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Monday night's BC vs. Harvard matchup for the men was a close, tense, well-played battle of titans. Tuesday night's matchup on the women's side...not so much.
Boston College Women's Hockey somehow managed to put together an even more impressive effort than last season's 10-2 thrashing against Harvard, shutting out the Crimson and blitzing from start to finish on their way to a tremendous 8-0 victory.
Fortunately, unlike last year, barring a surprise run for Harvard through the ECAC tournament, the Crimson shouldn't have an opportunity at revenge.
Boston College Goal #1 (GWG): 4:17 of the 1st period
Tori Sullivan (Grace Bizal, Meghan Grieves)
BC 1, HU 0
As much as BC's offense has started to heat up over the last few weeks, it hasn't felt like BC's really "exploded" on an opponent in a while. Explode they did on Tuesday night.
The Eagles sported some new, revamped lines for the matchup with the Crimson and the changes paid dividends early on. Tori Sullivan got the Eagles on the board first after Grace Bizal fired off a shot into traffic. Harvard goalie Emerance Maschmeyer couldn't see the puck well enough to gather it in, and Sullivan was right on the doorstep to score on the rebound to make it 1-0.
Boston College Goal #2: 5:40 of the 1st period
Kaliya Johnson (Makenna Newkirk, Megan Keller)
BC 2, HU 0
Just a minute and a half later, BC would score on a similar play—but this time, Kaliya Johnson's slapshot into about a half dozen players managed to find its way all the way through without anyone getting a stick on the puck.
Maschmeyer had no chance to see this puck, and while it's hard to tell on the GIF, I suspect she may have learned where the puck was only once the players in maroon raised their sticks.
Boston College Goal #3: 8:09 of the 1st period
Toni Ann Miano (Kristyn Capizzano, Meghan Grieves)
BC 3, HU 0
If there's one goal Maschmeyer wants back, it's probably this one.
What a weird goal. BC won the draw (as they usually do, with their tops-in-the-NCAA 62.3% faceoff percentage) and Capizzano sent the puck right back to Miano. Miano just throws the puck in rather than dishing across the blue line to safety, and the high shot gets swatted down by, apparently, a Harvard stick out front to beat Maschmeyer for a pretty soft goal.
To be fair to Maschmeyer, that puck is bouncing like a superball after it's whacked down on it from the slot, and those are pretty tough to stop. But when you give up 5 in a period, some are going to look worse than others.
Boston College Goal #4: 16:04 of the 1st period
Megan Keller (Kristyn Capizzano)
BC 4, HU 0
No real highlight reel goals yet for BC, but with the way the Eagles were winning puck battles all over the ice, they earned every one of these goals.
This goal in particular was evidence of just how hard BC fought in the first period. They're fighting for the puck on their way to the crease, they're fighting for the puck in the crease, and eventually they win the fight and poke the puck in to really start to pull away.
Boston College Goal #5: 18:57 of the 1st period
Alex Carpenter (Haley Skarupa, Kenzie Kent)
BC 5, HU 0
Incredibly, it wasn't until BC's 5th goal that Skarupa or Carpenter got on the scoresheet.
The chemistry on this superline that was formed starting last season and reunited about halfway through this year is great. On this three on two, you've got every player causing havoc for the Crimson.
Once the puck crosses the blue line, you have Kent going hard to the net, you have Skarupa and Carpenter switching up, and Skarupa making herself available for the possibility of a return pass. Carpenter takes the shot herself, which is blocked, and the rebound finds its way right back to her for the tap in and BC's 5th goal of the first period.
The game was effectively over at that point. Maschmeyer was chased in favor of Brianna Laing to start the second period, and Laing really didn't fare much better.
Boston College Goal #6: 5:00 of the 2nd period
Lexi Bender (Dana Trivigno, Makenna Newkirk)
BC 6, HU 0
A long pass out of the BC end caught Harvard by surprise on this goal, and BC's speed put Harvard in trouble.
Even though the puck ends up all the way at the near wall, the play ends up as a 3 on 1 because of the other Eagles streaking down the ice. Bender sets up shot right on the doorstep, and Trivigno's pass is right on the tape for the touchdown.
Boston College Goal #7: 8:20 of the 2nd period
Megan Keller (Andie Anastos, Makenna Newkirk)
BC 7, HU 0
This goal is a clinic from start to finish. As great as Keller's bar-down shot from point blank is (and it is great), Anastos' pass at the blue like to set up the rush is even better.
Harvard's defender likely thinks she has more support, but with Keller going through at full speed there's really no one near enough disrupt Keller, who tacks on the extra point.
Boston College Goal #8: 11:56 of the 3rd period
Alex Carpenter (Kenzie Kent, Toni Ann Miano)
BC 8, HU 0 -- FINAL
There really is no doubt that this line belongs together. Obviously anyone with Carpenter and Skarupa will put together an impressive stat sheet, but there is a definitely fluidity and chemistry with Kent on the line.
Carpenter dishes it over to Kent over the blue line and goes in hard to the net. Kent can probably take her own shot here with how much attention Carpenter is getting, but despite getting pretty much mugged on her way in, Carpenter is still able to keep the stick free for Kent's return pass to get the goal.
What a complete demolition of a team ranked in the top 10 in the Pairwise. The Eagles made a statement with this win and even with the 28-0-0 record, you could make a case that they are really rolling now. Last season the Eagles faded down the stretch and lost some of their trademark scoring depth, and this season the opposite seems to be happening.
It's too early to get too excited—at this point last season, the Eagles were undefeated as well. But after this weekend's trip to Storrs for the sandwich game against UConn, BC will have an opportunity to start remedying last season's shortfalls with Trophy #1 on the line next Tuesday.
Northeastern took down BU in the other semifinal, so it will be a showdown of top 5 nationally ranked teams at Walter Brown to kick off trophy season.