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Despite leading for just 5:18, #2 ranked Boston College Women's Hockey was able to stave off a tough Yale team and pull out a narrow 4-3 victory.
This win didn't really do much to give BC fans confidence in their national championship contender after the tough loss Wednesday to UNH on Wednesday, but given the way the game turned out, a win is a win.
Yale got on the board just seven minutes into the game to take 1-0 lead, but BC responded with a goal from Melissa Bizzari to knot the score at 1.
The first period was a bizarre tale of two halves. Yale shot out of a cannon to start, outshooting BC 10-2 early, but BC turned on the afterburners about halfway through and finished the period on a scorching 19-1 run.
The second period was remarkably like the first, with BC sleepwalking their way through the first half but coming on strong at the end. Unfortunately, it went all wrong on a late BC power play as Yale took a 2-1 lead on a shorthanded goal with just 1:16 left in the second.
BC finally played a more balanced period in the third, though, and was able to overtake the Bulldogs. Lexi Bender and Dana Trivigno scored early in the period to leapfrog into the lead, but just 1:13 later, Yale pulled even to take the wind out of BC's sails.
Fortunately, though, BC has Haley Skarupa, who makes plays like Johnny Gaudreau makes... well, plays.
Skarupa just embarrassed some poor Yale defender and fed a streaking Taylor Wasylk for the shorthanded game-winning tally with just four minutes to go.
An impressive BC forecheck kept the game in Yale's end for the rest of the game, and Yale wasn't even able to pull their goaltender.
It really wasn't an impressive victory despite the 47-28 shot count. If UNH is below-average, Yale is far worse, and a loss in this game would have been catastrophic. BC topped Yale last year in the Nutmeg Classic (we were officially the Best Team In Connecticut last year) 4-0, and that probably should have been a bigger blowout. The ECAC is a really, really good conference in women's hockey, though, and a lot of their lower-tier teams are able to put up a good fight every now and then. So, onward.
There's no rest for the weary, as BC plays its third game in five days tomorrow afternoon against Dartmouth at 2pm. BC will need to take that game to avoid a significant drop in the rankings come Monday.