With both of their seasons on the line, No. 3-seed Boston College women’s hockey and No. 6-seed Vermont were in search of a hero in the Hockey East Quarterfinals.
Fortunately for Vermont, that hero made herself known within the first six minutes of the game, then continued to show out at every opportunity.
Skating on the breakaway 5:06 into the frame, BC’s Ava Thomas found herself 1-on-1 with Catamount goaltender Ellie Simmons. Simmons stood tall, locked on the puck, and slapped it away, setting the tone for the game to come.
Simmons finished the game with 37 saves and a .974 save percentage to lead the Catamounts (16–16–5, 9–11–4 Hockey East) to a 3–1 win over the Eagles (16–18–1, 14–9–1) to advance to Hockey East Semifinals.
Both teams struggled on offense to begin the game. The first 16 minutes came and went rather quietly thanks to strong early performances from both goalies.
BC had the opportunity to draw first blood when Vermont’s Stella Retrum was called for slashing with 3:31 remaining in the period. The Eagles fired off six shots on the power play, but a lack of execution and some strong saves from Simmons allowed the Catamounts to kill the penalty.
BC entered the game with the best power-play percentage in Hockey East, while Vermont’s penalty kill was the worst.
Vermont came out firing in the second frame, putting 15 shots on goal to BC’s 7.
The Catamounts went on their first power play 5:39 into the second period after BC’s Sammy Taber was called for cross-checking. But Grace Campbell stood strong in the Eagles’ net and denied the Catamounts a score, sentencing Vermont’s first power play to the same fate as BC’s first.
The Eagles took their second power play not long after, thanks to a tripping call on Lauren O’Hara. But once again, the Eagles were stymied by the Catamounts’ penalty kill.
BC tried to take control after the power play, firing off shot after shot, but it was the Catamounts who came out with the game’s first score.
Julia Mesplede cut across the net, pulling the puck around Campbell before dumping it into the back of the net.
The Catamounts used the goal to generate momentum and extend their lead just under five and a half minutes later.
Mesplede began the action, skating into BC territory and firing a shot toward Campbell, who managed to get her right pad on it. The puck ricocheted to Oona Havana, and she fired it straight back into the net for her 14th goal of the season with 11 seconds remaining in the second to give the Catamounts a 2–0 lead heading into the final period.
As the final period wound down, the Eagles looked all but dead, but a goal from Kate Ham with 8:44 remaining briefly gave BC life. The Eagles seemed to have a renewed momentum, but that would ultimately be all BC had left to offer.
Kaylee Lewis potted an empty-netter in the closing seconds, putting the Catamounts up 3–1 to secure the victory for Vermont and end BC’s season.
BC head coach Katie Crowley was not made available to the media after the game for questions.
