Women's Hockey: Deja Vu for Terriers

by Kai Barner

Two very different games – same ending.

Saturday afternoon, the Boston University women’s ice hockey team let slip a two goal lead in the third period and allowed the visiting Ohio State Buckeyes to tie the game at 4-4 on the power play with just 6:08 left in regulation. Subsequently, the Terriers also lost the shootout 2-1.

Compare to Friday night when the Buckeyes were able to level the season opener at 1-1 on the power play with 5:06 left in regulation before going on to win the shootout 2-1.


“I don’t have to tell them,” BU head coach Brian Durocher said after the game. “They know that they’re frustrated that we didn’t quite get a ‘W’ here.”

While the opener evolved into a gritty, low-scoring defensive battle, the second leg of the two-game series was a high octane affair with plenty of twists and turns and multiple huge momentum shifts.

However, Ohio State came out flying from the start and it was sophomore forward Melissa Feste, who scored the tying goal for the Buckeyes in the season opener, that started off the scoring. Feste put one past senior goalie Melissa Haber (’10) unassisted while on a delayed penalty five minutes into the first period.

BU would answer back on the power play just four and a half minutes later though, as freshman forward Jill Cardella (’13) settled down from being sent off for cross-checking 1:14 in to the game and carried the puck into the Buckeyes’ zone. Cardella (’13) undressed an Ohio State penalty killer at the right circle and slipped it to a sliding Jillian Kirchner (’11) at the far post, and the junior forward promptly buried it for the equalizer.

The Terriers seemed in full control of the game as the speedy second line of Kirchner (’11), Cardella, and junior Lauren Cherewyk (’11) then made it a 2-1 game with less than three minutes left in the first. Cherewyk (’11) was carrying the puck up the right side with a full head of steam when Cardella came flying off the bench to finish the line change and create a two-man rush with two trailing defenders. The right-handed Cherewyk deked and tried to go backhand around Buckeye freshman goalie Chelsea Knapp, but Knapp (31 saves) was able to get her right pad on it. Unfortunately for Knapp, her kick save trickled right to Cardella, who put it away for her first goal of the year.

BU seemed to have the momentum going into intermission until sophomore forward Jenelle Kohanchuk ('12) was called for contact to the head roughing with just 8 seconds left in the period. Eight seconds turned out to be just enough time for the Buckeyes to knot it up, as junior defenseman and assistant captain Teal Bishop blew the puck past Haber (32 saves) with just one second left on the clock.

Ohio State, riding the momentum of Bishop’s buzzer-beating goal, again came out of the locker room with guns blazing. BU’s defense successfully weathered the storm though, and was able to get the momentum back with a goal from another freshman forward. Cristina Wiley (’13) joined in on a rush alongside linemate Holly Lorms (’11), and was able to put it by Knapp and regain the lead 3-2 for BU, which Kohanchuk then pushed to 4-2 with 1:50 left in the period. While the mismatched line of Kohanchuk, Kirchner, and senior forward Melissa Anderson (’10) was engaged in a scrum around the crease, Kohanchuk was able to collect the puck from Kirchner and use her backhand to lift it over Knapp and atone for her slip-up that led to Bishop’s goal.

BU came into the third period firmly in control and seemed poised to add to their lead on two early power plays – hooking on freshman forward Paige Semenza and roughing after the whistle on sophomore forward Kim Theut – but was unable to convert on both. With 8:14 left in the game though, things fell apart, and fast for the Terriers.

Just a day after Coach Durocher highlighted the importance of using good discretion when taking penalties, freshman forward Shannon Mahoney (’13) received two minutes for an ill-advised roughing. Disaster struck as just 22 seconds into that penalty kill, senior defenseman and co-captain Sarah Appleton (’10) was sent off for tripping.

With 1:38 of a 5-on-3, Ohio State calmly went to work and made it a 4-3 contest with the skilled stick of freshman forward Minttu Tuominen. Then barely 34 seconds later, the score was all tied up 4-4, as Theut converted on the continuation of Appleton’s penalty.

Just like the night before, the tie held up through the end of regulation and overtime despite spirited play from both squads during the extra frame. With a second tie on the books, Ohio State again won the shootout 2-1, though this time it took them four shooters to do so.

“Keep your heads up,” senior defenseman and co-captain Melissa Tetreau (’10) stated as to how the team needs to react after the disappointing opening weekend. “Look on to the future, and leave what’s in the past in the past.”

The Terriers will look to do just that in their upcoming matchup against Robert Morris on Friday, October 9 at 7pm. Join us on WTBU for coverage of the game starting at 6:40.