In the leadup to this year’s Battle of Comm. Ave., nerves were high. Just two weeks ago,
Boston College women’s hockey and Boston University tied 3–3 in the opening match of the Beanpot, with the Terriers moving on after winning the shootout.
Friday night’s tilt told a different story.
With three minutes left in the third period, the Eagles were ready to skate away with a narrow 1–0 win. Freshman forward Julia Pellerin had tallied the only goal of the night, and the clock was running out for the Terriers.
Sloppy play from the Terriers in the final minutes only bolstered BC’s lead, though. After an early empty net and turnovers in BU’s defensive zone, Sammy Taber and Sammy Smigliani shut down their greenline rival 3–0.
No. 15 BC (14–8–6, 13–4–4 Hockey East) opened its weekend home-and-home series down Comm. Ave. against BU (11–14–3, 9–11–1) at Walter Brown Arena on Friday night. The two late-period goals by Taber and Smigliani built a 3–0 BC lead, clinching an Eagles’ victory in the 70th Battle of Comm. Ave.
The opening minutes held fast, back-and-forth play between the two teams, going minutes at a time without stopping for a whistle. Their energy on the ice rivaled that of the BU fans, who lined alongside the rink’s boards cheering for the home team.
The Eagles created a few looks halfway through the first period, until a hand pass call interrupted their momentum in the offensive zone.
A delayed penalty was called against BU’s Andi Calderone for tripping at the 14:14 mark. The Eagles boast the strongest power play in the conference, but the Terriers did not back down to the challenge on Friday night. BU cleared the puck from its zone two times despite defender Nadia Mattivi losing her stick, eventually draining BC’s chances on the advantage.
BU pressured the Eagles’ defense, but couldn’t weave past the last defender for an opportunity. The Eagles outshot the Terriers 17–6 in the period.
The Terriers responded in the second period, looking cleaner with tape-to-tape passing, but were unable to beat Grace Campbell.
Referees caught Keri Clougherty guilty of holding 4:31 into the second period, giving the Terriers their first look on the power play. BU changed lines with 20 seconds left, trying to get a fresh set of legs on the ice but instead, wasted time, as the home team only mustered three shots with the advantage.
A second delayed penalty was called in the middle of the frame on BC’s Jansen Lucas for tripping. Again, the Eagles dumped the puck from the defensive zone and limited the Terriers to three missed shots on goal.
BC gained its momentum in transition, capitalizing on turnovers in the neutral zone and threatening the Terriers with odd-man rushes. In the last six minutes, Taber found the puck near the far blue line and raced to send a centering pass to Lucas, that fell just wide.
Pellerin tried her chance with the odd-man advantage again, seconds later at the 15:41 mark. Sidney Fess and Pellerin raced down the ice, with Pellerin firing a shot that landed top corner to put the first point on the board at 1–0 and tally her 10th goal of the season.
Tensions heightened entering the third period, with the Terriers playing scrappy in front of Campbell’s crease, but unable to net the puck, sending shots high and over the net. Of the 49 shots BU took on Friday night, only 18 landed on net.
The scrappy play continued between the two teams, with chances by Calderone and Ani FitzGerald testing Campbell’s reach in the crease.
In a last ditch risk to turn the tide on the ice, BU head coach Tara Watchorn pulled her goaltender Callie Shanahan in exchange for an extra player with 2:55 remaining.
Taber made sure the risk wasn’t rewarded. Taber kept her stick on the ice in the defensive zone, and at the 17:41 mark, intercepted a Terriers pass. Taber sent the puck down the ice for an empty-net goal to increase the Eagles’ lead to 2–0. On Friday, Taber’s name was added to the Hockey Commissioners Association Rookie of the Year Watch List.
The action didn’t stop there. Just 25 seconds later, Smigliani capitalized on another Terrier mistake, taking the puck and turning around to net a top-shelf goal—extending the lead to 3–0.
Shanahan was pulled from the net again as the final minute left the clock, and the Eagles secured the victory.
