Haley Skarupa receives a pass on the left wing, darts around defenders with skill, drives inside, and fires the puck into the back of the net to put the No. 7 Boston College women’s hockey team ahead 1-0 against the Providence Friars early on in the game.
Skarupa netted two in the Eagles’ 5-0 win against the Friars at Kelley Rink on Saturday. It was the sophomore forward’s first game back from an injury that forced her out of the last four games.
It was a dominant Eagles performance from the outset, which BC head coach Katie King Crowley dubbed “a complete team game.”
“We did a great job of the things we’ve been working on all week long,” she said. “They really came together today.”
Skarupa’s goal was the only one in a first period that was defined by BC’s efforts on offense. The Eagles managed to control the tempo of the game, taking 22 total shots, while goalie Corinne Boyles was only forced to make seven saves.
The second period proved to be a bit different, as BC scored three goals, despite the fact that Providence seemed to step up its play. Emily Field scored the goal of the night with a dazzling solo effort. She received the puck in the middle of the ice, split two defenders, deked to the left, moved to the right, and placed a backhanded shot past the goal line to seal a highlight reel worthy effort.
In doing so, Field recorder her 100th career point. Then Kate Leary recorded the third point of the afternoon, by deflecting a long shot into the goal. Even with three goals against them in the second period, Providence appeared more confident, possessing the puck and creating a few good opportunities.
Friars forward Janine Weber had Providence’s best chance, a breakaway with only Boyles to beat. She tried to shove it off to the left side of the goal while going right, but Boyles didn’t bite and made the save.
Skarupa closed off the scoring for the period with a poacher style goal, hitting a rebound shot into a wide-open net. “She just knows how to play the game,” Crowley said of Skarupa, who recorded her 16th goal of the season, leading the team. “She’s a great player, and she is able to find the openings, find the holes, and hit the net.”
BC’s last goal came on a power play during the third period, as Dana Trivigno scored on a diving effort, coming in off of the left side of the goal and throwing the puck toward the net. The puck got jumbled in among the defense and managed to slide past the goal line, lighting the lamp.
The Eagles had the chance to capitalize off of three separate power plays in this period, even going 5-on-3 with around five minutes left in regulation.
Next, BC heads into the Beanpot with an 8 p.m. game against Boston University on Feb. 4 at Kelley Rink.
“I think our kids are playing well, and it’s always good to be rolling when you go into these Beanpot games,” Crowley said.
The team is riding on a six-game win streak going into the tournament and possesses the second highest national ranking of the four Boston area teams, two places behind No. 5 Harvard.
“We’re pretty excited about it,” Crowley said.
