Women's Hockey vs. Connecticut (1/19/08)
by Jeremy Binckes
Well, it had to come to an end sometime.
After winning 4 straight, including 3 against Hockey East opponents, Boston University (7-10-2, 4-4-0 Hockey East) suffered their first loss of the 2008 calendar year. Despite overcoming a 2-0 deficit early in the third period to tie the University of Connecticut Huskies (16-4-3, 6-2-1 HE), BU was not able to stop - only delay - Connecticut forward Dominique Thibault.
“Sometimes the stars don’t line up, and maybe today was that case,” Boston University head coach Brian Durocher said. “Because I thought we played well enough to get a point, or maybe two points.
“I couldn’t find anybody who wasn’t playing well on our team, or hard, or with conviction.”
“They got a couple of good bounces, and we didn’t,” junior co-captain Gina Kearns said.
In the first period, both teams were unable to get quality scoring opportunities. However, with less than 5 minutes left in the stanza, Jaclyn Hawkins tipped a Jody Sydor shot up and over Allyse Wilcox’s left shoulder, to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead 15:39 into the game. It marked the first time that BU trailed since a loss to New Hampshire on December 1st.
“Pretty bad breakdown on the first goal,” Durocher said.
It took only 42 seconds for the Terriers to fall into an even bigger hole in the second period. On a faceoff to the right side of Wilcox (17 saves), Huskies forward Liz Gallinaro took a few steps, and while on the red line, fired an impossible angle shot which squeaked between Wilcox’s right shoulder and the pipe before ricocheting into the net, to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead.
“We’ve been in this position before,” Kearns said, referring to last year’s game at UConn. BU rallied from 2 goals down to force an overtime, in which Kearns scored the game-winner halfway through the bonus frame.
“Just get shots, get shots, get shots, and hope it gets in the net.”
BU was quick to respond in the third, peppering junior netminder Brittany Wilson (27 saves). However, Wilson was able to turn the Terriers aside, making the flashy saves when she needed to.
It took the co-captain to strike first for the Terriers. On a slap shot from sophomore defender Sarah Appleton, Kearns was able to tip the puck, just enough to take all the velocity away. The puck died, but first bounced, and hit over Wilson’s stick to bring BU to within one.
Boston tied it up halfway through the frame when a scrum, involving multiple shots on Wilson paid off. While Wilson was recovering from a flop to her left, and trying to get back into position, the puck was lying in the crease, inches from the red line. Laurel Koller tipped the puck ever so softly, and it scooted parallel to the red line, just barely crossing, before getting lodged in the net on the red line and on the inside of the net.
However, just over two minutes later, the Terriers’ fate was sealed when sophomore forward Dominique Thibault, whose presence could be felt on the ice the entire game, ripped a one-timer through traffic. The puck took a few funny bounces, and landed in the net to give the Huskies a 3-2 edge. The Terriers put up a good effort with the empty net, but could not get the equalizer.
Terriers Notes
-In addition to the end of the Terriers’ 4-game win streak, the loss marked the end of Jillian Kirchner’s 5-game assist streak.
-Holly Lorms started on the second line.
-BU has struggled against ranked opponents. This year, the Terriers are just 1-6-1 against top-10 teams. The lone tie came in a 5-5 contest with Dartmouth, while the sole victory came against Boston College, which has since dropped out of the national rankings. Meanwhile, if you include currently-ranked St. Cloud State (which began to receive votes after its sweep of BU), the Terriers are just 1-8-1.
Well, it had to come to an end sometime.
After winning 4 straight, including 3 against Hockey East opponents, Boston University (7-10-2, 4-4-0 Hockey East) suffered their first loss of the 2008 calendar year. Despite overcoming a 2-0 deficit early in the third period to tie the University of Connecticut Huskies (16-4-3, 6-2-1 HE), BU was not able to stop - only delay - Connecticut forward Dominique Thibault.
“Sometimes the stars don’t line up, and maybe today was that case,” Boston University head coach Brian Durocher said. “Because I thought we played well enough to get a point, or maybe two points.
“I couldn’t find anybody who wasn’t playing well on our team, or hard, or with conviction.”
“They got a couple of good bounces, and we didn’t,” junior co-captain Gina Kearns said.
In the first period, both teams were unable to get quality scoring opportunities. However, with less than 5 minutes left in the stanza, Jaclyn Hawkins tipped a Jody Sydor shot up and over Allyse Wilcox’s left shoulder, to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead 15:39 into the game. It marked the first time that BU trailed since a loss to New Hampshire on December 1st.
“Pretty bad breakdown on the first goal,” Durocher said.
It took only 42 seconds for the Terriers to fall into an even bigger hole in the second period. On a faceoff to the right side of Wilcox (17 saves), Huskies forward Liz Gallinaro took a few steps, and while on the red line, fired an impossible angle shot which squeaked between Wilcox’s right shoulder and the pipe before ricocheting into the net, to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead.
“We’ve been in this position before,” Kearns said, referring to last year’s game at UConn. BU rallied from 2 goals down to force an overtime, in which Kearns scored the game-winner halfway through the bonus frame.
“Just get shots, get shots, get shots, and hope it gets in the net.”
BU was quick to respond in the third, peppering junior netminder Brittany Wilson (27 saves). However, Wilson was able to turn the Terriers aside, making the flashy saves when she needed to.
It took the co-captain to strike first for the Terriers. On a slap shot from sophomore defender Sarah Appleton, Kearns was able to tip the puck, just enough to take all the velocity away. The puck died, but first bounced, and hit over Wilson’s stick to bring BU to within one.
Boston tied it up halfway through the frame when a scrum, involving multiple shots on Wilson paid off. While Wilson was recovering from a flop to her left, and trying to get back into position, the puck was lying in the crease, inches from the red line. Laurel Koller tipped the puck ever so softly, and it scooted parallel to the red line, just barely crossing, before getting lodged in the net on the red line and on the inside of the net.
However, just over two minutes later, the Terriers’ fate was sealed when sophomore forward Dominique Thibault, whose presence could be felt on the ice the entire game, ripped a one-timer through traffic. The puck took a few funny bounces, and landed in the net to give the Huskies a 3-2 edge. The Terriers put up a good effort with the empty net, but could not get the equalizer.
Terriers Notes
-In addition to the end of the Terriers’ 4-game win streak, the loss marked the end of Jillian Kirchner’s 5-game assist streak.
-Holly Lorms started on the second line.
-BU has struggled against ranked opponents. This year, the Terriers are just 1-6-1 against top-10 teams. The lone tie came in a 5-5 contest with Dartmouth, while the sole victory came against Boston College, which has since dropped out of the national rankings. Meanwhile, if you include currently-ranked St. Cloud State (which began to receive votes after its sweep of BU), the Terriers are just 1-8-1.
posted by Chris Aliano at
8:48 PM
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