Jan. 18, 2010
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BOSTON - The Boston University women's ice hockey team (8-6-8, 4-4-3-2) takes on the Boston College Eagles (5-9-9, 4-5-4-4) in the two teams' final scheduled matchup of the season. BU and BC have split the season series with each team capturing a win on the opponents' home ice. Tonight also marks the fourth-annual Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer event,the league-wide initiative to raise funds for a handful of charities devoted to breast cancer research and prevention.
The Terriers and Eagles have faced off 17 times prior to tonight's game, with the Eagles holding a 9-6-2 edge in the all-time series. The Eagles have outscored the Terriers 50-36 in the 17 games and have three shutouts to BU's one.
The local rivals have clashed twice this season already with BU skating away from Conte Forum with a 4-0 win in the last meeting. The blanking marked the first shutout against the Eagles in program history. Four different Terriers netted goals as Lauren Cherewyk, Jill Cardella, Carly Warren and Sarah Appleton made the scoresheet in the win. In the teams' first matchup of the season, BC escaped from Walter Brown with a 2-1 win in BU's conference home opener. Cardella tallied the lone goal in the loss.
In its last time on the ice, the women's ice hockey team rallied from a two-goal third period deficit to tie the Brown Bears, 5-5, at Walter Brown Arena. A flurry of Brown goals to start the third period saw a 3-2 BU lead shift quickly to a 5-3 deficit less than five minutes into the final stanza. With 6:34 showing on the clock Holly Lorms netted her second goal of the game off an assist from Melissa Anderson to pull within one, and four minutes later the Terriers found the equalizer, courtesy of Anderson's second tally of the game. Jillian Kirchner and Lauren Cherewyk each recorded their second helper of the game on BU's final goal, which proved to seal the 5-5 final after a scoreless overtime period.
Anderson leads the Terriers with 23 points on the season and also has a team-high 14 assists on the year. With 12 goals on the year, Jenelle Kohanchuk in BU's top goal-scorer and has taken a team-high 97 shots so far this season. Anderson, Jonnie Bloemers and Tara Watchorn share the team lead in plus/minus at +9 while Kohanchuk has a team-high five power-play goals in 2009-10. Goalie Melissa Haber enters the BC game with a 2.35 goals-against average and .916 save percentage to with eight wins and two shutouts on the year.
While the Eagles' overall record remains well below the .500 mark, BC has used stingy play in conference to claim a third-place standing in the Hockey East ranks.
BC is coming off a tough weekend home series against St. Lawrence, tying the Saints, 3-3, on Jan. 14 and falling to St. Lawrence 4-0 the following day. Allie Thunstrom got the Eagles on the board in the first game but three straight SLU goals put the hosts in a 3-1 hole early in the third period. Caitlin Walsh brought the Eagles to within one with her fifth goal of the season and Mary Restuccia knotted the score with just 55 seconds left in the game. In the 4-0 loss the next day, sophomore goalie Kiera Kingston recorded 40 saves for the Eagles.
Thunstrom has been the offensive sparkplug for BC this season, leading the team in goals (12) and points (16). Ashley Motherwell is the team leader in assists with 10 on the season and is one point behind Thunstrom with 15. Goalies Corinne Boyles and Kingston have both seen a fair amount of action but Boyles enters the BU game with a 2.38 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.
After facing BC, the Terriers head back on the road to take on conference foe Vermont in Burlington on Friday, Jan. 22 and Saturday, Jan. 23.
