Women's Hockey vs. Providence College (2/2/08)

by Jeremy Binckes

Providence Friars head coach Bob Deraney grabbed the box score after the game, and looked at it in disbelief. He could only laugh when he saw the shot total for the third period. His team had 25 shots on goal. The Terriers had 2.

“We wanted to put on a show,” sophomore forward Melissa Anderson. “Show them that we can beat them, and we’re good enough.”

But at the end of the day, it was the Boston University Terriers (9-12-3, 6-6-1 Hockey East) who earned 2 points against the Providence College Friars (12-11-3, 7-4-2 HE), by a score of 3-1. The Terriers broke a 2-game losing streak against the Friars thanks to outstanding performances by Anderson (2 goals, 1 assist) and Allyse Wilcox (46 saves).

“She had a couple of ridiculous saves,” Durocher admitted.

None of the BU netminder’s saves could have been more ridiculous than her stoning of PC forward Katy Beach early in the second. Beach fired a point-blank shot to Wilcox’s right on a 1-on-1 opportunity. Somehow, Wilcox was able to get out the right leg and steer the puck aside. That kept the game scoreless, after neither team was able to get momentum in the first period.

But Wilcox was merely the opening act. The Melissa Anderson show was about to begin.

Last Saturday, at Agganis Arena, after having the top line broken up, and her longtime linemate Erin Seman injured, Anderson played with unbelievable speed. Despite having that speed, she wasn’t satisfied. She spoke of how the puck didn’t land on the stick, and she wasn’t able to land the points. On Sunday, and then on Thursday, Anderson was all over the place, but still wasn’t able to get back to the point scorer that she is.

After PC’s Amber Yung went into the box for interference, Anderson redirected a shot from sophomore Sarah Appleton, top shelf, to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead.

“After the first one, a little—not a little monkey—quite a big ape, actually, felt like it got off my back,” Anderson said.

Just under 3 minutes later, during a Terriers 5-on-3, Appleton didn’t need an Anderson redirection. She roofed a shot over the right shoulder of Danielle Ciarletta (21 saves) to give BU a 2-0 lead. Anderson picked up an assist on the play, however.

“You can’t take penalties,” Deraney said. “Bottom line; they’ll kill you.”

Anderson added her second goal of the game less than 3 minutes into the third period, assisted by Gina Kearns.

Providence responded later in the third, when Danielle Tangredi notched her 7th goal of the year, and broke up Wilcox’s attempt at her second shutout of the season. But other than that, the Terriers’ goaltender could do no wrong.

“We fought right to the end,” Deraney said. “Wilcox was the difference.”

Terriers Notes:

- All 4 goals were scored on the power play. BU was 3-for-7 with the extra skater, totaling 9 shots. Providence was 1-for-6, totaling 13 shots. It was a very chippy game.

-Danielle Ciarletta faced 21 shots in the game. Wilcox faced 25 shots---- in the 3rd period. The Terriers mustered 12 shots in the first, 10 in the second, and only 2 in the third.

- With the victory, the Terriers remain 1 point behind Boston College, and 3 behind Providence. This is the same position the Terriers found themselves entering the January 26th game against Maine, over a week ago.

-Boston University’s next game will be in the Beanpot. Their first-round opponent will be Boston college, who beat the Terriers 6-1 in last year’s championship game at Conte Forum. This time, though, the Terriers will be on their own ice sheet.

“We’re ready to rip it up,” Anderson said. “We’re ready to win.”

WTBU will have the 2008 Women’s Beanpot in its entirety. Tune in at 5 pm as the Northeastern Huskies take on the Harvard Crimson, and stay tuned as the Terriers take on Boston College Eagles at 8pm.