GOAL BY GOAL: BC Women’s Sweeps UConn 4-0, Levy Claims Season’s First Shutout

Boston College Women’s Hockey had a Sunday that was quite a bit like their Saturday — not super pretty, not super sharp... and yet, here we are two hours later looking at another Eagle victory. This time, though, the win comes with a little extra shine: it was, at last, the team’s first shutout of the season. The 4-0 victory in Storrs marks BC’s fifth win in five attempts against UConn in the 2020-2021 campaign.

Boston College Goal #1 (GWG): 8:43 of the 1st period
Savannah Norcross (Kelly Browne, Alexie Guay)

BC 1, UC 0

It was a pretty similar start to Saturday’s game for BC with the Eagles jumping ahead to a quick lead. Savannah Norcorss starting things out with a great assist from Kelly Browne.

Browne entered the UConn end well defended and drew the UConn skater with her across the slot. Norcross read the play and skated to the space being vacated by Browne which ended up creating a brief two-on-one opportunity. Browne dropped the puck back to Norcross who ended up being in all alone on the goaltender thanks to the nice movement, and the hit the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

Boston College Goal #2: 15:52 of the 1st period
Alexie Guay (Willow Corson)

BC 2, UC 0

The Eagles followed that up with a goal toward the end of the period, this time with the help of a little deflection. Willow Corson skated across the blue line and threw the puck on net for what would have been a pretty harmless shot — except for the fact that BC defender Alexie Guay was able to get a stick on the puck as it came by at waist height.

The deflection was just enough to get the puck to knuckle past the UConn goaltender, and that made it 2-0 BC going into the first intermission.

Unlike Saturday, though, the Eagles kept the two goal lead as they went into the locker room, and that seemed to make a difference for the flow of the game. BC was defending a two goal lead instead of a narrow one goal margin in the second period, and playing with that little bit of extra pressure off may have helped. UConn continued to get shots through to Abbey Levy, but was equal to what the Huskies threw at her.

Boston College Goal #3 (SHG, ENG): 13:38 of the 3rd period
Savannah Norcross (Alexie Guay, Kelly Browne)

BC 3, UC 0

The extra goal disadvantage for the Huskies put UConn into desperation mode earlier in the third than they would have liked, and it ended up icing the game nice and early for the Eagles. The Huskies pulled their goaltender for the 6-on-4 advantage, but that promptly went awry as Savannah Norcross sent a puck all the way down the ice for a long-distance empty netter to make it 3-0...

Boston College Goal #4 (ENG): 16:32 of the 3rd period
Willow Corson (Natalie Tulchinsky)

BC 4, UC 0 — FINAL

...and Willow Corson got an ENG of her own a few minutes later to make it 4-0. All of a sudden, the game was over, and the Eagles were looking at their first shutout of the year.

Abbey Levy was very strong in this one (obviously, with the shutout). She did a good job of making most of UConn’s opportunities look routine — the mark of a great goalie — and came up big on a couple Grade A chances that the Huskies threw at her in the second period:

Once again, the Eagles were playing with a short bench. Sunday’s “Wheel Of Scratches” landed on Fr. F Gaby Roy (who has now missed four straight with what one would have to assume at this point is a non-COVID injury), Sr. F Maegan Beres, So. F Hannah Bilka, and Jr. D Cayla Barnes — all of whom are impact players — and while the extra ice time for everyone has to be tough on the legs, BC just keeps winning despite everything.

BC will find out their opponent for next weekend in a couple days as Hockey East continues to update the schedule on a week to week basis.