GOAL BY GOAL: BC Women's Hockey Posts Solid 4-1 Win At New Hampshire

Chaos continued on Friday night in this year’s bizarre NCAA women’s hockey season.

Nearly every game either resulting in an upset or came dangerously close to one. So given how things are going, despite playing a weak opponent in New Hampshire, the Eagles have to be pretty happy to come away looking good in a strong 4-1 win against the Wildcats.

Boston College Goal #1 (PPG): 9:45 of the 1st period
Megan Keller (Toni Ann Miano, Makenna Newkirk)

BC 1, UNH 0

One positive that stood out in BC’s tough trip to Duluth at the start of the season was that the power play hadn’t missed a beat from last season. BC sits at #1 in the country on the power play, and they dropped a few percentage points despite going 33% on the night against the Wildcats.

There’s nothing fancy here for BC. The Wildcats are way in tight on UNH goaltender Kyra Smith, giving Megan Keller, with one of the best slapshots in the game, room to roam up top.

She drifts just a hair to look for a shooting lane through the traffic, and with Smith screened, the puck finds its way all the way through for the goal.

New Hampshire Goal #1: 0:55 of the 2nd period
Taylor Wenczkowski (Carlee Turner, Marie-Jo Pelletier)

BC 1, UNH 1

BC got caught flat footed to start the 2nd period, and UNH was able to tie up the game.

Carlee Turner leads the way here on a three on two, and there’s just so much room on UNH’s big sheet that it looks like a practice drill.

The two Eagle defensemen don’t really do anything to force the Wildcats into doing something, so the UNH players get to dictate the play. Turner drops the puck back to Wenczkowski who just has all the room in the world, taking all the space the BC defenseman gives her before firing off a rocket over the shoulder of Katie Burt.

Boston College Goal #2 (GWG): 4:22 of the 3rd period
Kristyn Capizzano (Megan Keller, Kenzie Kent)

BC 2, UNH 1

Somehow the Wildcats held on tied with BC into the third period, despite BC’s 24-12 advantage in shows through the second intermission. But the Eagles really got in gear in the third period, which seemed to be their best despite the 13-13 shot count in the last frame.

This is pretty similar to UNH’s goal, with BC on the shooting end of a 3 on 2. But Keller takes a different shot — she aims low into the pads of Kyra Smith to draw the rebound.

Capizzano is the first skater there for that rebound, and she throws in the layup. Just the way they drew it up.

Boston College Goal #3: 10:02 of the 3rd period
Makenna Newkirk (Kristyn Capizzano, Grace Bizal)

BC 3, UNH 1

Newkirk had somehow not gotten on the scoresheet yet this season until this goal — surprising, given that she was one of the two best freshmen in the country last season, and didn’t even put up the bulk of her production on a line with Skarupa and Carpenter.

Bizal gets it started on this goal with a slow shot in from the blue line that Capizzano tries to get a stick on for a deflection. She misses, but the shot takes an awkward bounce right in front of Smith. That forces another rebound, and again there are Eagles (plural this time) right there to finish it off.

Capizzano has the puck whacked off her stick, but it falls right to Newkirk who throws it in for some insurance.

Boston College Goal #4 (ENG): 18:53 of the 3rd period
Grace Bizal (Unassisted)

BC 4, UNH 1 — FINAL

Just an empty netter, but the BC bench was thrilled. Bizal, a sophomore stay-at-home defenseman, gets the first goal of her career here to finish off the scoring, and that was that.

The score was closer than the game was before the Eagles were able to break it open in the third period, but BC will definitely take it and move on. It’s worth noting as well that senior captain Andie Anastos, while listed in the lineup on the fourth line, barely played (if at all) as she’s still recovering from an injury taken in the opening weekend against Duluth. She’ll be a very welcome addition to the lineup when she returns.

Next up for BC is Maine, in a game that will somehow close out the season series with the Black Bears just three weeks into the season. Puck drop is at 7pm, although unfortunately there aren’t likely to be any streaming options with the game in Auburn, ME, away from Maine’s home rink.