Dec. 3, 2011
Box Score
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior forward Isabel Menard potted a pair of goals and classmate Kathryn Miller added a third, but the No. 7 Boston University women’s hockey team dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to Providence College on Saturday night at Schneider Arena.
Menard’s power play strike with 1:04 remaining in regulation cut the Friars’ lead to 4-3, but the Terriers were unable to solve Genevieve Lacasse (25 saves) in the final minute as the Friars preserved the victory.
Sophomore goaltender Kerrin Sperry was sharp for BU, as she made 30 saves, including several game-changers, to keep the Terriers in the contest. Sperry’s classmate, forward Louise Warren, added a pair of assists in one of the best games of her season.
The Friars struck first at the 4:17 mark of the opening period when Kate Bacon scored her sixth goal of the season. Assists went to Corinne Buie and Jessica Vella.
Bacon nearly had her second of the game a little over two minutes later as she had a breakaway chance on Sperry. The sophomore goaltender was able to slide across the crease and deny Bacon’s backhander to keep the score at 1-0.
A second breakaway chance for the Friars at the 8:03 mark of the first frame proved to be costly for BU, however. Ashley Cottrell got behind the defense and moved in alone on Sperry, only to have Sperry make the save. The rebound ended up right on top of the crease, however, and Abby Gauthier was there for the uncontested finish.
The Terriers cut the deficit in half at the 11:40 mark of the first as BU capitalized on an abbreviated power play. The play began with junior forward Jill Cardella taking the puck on the right half-wall and sending it across the offensive zone to Miller at the left point. Miller and Warren combined for a quick give-and-go before Miller sent a shot towards goal that went through the screen on junior forward Taylor Holze and past Providence goaltender Genevieve Lacasse. It was Miller’s second goal of the season.
BU controlled the start of the second stanza, as the Terriers strung together several strong shifts. The line of redshirt freshman Caroline Campbell, senior captain Jenn Wakefield and rookie Kayla Tutino was especially strong, with Campbell almost evening the score at two apiece. Her shot through a screen was snagged by the glove of Lacasse, however, and the Friars maintained their advantage.
Sperry made another stupendous save as Providence looked to score a shorthanded goal. A Friars’ clearing attempt took a funny bounce off a stanchion in the neutral zone and Bacon picked up the puck. From there, she skated into the offensive zone and got a shot off that Sperry saved. Bacon picked up the rebound and slid a pass across the crease to Vella. Sperry tracked the puck the entire way and got across the goalmouth to make the sensational stop.
Providence extended its lead to 3-1 when Gauthier scored her second goal of the game. Her shorthanded strike came as she intercepted a BU pass just outside the Terriers’ zone and came in alone on Sperry. Her shot was initially stopped by Sperry, but the momentum of the play carried Sperry and the puck into the back of the net. After a short video review, the goal stood.
BU tried to answer in the waning minutes of the second session. Wakefield darted through traffic and dangled through the Providence defense, only to have her backhander stopped by Lacasse. The ensuing pressure in the Friars’ zone resulted in a BU power play, but the Terriers were unable to capitalize.
The Terriers came out of the second intermission with plenty of intensity, and it nearly turned into a goal. After some pretty passing to enter the offensive end, Fratkin got the biscuit from Warren, but Lacasse got back in position and made the save to keep it a 3-1 game.
Warren wasn’t denied another assist for long, however, as she combined with Menard to make it a 3-2 contest with 14:22 remaining in regulation. Menard streaked through the slot, and Warren found her with a crisp pass. The Ottawa, Ont., native did the rest, as she lit the lamp for the eighth time this season.
The Friars added a fourth goal when Buie lifted a shot over Sperry’s glove at the 14:48 mark of the final frame. BU had a great chance to respond after a beautiful tic-tac-toe play led to a shot for Warren, but Lacasse was there for the stop.
With 2:04 left in the final frame, head coach Brian Durocher opted to pull Sperry in favor of an extra attacker after the Terriers earned a power play chance. During the ensuing 6-on-4 advantage, Menard collected her second goal of the game. Wakefield shipped the puck to senior defenseman Tara Watchorn, who fired a shot on goal. Lacasse made the save, but was unable to corral the puck due to the Terrier traffic at the top of the crease. Lacasse pushed the puck away from the goal, but it landed on the tape of Menard’s stick, as she completed the play to give BU new life.
The Terriers will have a chance to win the season series when the two teams tangle on Sunday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. After the game, the public is invited onto the ice for a community skate. Fans are responsible for bringing their own skates.
