Before the third period even began, Katie Crowley told her players they could get three goals.
“I told them we can get three goals here,” Crowley said. “We can get three goals in this period. I have no doubt in my mind that we can get three goals—and they didn’t have a doubt either.”
Boston College women’s hockey ended up scoring not three but five goals in the third period of the Eagles’ matchup against Vermont on Friday. The first and second periods, though, didn’t seem like they would lead to that outcome.
After dragging their feet for the first 40 minutes of action, the No. 15 Eagles (7–5–1, 7–1–1 Hockey East) found their energy within the final 20. While No. 13 Vermont (5–4–1, 4–2–0) led by three goals early in the second frame, BC came roaring back with six unanswered goals to walk out with a 6–3 victory.
“We’ve really talked a lot about moving pucks and playing together, playing as a family, playing as a full unit,” Crowley said. “I think you saw that happen today with the way we were passing, the way we were playing. I’m happy with the way we’re sticking together through everything. It’s fun to be a part of and it’s really an enjoyable team to coach.”
The Catamounts came out scrappy against the Eagles from all angles. Amid a packed Gutterson Fieldhouse, Vermont fans watched the home team outskate and outshoot the Eagles 12–5 during the first period.
Vermont notched a point on the board after Kaylee Lewis was left undefended at the top of the circle. Drawing a pass from Rose-Marie Brochu, Lewis sent a shot stick side that found the back of the net to make it 1–0 less than four minutes into the contest.
Grace Campbell proved to be the source of BC’s stamina, scrounging across the crease to halt two-on-one advances by Vermont.
But Campbell’s efforts couldn’t hold off the action for long. Not even five minutes later, Natálie Mlýnková took the puck on a breakaway, sniping a shot between two BC defenders and furthering Vermont’s score to 2–0.
Officials handed BC a much-needed advantage with a power play in the remaining three minutes of the first frame. But the Eagles squandered the chance by keeping the puck on the exterior with very few shots.
“They’re a very high, offensive, potent team,” Crowley said. “I think they put us back on our heels a little bit when we were down 2–0 and then obviously 3–0, but I was so proud of how we just stuck to the game plan. We’ve been talking about the offensive power that we have a lot and they really just locked it in, I would say, the last two periods.”
The Catamounts did not waste time scoring after the second period began. Just 47 seconds after the opening faceoff, Maddy Skelton sent a shot from the point, firing the puck stick side and high above Campbell to extend Vermont’s lead to 3–0.
BC finally found its energy at the 15:43 mark. With Vermont defenders clogging passing lanes in front of Catamount goaltender Ellie Simmons, Molly Jordan managed to keep the puck in play with a shot into the traffic. Sammy Taber found the loose puck and sent it to Abby Newhook, who lifted her 40th career goal to make it 3–1.
“She’s playing with two young wings right now,” Crowley said of Newhook. “The way that she’s such a great leader for them, and for our team in general, has been awesome to watch.”
The Eagles kept battling from there, successfully killing a penalty in the following minutes. Defenseman Cailin Flynn knocked away another two-on-one spread, diving backward to get a stick on the puck and deny the Catamounts a chance past Campbell.
“A lot of it was cleaning some things up, cleaning up our neutral zone, working together with all five of the players out on the ice,” Crowley said. “You could see that happen as that third period went on.”
As the Eagles became more agile on the ice, they also got more aggressive. Gaby Roy entered the box with her second penalty of the night for hooking with just a minute remaining in the second period.
Roy made up for the penalties with a goal of her own in the third period. Hot off another penalty kill, BC applied pressure in front of the net with Newhook tipping the puck past defenders. Not even two minutes into the frame, Roy found the puck for a backhand goal, putting the Eagles within one goal.
BC didn’t let up from there, maintaining possession and making up for lost time. At the 13:26 mark, Newhook retrieved the puck in the defensive zone and picked the top corner of the net to rifle a shot behind Simmons, evening the score at 3–3.
Officials sent Vermont’s Lewis to the box for slashing, leaving the Catamounts shorthanded just as BC found its rhythm yet again.
“We have that ability to do that and I’m just happy they were able to realize that in this game,” Crowley said. “We battled hard and played hard for the whole 60 minutes.”
Before a blink of an eye, BC took the lead. Three seconds after the power play, Julia Pellerin put the Eagles ahead 4–3. Taber joined in on the fun minutes later, sending a shot off the tip of her stick that swept around Simmons. Sammy Smigliani put the cherry on top with an empty-netter in the last six seconds, solidifying the victory at 6–3.
“They did a great job, they really did,” Crowley said. “They’re a really fun team. They got really excited—we were all excited—after that one. It was a fun one that’s for sure.”
