#5 Boston College Women's Hockey Sweeps Providence College

It was a hard-fought 4 point weekend for BC as completed the sweep over Providence College on Sunday with a 2-1 overtime victory.

After Friday's bizarre contest in which PC almost overcame a 4 goal deficit with 2 minutes remaining, Sunday's matchup was a win of the more conventional variety -- even if it may have been a bit more of a challenge.

BC took a lead midway through the second period on a shorthanded goal by Taylor Wasylk (set up by Patty Kaz candidate Haley Skarupa) and held the 1-0 lead almost to the end of the frame when PC knotted the score at 1 with just over a minute left in the period.

Despite dominating the third period to the tune of a 15-5 shots-on-goal advantage, BC couldn't capitalize, and had to settle for sending the fans home happy in overtime.

Kate Leary gathered a loose puck along the neutral zone boards to and fed a streaking Melissa Bizzari, who rifled home a no-nonsense laser-shot past the PC 'tender to wrap up what was ultimately a successful weekend.

BC is in the middle of a real head-scratching stretch of hockey. On the one hand, they are a solid 7-2-0, but on the other hand, they are not blowing opponents out, having slow starts, and are really inconsistent.

Goaltending numbers for our 5th year senior Corinne Boyles are far below what she's put up in the past. The defense is still working on filling the holes of Dru Burns and Blake Bolden, who were the two rocks of BC's blue line.

The 7-2-0 record is really not as great as it might seem. BC is the only team under consideration (they still use TUCs in women's hockey) that has yet to play another TUC, and yet has two losses to inferior opponents.

It's hard to figure out what's going on right now. Is the goaltending going through a rough patch? Maybe, but the length of this stretch is starting to be concerning.

Are the mid-range teams that much closer to the top of the pack because of the Olympics? We knew that would be the case, but the sheer number of bizarre results across the country so far have been even more wild than predicted.

Is BC playing down to their competition? We won't really know until we play a truly elite opponent. Quinnipiac is knocking on that door, up to 7th in the USCHO poll and 5th in the Pairwise, who we play just two Fridays from now. The two game series at #3 Cornell at the end of November looms especially large for BC's chances.

I'm inclined to think that BC's issues right now lie in "All Of The Above."

I also think I would take more stock in BC succeeding against top teams than falling to mid-pack teams. If BC can mostly outplay Quinnipiac, Cornell, Boston University, and Northeastern in the coming couple of months, it will instill a lot of confidence in the team and its fans.

Unfortunately, if they disappoint, it could be a stretch that could cripple their playoff chances given the already-slow start.

For now, BC will certainly take the big 4 point weekend against a tough opponent in the Friars and move on. BC takes on Vermont and Northeastern this weekend -- two teams they should handle without much trouble, but who definitely have the talent to give BC another disappointment.