BU has already notched its 10th win of the year after finishing last season with 12. A Canadian hockey player keeps the puck away from Russian right wing Dmitry Popov in the second game of the Friendship Cup at Harvard University last night.The captain of a team is meant to be the leader both on and off the ice — a definition that Boston University women’s ice hockey team lived up to last night.
The Terriers’ co-captains Cara Hendry and Gina Kearns led by example in their 4-3 road victory over Quinnipiac University.
Hendry netted the Terriers’ first two goals of the night before Kearns fired home the game-winner with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.
The first period got underway with a scare for the Terriers (10-4-1, 3-4-1 Hockey East) who watched their leading scorer Erin Seman collide with the Quinnipiac (4-12-0, 3-8-0 ECACHL) goal’s crossbar just 0:44 into the game. Seman had been on a breakaway before slamming into the net. However, after being escorted off the ice, she returned minutes later and continued to be a force for the Terrier offense.
BU got on the board first soon after a Quinnipiac power play at 12:19 of the first period. Hendry slipped the puck past QU goaltender Laura Brennan to notch her fourth goal of the season and her fifth point in as many games. Caroline Bordeau and Sarah Russell assisted on the play.
But the Bobcats got even at 4:59 of the second period as Nicolette Leone ripped a slapshot from the blue line that beat BU goalie Allyse Wilcox five-hole to tie the score at one. Wilcox made a season-high 40 saves against Quinnipiac, starting in net for just the second time in the past five games.
Freshman Melissa Anderson also continued her point-scoring binge as she notched her 16th, 17th and 18th points of the season with a goal and two assists on the night. Her goal came midway through the second frame on BU’s first shot of the period.
Hendry wasn’t finished terrorizing the Bobcat defense, increasing the Terrier lead to two goals at the start of the third period. On a play set up behind the Bobcat net by Seman and Anderson, Hendry collected a pass just outside the crease, and fired it home for her second goal of the game. Hendry, who was named Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, scored three of her four goals on the season over the past three games.
Quinnipiac eventually retaliated in dramatic fashion when Jennifer MacLean netted a shorthanded goal at 11:41 into the period, cutting the Terriers’ lead to one. QU scored again just 28 seconds later, tying the game at three. The tying goal came off the stick of sophomore Hayley McMeekin who tallied her team-leading 13th point of the season at 13:09 into the final frame.
But it was the Terrier co-captain who took things into her own hands late into the third period. Anderson slid a pass from behind the net up to Seman, who was waiting on Brennan’s glove side, and hit Kearns, who was ready and waiting at Brennan’s stick side to fire home the game-winning score.
With the win, the Terriers maintain their undefeated non-conference record while kicking off their second winning streak of the season. The Terriers improved to a 5-0-0 record against East Coast Athletic Conference Hockey League teams this season.
BU will hit the road one last time before winter break as they travel to Providence College this Saturday, hoping to avenge a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Friars earlier this season. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. BU will then return home to take on Brown University and Sacred Heart University before the break.
