GOAL BY GOAL: Short-Staffed BC Women's Hockey Drops Providence College

After Friday's crushing 8-0 win over the Friars, the Eagles said goodbye to five of its best players as they hopped on a plane to Canada for next weekend's Four Nations Cup tournament with Team USA.

While having five (seriously, five) players on the US National Team is pretty badass, it's leaving the Eagles with a wildly shorthanded roster, with just 9 forwards and 4 defensemen left to pick up the slack.

Fortunately, BC's depth won out, and Providence College never seriously threatened in a 4-1 BC victory.

Boston College Goal #1: 2:46 of the 1st period
Meghan Grives (Unassisted)

BC 1, PC 0

BC's lower line players really stepped it up, starting first and foremost with Meghan Grieves. She catches a Friar sleeping on the blue line, bursts right through with a steal, and away she goes. Really nice scoring touch on the finish, and BC has just what they need playing down 5 players -- an early lead.

Boston College Goal #2 (GWG): 9:34 of the 1st period
Meghan Grieves (Danielle Doherty)

BC 2, PC 0

Make no mistake about it -- BC's players left behind from Four Nations aren't just filling roster spots. The Eagles have depth that can't be matched by any other team in the country. This is number 19, Danielle Doherty, making a poor Friar look silly as she olé's past and creates a late-developing 2- or 3-on-1. Grieves comes absolutely streaking into the picture, complete;y unmarked, and Providence goalie Allie Morse is going to need a new water bottle.

The early lead would become extremely important for BC. All four defensemen were forced to play Zdeno Chara minutes, and the forwards could only roll three lines. The Eagles were noticeably exhausted as the clock ticked away in the second period. But early in the third, BC bought some insurance.

Boston College Goal #3: 1:07 of the 3rd period
Tori Sullivan (Kenzie Kent)

BC 3, PC 0

In addition to the general depth, one thing BC fans can be excited about is the offensive skill of its freshmen. Two baby birds combine for a really nice 2-on-1 goal here, with BC turning yet another steal into an odd man rush.

This is Tori Sullivan on the goal, and as nice and Kent's steal was to create the play, take a look at the power strides Sullivan makes to go to the net. The Providence defenseman just has no idea; she's focused on Kent thinking she's taking a passing lane away with her stick but in four strides Sullivan has completely blown past her right in front of the net. It's a masterful, well-timed feed from Kent, and Sulivan just has to slide the puck around the helpless goalie. A really high-skilled, under-appreciated goal.

It was fortunate that BC was able to come out firing early in the period while they still had fresh legs, because a few players started to really run out of gas as the game came to a close.

Providence College Goal #1 (SHG): 15:15 of the 3rd period
Allison Micheletti (Brittney Thunstrom)

BC 3, PC 1

You've really got to feel for Lexi Bender on this play. Normally one of the strongest skaters, she's interfered with starting a breakout on the power play just enough to lose her balance, but not enough to draw a call.

Had she not been playing half the minutes, perhaps she could have recovered, but once she goes down you can see she just doesn't have the gas to get over to try and make a play on the Friar who picked up the puck. She picks the corner on Burt, and the Friars are back within one.

That seemed to give the Eagles a second wind, and seconds later they got the goal right back.

Boston College Goal #4 (PPG): 15:51 of the 3rd period
Andie Anastos (Kenzie Kent, Emily Field)

BC 4, PC 1 -- FINAL

Providence is playing way too tight to the goalie on this penalty kill, and BC burns them. Field's pass from down low goes to Kent who sees she's got space and skates way in. All four Friars are forced to react which leaves Anastos all by her lonesome on the far post. She gathers the puck in for a snapshot over a helpless Allie Morse for the power play goal, and that's your final.

BC will rest up this week for a pair of Hockey East contests against Northeastern and Vermont. BC will be without its players against the Huskies, but there is hope that the national team players may return in time for the tilt against the Catamounts. Both NU and UVM will be missing players as well, but not nearly as many as BC -- so BC getting its players back at least against Vermont would be a big help.