GOAL BY GOAL: BC Women’s Hockey Comes From Behind For 3-2 Overtime Win Over Maine

Boston College Women’s Hockey didn’t play a perfect game, but after the opening 20 minutes of this one, they played some of their best hockey of the last few weeks. Maine scored the opening tally, but the Eagles — led by leading scorer Delaney Belinskas — were able to force overtime and claim both league points in a 3-2 (OT) win over the Maine Black Bears in Orono.

Maine Goal #1: 5:02 of the 1st period
Ella MacLean (Līga Miljone, Ida Kuoppala)

UM 1, BC 0

The first period wasn’t great for BC at all. The Eagles were outshot 10-8 in the opening 20, but the shots were 8-2 with only a few minutes left in the period. But before that point, Maine found the opening score.

The Black Bears entered the offensive zone on a rush, and BC was able to get back to defend. The problem was, so many players got so far back to defend that it allowed a skater for Maine to have her own zip code at the blue line. Miljone passed it up to MacLean, who skated in a few strides and wound up for the slap shot that found its way through to make it 1-0 to the Black Bears.

Boston College Goal #1: 18:25 of the 1st period
Maegan Beres (Hadley Hartmetz)

BC 1, UM 1

But BC really turned things around after being down 8-2 in shots and 1-0 on the scoreboard. The Eagles took 6 out of the last 8 shots of the period, including this one that found the back of the net to tie the game.

Hadley Hartmetz at the blue line wasn’t doing much more than just throwing the puck back into the offensive zone from the near point, but there was an Eagle there to deflect it on its way in. It didn’t go in clean off the deflection, but Beres was able to stick with it on the rebound and poke the puck through to make it 1-1 going into the intermission.

Boston College Goal #2: 6:12 of the 2nd period
Delaney Belinskas (Olivia Finocchiaro, Jillian Fey)

BC 2, UM 1

From there, BC really took over on possession. And the Eagles were rewarded with a goal early in the second period off the stick of Delaney Belinskas.

It’s pretty bad luck for Maine, as immediately before the play, they were able to enter the BC end on a 2 on 1 for one of their best opportunities of the game. But Fey broke up the chance, and Finocchiaro was able to get to the puck first and sling the puck up ice for the streaking Belinskas. Delaney beat her defender and threw the backhand on net, and it was enough to beat Maine goaltender Carly Jackson to give BC the 2-1 lead.

Maine Goal #2: 15:29 of the 2nd period
Ida Kuoppala (Taylor Leech, Tereza Vanišová)

BC 2, UM 2

Of course, nothing is easy for BC this year. Despite having a heavy advantage in puck possession in the 2nd period, the Black Bears tied up the game on a totally unfortunate goal for goaltender Kelly Pickreign.

It was almost a carbon copy of the beginning of the Hartmetz-to-Beres goal for the Eagles in the first period. Maine’s Ida Kuoppala threw what looked like a harmless puck in toward the net from the near point without much gas on it, but this time the puck found its way all the way through everyone, catching Pickreign in particular completely off guard and going into the net untouched.

It was a pretty big facepalm of a moment, but the Eagles only further turned the screws, particularly in the third period. BC took a whopping 20 shots on net over the final 20 minutes of regulation, and though they couldn’t find a winning goal in the final period, they were able to ride that momentum into overtime.

Boston College Goal #3: 2:34 of Overtime
Delaney Belinskas (Olivia Finocchiaro, Hadley Hartmetz)

BC 3, UM 2 — FINAL (OT)

Once again it was BC’s leading scorer, Delaney Belinskas, who was able to find the back of the net for BC to win the game in overtime.

Just like in the second period, Olivia Finicchiaro threw the puck up ice to her teammate streaking through the neutral zone, and Belinskas was able to user her speed to get past the defenders. She was on a tough angle, but she’s got one of the sneakiest shots in the league, and her quick release found the five hole for the score and the win for BC.

With UConn beating Merrimack and Providence pulling the big upset over #3 Northeastern, the win was big for BC to keep pace to control their own destiny for a top four spot in the league and stay in the race for 3rd. Maine and BC will take to the ice on Saturday afternoon at 2pm in Orono once again, and a sweep would go a long way toward putting the Eagles in a good position for the Hockey East tournament.