The Battle of Comm Ave. did not go as planned for Boston College women’s hockey, as the Eagles charged into enemy territory with a full head of steam on Friday night only to surrender a hearty 6-0 loss, their largest of the season.
No. 8 BC (11-5-2, 10-4-1 Hockey East), coming off a well-contested loss to No. 1 Wisconsin, headed down the street to take on storied Beanpot rival No. 9 Boston University (11-4-1, 6-4-1) in one of the most anticipated matchups of the regular season. Sitting just one spot apart in the national rankings, the Eagles and the Terriers expected an evenly matched game marked by prolific offense and tactical defense.
Though that prediction reigned true for BU, the same could not be said about BC. The Eagles gave up a season-high six points to the home team and were shut out for just the second time this season.
Such a lopsided scoreline is largely a result of an equally lopsided shot count, as BC registered just 21 to BU’s 46. The terriers played lockdown defense for the entirety of the game and killed off three power plays in the process, limiting BC’s usually unstoppable offense.
BU opened the floodgates just seven minutes into the game as Kate Annese blocked a shot from Nadia Mattivi, which rebounded directly onto the oncoming stick of Emma Wuthrich, who fired a low writer past Maddy McArthur’s right side.
Not long after, Kelly Browne went to the box for cross-checking, testing BC’s penalty kill unit for the first time that game. Two minutes up a man led to two straight minutes of constant shots from BU, but McArthur stood her ground. BC successfully killed off the penalty, keeping the score close, at least for the time being.
Both teams continued to trade shots throughout the first frame, but it was clear that the Terriers had the upper hand. With a minute and a half left in the period, BU expanded its lead as Mackenna Parker tallied her first of two on the night.
After the break, BU really asserted its dominance, scoring three goals in the second frame alone, a period during which BC usually shines.
BU caught the Eagles on their heels as the Terriers, a man down after Kristina Schuler, went to the box and nabbed a shorthanded goal to expand their league once more. Jesse Compher fired a shot from the circle, which McArthur saved, but the puck rebounded off her pad, setting up a point-blank shot from Sammy Davis that snuck past McArthur’s skate.
Goal number four of the night came on yet another BU power play. Compher took a shot down the middle from inside the crease but slipped, landing on one knee. Still partly down on the ice, Compher grabbed her own rebound as she crossed from left to right and fired a shot past McArthur, bringing BU’s lead to 4-0.
BC head coach Katie Crowley, in an attempt to stop the bleeding, then pulled McArthur in favor of Kelly Pickreign, but that change would later prove to be simply not enough.
The Terriers’ fifth goal came as Courtney Correia split two BC defenders to earn a breakaway, and she put the puck away with some fancy stick work to juke out McArthur on a one-on-one. Correia’s goal was later nominated for the SportsCenter Top 10.
BU’s nail in BC’s coffin came in the final frame, once it was already abundantly clear who the victors would be. With just four minutes left in the game, Parker snuck her second goal of the night past Pickreign’s left pad off a cross from Natasza Tarnowski.
With another matchup between the Eagles and the Terriers set for Saturday night, BC will have to create a quick but complete turnaround if it wants to forget the shortcomings of Friday’s game.
Featured Image by Ikram Ali / Heights Editor
