After a fight for possession, Willow Corson sent the puck to Daryl Watts. In a play seen numerous times this season, she sent it in the direction of Caitrin Lonergan, who sent it home for Boston College’s third unanswered goal.
With three players called up to the national team, the Eagles had the potential of getting themselves caught in a rut. In Friday afternoon’s matchup against Providence, the second line of Corson, Watts, and Lonergan made it clear the Eagles are going to be okay. The line has put up 56 of the Eagles’ 103 points this season, making themselves an increasingly deadly force. When those three players hit the ice, a goal is almost always guaranteed. As the season has progressed, they’ve become a solid unit, constantly feeding each other pucks and combining for goals.
Despite Providence taking an early lead, Lonergan tied the game after receiving a pass from Watts. Shortly after, she worked with the freshman to help Toni Ann Miano drive a puck home, a lead which BC never relinquished en route to a 7-4 win.
Head coach Katie Crowley could only praise the line for its performance in the afternoon matchup.
“[The second line] was really good today offensively,” Crowley said. “They found ways to put pucks in that net and I think Caitrin had a great game, Daryl had a great game and Willow had a great game.”
In spite of coming away with the victory, the Eagles (7-0-1, 4-0-1 Hockey East) had trouble keeping possession of the puck. The first 20 minutes were riddled with sloppy passes and turnovers, which contributed to the Friars (6-3-2, 3-1-0) gaining an early lead. The Eagles found some breathing room when they sent home two goals, but the Friars closed in on the gap in the final minutes. Despite multiple defenders parked in front of Kate Friesen, she took a shot from the circle that went right over Katie Burt’s left shoulder and into the back of the net.
Early into the second, BC was constantly on the defensive. The Eagles had a one-man advantage following a call on Blair Parent for interference, but they couldn’t connect. Sloppy passes turned into turnovers, and soon BC found itself on the defensive. Heavy traffic in front of Burt caused confusion for the defense, and the Friars took advantage of the opportunity. Christina Putigna found a hole and took her shot, tying up the game.
While the Eagles were able to regain the lead late into the second period, they continued to lose control to the Friars. Despite Ariane Julien being sent into the box for checking, Providence dominated the puck. In the final seconds of BC’s power play, Brooke Boquist weaved her way past the Eagles’ defense and snuck the puck past Burt’s legs for a shorthanded goal. BC may have walked away victorious, but its inability to connect on passes made it much harder for the team to do so.
As the 60 minutes of hockey closed, co-captain Makenna Newkirk achieved a milestone 16 players in the program’s history have achieved. In her assist to Ryan Little’s goal late into the second period, the junior reached her 100th career point. A driving force on the team, she has only stepped up this season after being moved to the center position, according to Crowley.
“She’s out there on the power play, she’s out there on the penalty kill, and she’s on the bench cheering everyone else on too,” Crowley said. “She’s one of those players that you love to have on your team. She’s a great hockey player and an even better person, and I think her teammates see that every day.”
Featured Image by Sam Zhai / Heights Staff
