As a transfer-athlete, it must be a strange feeling to return to your former arena in a new team’s colors.
For BC sophomore Sage Babey, this was just the reality as Boston College (4–4–0, 3–0 Hockey East) faced off against Merrimack (2–5–1, 0–1) at Lawler Arena this Saturday.
Few could imagine a better game for her though, as she scored the two goals that gave BC a 2–1 win.
After an eighth place conference run last season, Merrimack came into their first conference game this year looking to put a win on their books.
But BC came out looking much stronger in the first stretch, putting up 10 shots to the Warriors three with six minutes left in the first period.
There were two almost goals from BC, including a two-on-one rush, from Ava Thomas ultimately stopped by the glove of Adreanna Doucette.
Merrimack was the first to get on the scoreboard, however, with Mady Cipolla scoring her first goal as a Warrior after starting her career just down the road at Northeastern.
But BC did not just sit back and let the Warriors take the lead.
The Eagles kept building pressure against Doucette, running the Warriors defense in circles until Babey was finally the one to sneak one past two Merrimack defenders and bag the Eagles’ first goal of the game.
Merrimack notched the first powerplay of the game in the second frame from an ill-timed shove from Thomas for roughing. But they struggled to generate shots on goal on the powerplay, only getting one through to Grace Campbell which she easily stopped.
Just a minute after BC returned to full strength, Thomas nailed a shot toward Doucette in net, sending her sprawling and leaving the net wide open for Babey to grab the rebound and net her second goal of the game.
BC earned its first powerplay of the game after Merrimack’s Maddie Crowley-Cahill sent Eagles Emma Conner sprawling into Doucette.
The Eagles put the pressure on during this powerplay, with Sammy Taber netting back-to-back chances, but to no avail.
Opening up the third, Merrimack turned the heat back up, trying to take advantage of some of the younger defensive lines and sending some good shots toward Campbell.
Thomas continues to be one of BC’s most notable players in the third, generating tons of shots on goal and setting up plays for teammates like Olivia Maffeo to send some shots of their own.
Despite the pressure building from both teams, both goalies remained dominant in the net throughout the third.
As the scoreless period crept on, frustration started to show from both teams, culminating in them trading off powerplays through the final stretch of the game for BC’s third conference win so far this season.
