It's only one game, and it's against a struggling UConn team ranked 29th in KRACH and 26th in GRaNT, but the Eagles seemed to regain their early season form in a 6-0 thrashing of the Huskies.
Alex Carpenter and Haley Skarupa were kept off the scoresheet—Carpenter for the first time all season—and yet the Eagles would still score a touchdown. That's a great sign for the coming weeks.
Boston College Goal #1 (GWG): 10:13 of the 1st period
Andie Anastos (Emily Field, Tori Sullivan)
BC 1, UConn 0
UConn is trying to do the same thing that other teams have in the last few weeks against BC, but they don't execute it well. They're trying to clog up the front of the net, but they're pretty much standing still. Field does some nice stickwork to get out front, and Anastos skates in and gets open on the other side of the net.
Since UConn's skaters are almost stationary, it's relatively easy for Field to find Anastos through the crowd. Chuli was down anticipating a wraparound shot from Field, which means it takes way too long for her to get across the crease to defend Anastos. 1-0 BC.
Boston College Goal #2: 15:54 of the 1st period
Kate Leary (Dana Trivigno, Emily Pfalzer)
BC 2, UConn 0
Elaine Chuli, UConn's goalie, is one of the top goaltenders in the conference, but Kate Leary just embarrassed her on this goal. It just takes a couple shimmies and poor Chuli isn't even in her crease anymore.
This is a similar goal to one Skarupa scored against Providence last week.
FLASHBACK: Haley Skarupa scores against Providence, 1/30/15
Two very, very different defenses here. Providence attacks Skarupa hard, with two different Friars getting a stick on her, and it's only a perfect shot that manages to get through.
Conversely, UConn pretty much hands the slot to Leary. It's a combination of bad play by UConn and good positioning by Kenzie Kent. Kent is involved in the play in both the PC and UConn goals, but she's better positioned against the Huskies. #8 Rachel Farrel for UConn has to make a decision—jump on defending Leary or back off and defend Kent who would have an easy tap in on the back end. Instead she doesn't really do either, and Leary executes.
Boston College Goal #3: 2:27 of the 2nd period
Emily Field (Lexi Bender)
BC 3, UConn 0
As good as the 1st period was, BC really turned it on in the 2nd. To be fair, this goal is really on Chuli. Bender sends the pick in on net from a distance and Chuli can't gather it in. The rebound is right there for the taking and Field takes it.
So much secondary scoring!
Boston College Goal #4: 6:12 of the 2nd period
Tori Sullivan (Andie Anastos, Emily Field)
BC 4, UConn 0
BC is really swarming now—this line in particular, who put in 4 of BC's 6 goals after Coach Crowley swapped up the lines a little bit. Keller throws the puck on net from the blue line looking for a deflection or a rebound and that's exactly what she gets.
After bouncing around like a super ball it ends up with Sullivan, who gloves the puck down to the ice and chips it in for the goal.
Boston College Goal #5: 11:10 of the 2nd period
Andie Anastos (Emily Field, Megan Keller)
BC 5, UConn 0
Hellooooo there, Andie Anastos. UConn does everything they can to keep the puck out of the net but Anastos comes through like a freight train. Chuli doesn't have anyone else to worry about and can focus on Anastos, who is being defended by another Husky in front of her too.
But despite all that Anastos ends up with half a net to shoot at and she puts BC up 5-0.
Boston College Goal #6 (PPG): 19:53 of the 2nd period
Emily Pfalzer (Andie Anastos)
BC 6, UConn 0
Emily Pfalzer puts the exclamation point on a resurgent win for BC as she lowers the freaking boom on this one timer bomb past Chuli.
UConn would pull Chuli after the 2nd period, and BC wouldn't score again, but that was more than enough offense. to help BC fans forget about the last few weeks of stagnation.
It also helped that BC's goalie Katie Burt was doing things like this.
Next up: BEANPOT! BC will face off against a hot Harvard team Tuesday night who has climbed into 4th in the rankings. It is easily BC's biggest game of the season, and not just because of the pot of beans that awaits them if they win.
Trophy season is upon us, and hopefully BC has found their form just in time.
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