-than-they-deserved 4-3 final score.

Boston College Goal #1: 6:24 of the 1st period
Lindsay Agnew (Daryl Watts, Makenna Newkirk)

BC 1, BU 0

The Eagles flew (ha!) out of the gate and scored an early goal for what seems like the first time all season.

After a Serena Sommerfield penalty put BC shorthanded, the Eagles put together a successful kill. That kill ended with BC pressure at the blue line causing a turnover and a rush up ice. Sommerfield went to the bench from the penalty box and was replaced with Daryl Watts, who joined the play in transition with Lindsay Agnew.

Agnew sent the puck over to Watts on the two on one, and from here Watts has a couple options — she could send the puck back to Agnew on the give and go, which she elects not to do. She could take the shot herself, but she’s not on a great angle, so she holds off there as well. Instead she fakes the shot, which BU goalie Corinne Schroeder eagerly bites on because it’s Daryl Watts, which makes Schroeder drop to the ice.

That leaves the back door wide open on the wrap around bid. Agnew stays with the play and is hanging out on the doorstep, and Watts sends her the pass from behind the net for the goal and the early BC lead.

Boston College Goal #2: 12:12 of the 1st period
Ryan Little (Megan Keller, Erin Connolly)

BC 2, BU 0

The Eagles continued their early domination of BU with a second goal several minutes later.

BC had great puck movement all game, keeping things cycling and allowing for some really fast-paced offensive play. On this goal, we do have a little bit of a sloppy centering pass by Erin Connolly, but the idea is sound enough — there’s a couple Eagles heading into the slot and chaos on the doorstep is never a bad thing.

BU deflects the puck away, but it deflects right to Megan Keller on the other end of the ice. Three skaters in red then get very distracted by Keller’s shiny gold medal:

Keller circles back toward the net with the love and admiration of all those Terriers focused on her. Meanwhile, behind the play, Ryan Little circles back into the now gaping space in front of Schroeder. Keller just has to dish that smooth cranberry sauce over to Little right on the doorstep, and that goal’s a Little (haaaa!) too easy.

This isn’t the first time this season that BC’s Olympic players have drawn extra attention and opened up space — and it certainly won’t be the last.

Boston University Goal #1: 14:43 of the 1st period
Jesse Compher (Nara Elia)

BC 2, BU 1

So, let’s reset. BC’s up a whopping 13-0 in shots (the count on screen was unofficial and incorrect), and the Terriers are getting so thoroughly whooped that you wonder if things might get ugly. But all it took was one wrong move by BC for BU to find themselves back in the game.

It’s BU’s very first shot of the game — almost 15 minutes in — that finds the back of the net. It’s a perfect storm of disaster for BC. Kali Flanagan is chasing a harmless puck in the corner and tries to send it up the boards. Compher disrupts the pass, and because BC’s trying to start the breakout, there really isn’t anyone in any sort of recognizable defensive position. Compher sends the puck behind the net to Elia who, credit where it’s due, tosses a hell of a one-touch pass back to Compher streaking in on the give-and-go.

That puts Compher all alone on McArthur, and she buries it to get the Terriers their first goal.

Boston University Goal #2: 17:04 of the 1st period
Mackenna Parker (Sammy Davis, Jesse Compher)

BC 2, BU 2

That goal breathed a bit of life into the Terriers and they found themselves with some decent zone time just a couple minutes later. All it takes is winning a couple puck battles to make something happen, and that’s pretty much what happens here.

The Terriers win a battle, and Sammy Davis (a junior) skates out front and sends the puck on net. McArthur makes the stop, but the rebound is sitting right in the blue paint for Mackenna Parker, who found the puck right in front of her after slowly getting to her feet. She’s got good enough reflexes to pop the puck in, and all of a sudden, despite BC rumbling to a hot start, the game’s tied at 2-2.

Boston College Goal #3 (PPG): 4:08 of the 2nd period
Kelly Browne (Megan Keller, Lindsay Agnew)

BC 3, BU 2

The Eagles went right back to work in the second period, though, and were outshooting BU 29-7 by the time the second intermission rolled around. BC cashed in on one of their many, many power plays to take the 3-2 lead a few minutes into the second.

The BC power play generated a ton of chances (they sure had enough opportunities to do so, with eight power play opportunities on the night), so it was sort of funny that their one power play goal was a bit of a whiffed shot that went in.

The Eagles manage to control the puck at the blue line and keep possession, and they get right back to work putting the pressure on. There’s Megan Keller again at the point with an Eagle streaking into the empty space in front of the goal. Keller threads the needle through a couple BU sticks to find Kelly Browne, who ends up semi-whiffing a change-up through Schroeder. That’s her second of the year, and BC’s in the lead once again.

Boston College Goal #4 (GWG): 8:12 of the 3rd period
Maegan Beres (Ryan Little, Serena Sommerfield)

BC 4, BU 2

This one was not a whiff.

BC continued to just bring wave after wave of pressure on the Terriers. This play is BC’s offensive night in a nutshell — hard-nosed battling along the boards to win possession, and an immediate, relentless attack upon gaining control of the puck.

Now, it certainly helps that BU sent four skaters to try and win the puck (which was still not enough). But this is BC’s 3rd line — at least according to the score sheet — showing some real top line skill on the two on one. Ryan Little’s coming in on net and steers a little wide, drawing #26 Connor Galway over with her. The second Galway breaks her defensive posture, Little dishes off the slickest of backhand feeds to Maegan Beres, who could not ask for the puck in a better position on the ice.

Schroeder really has no chance here. Even in the slow-mo part of the clip that point blank shot looks fast.

That gave the Eagles some insurance, which somehow they’d eventually need.

Boston University Goal #3 (PPG): 14:10 of the 3rd period
Abby Cook (Sammy Davis, Nara Elia)

BC 4, BU 3 — FINAL

But because nothing in this life is easy, the Terriers had to score a late power play goal to put a pause on the BC victory celebration. After getting their shots blocked by BC all day, BU finally gets one clean through from the point that finds its way all the way through, pulling BU back within one once again. But that’s as close as they’d get. BU pulled the goalie but couldn’t find the equalizer, and the Eagles came away with a very close and yet very lopsided 4-3 win over the Terriers.

The Eagles will probably find themselves sleepwalking to a blowout win this Saturday as they head to Worcester to face Hockey East newcomer Holy Cross. But a week from today marks one of the biggest games of the year. Next Tuesday, the Eagles will head downtown to Matthews Arena to face a shockingly good Northeastern team that finds themselves in the top 5 in the polls and 3rd in both KRACH and the Pairwise. The Huskies only have one loss on the season, and next Tuesday’s matchup is setting up to be a battle of eastern women’s hockey heavyweights.