In Boston College women’s hockey’s highest-scoring game of the season, forwards Hannah Bilka and Abby Newhook led the Eagles to a 5–4 victory over Boston University, sweeping its home-and-home series against its biggest crosstown rival.
Both Bilka and Newhook scored four points for the Eagles (5–2–1, 4–0–0 Hockey East) to take down BU (2–4–0, 1–3–0) in the 66th Battle of Comm. Ave. In the win, Bilka became the 22nd player in program history to reach 100 career points.
BC quickly settled into the game by putting on pressure in the neutral zone and netting its first goal just 1:02 into the game. Kieley ErRickson banked the puck off the board and sent Kelly Browne off the rush. Browne passed to forward Katie Pyne in the slot, and Pyne sent it into the back of the net to give Eagles a 1–0 advantage.
Only a minute later, the Eagles scored again. Off the faceoff, BC executed a set piece from Newhook to Bilka. Bilka shot it off the goalie, and senior defenseman Alexie Guay was the first to pick up the rebound. Guay took a back-handed shot to the top corner of BU goaltender Callie Shanahan’s blocker side and the Eagles had a 2–0 lead just 2:20 into the game.
BU refused to go down easily, though. After both teams took a penalty toward the end of the period, BU defender Brooke Disher found forward Julia Nearis in no man’s land in the slot from the blueline. Nearis made a between-the-leg move to beat freshmen goaltender Grace Campbell on the high glove side to put the Terriers within one.
BC’s top line responded by scoring two quick goals at the end of the period. Bilka intercepted the puck in the neutral zone and went flying on a 2-on-1 with Newhook.
Bilka to Newhook. Newhook back to Bilka. And suddenly BC had its two-goal lead back off a top-shelf goal from Bilka.
And Bilka and Newhook’s line didn’t stop. After the center ice faceoff, BC once again put on pressure in the neutral zone and gained possession. After cycling several times in BU’s defensive zone, Guay slipped the puck into the net to put BC up 4–1 heading into the first intermission.
As the second period went on, Bilka and Newhook continued to shine. BU’s defenders began to put more pressure on Newhook, but she still managed to find a wide-open Bilka across the ice who easily tapped in home for her second goal and fourth point of the game.
The Terriers mounted a comeback in the final 10 minutes of the game, scoring three straight goals, but it wasn’t enough to take down BC, who swept both games of the season.
