Ice Hockey, NCAA, Sports

Terriers clinch third seed in back-to-back wins

In its last series of the regular season, the No. 9 Boston University women’s hockey team squeaked past the University of Connecticut in back-to-back one-goal wins over the weekend. The Terriers took the first game 3-2 in overtime on the road Saturday before holding onto a 2-1 win at Walter Brown Arena on Sunday.

Boston University senior defenseman Tara Watchorn scored the game-winning goal in Sunday's win over UConn. GRACE DONNELLY/DFP Staff

The goals didn’t come easy for the Terriers (20-13-1, 14-7-0 Hockey East), who had 41 shots stopped in each game by Connecticut goaltender Alexandra Garcia. Garcia, a senior, was playing to continue her collegiate career, but the losses over the weekend eliminated Connecticut (4-23-7, 3-15-3 Hockey East) from the Hockey East tournament.

“Alexandra Garcia had a fantastic weekend after maybe having a little bit less than a perfect year for her,” said BU coach Brian Durocher. “This weekend she was shining on her senior year final weekend.”

UConn began Saturday’s game on top when forward Kayla Campero gave the Huskies the early lead. However, BU came back fewer than four minutes later when sophomore forward Marie-Philip Poulin redirected a pass from junior forward Isabel Menard into the back of the net.

The Huskies forward Emily Snodgrass netted the only tally of the second period when she rifled a shot high glove side past sophomore goaltender Kerrin Sperry to give UConn the 2-1 lead. Snodgrass’ shot was the first of the period, and it came with almost five minutes remaining in the frame.

Garcia was the main reason the Huskies prevented BU from taking the lead in the period, as she stopped 24 shots in the second.

BU finally put another puck past Garcia with almost five minutes remaining in the third when Menard tapped in a pass from Poulin to tie the game. The goal was Menard’s 16th of the season, and it gave the Terriers an opportunity to win the game.

The Terriers took that opportunity when Poulin scored her second goal and third point of the game on a pass from senior captain Jenn Wakefield. The goal came at 2:13 into overtime and clinched the third seed in the Hockey East tournament for the Terriers.

Sunday’s matchup had different scenery than the first and was senior day for the Terriers, but the outcome wasn’t much different. UConn jumped in front fewer than five minutes into the game when forward Kelly Horan poked in a power-play goal past BU netminder Braly Hiller, who made her fourth appearance of the season.

Once again though, BU answered back in the same frame, as junior forward Louise Warren brought the puck down the wing, around the net and then fired a shot that beat Garcia short side. The goal was Warren’s sixth of the season and was assisted by senior defenseman Carly Warren and junior forward Jill Cardella.

Senior defenseman Tara Watchorn broke the tie in the second period, when her slap shot rang in off the crossbar for her sixth goal of the season. Watchorn’s goal proved to be the game-winner, which was appropriate for the senior on senior day.

“It was very [fitting],” Durocher said on Watchorn’s goal. “I mentioned it right after the game, we usually try to compliment a few people, and certainly that is the word I used. It was real fitting for a senior to get it.”

A combination of good defense and good goaltending kept the Huskies at bay for the rest of the game as the Terriers held on to win. After allowing 14 shots on goal in the first frame, the Terriers only allowed nine shots on Hiller through the next two periods, all of which Hiller stopped.

“We just realized they are going to come out strong, they are fighting for their life and we needed to play solid defense to come out with a win today,” Watchorn said. “Everyone kind of bore down and did it for the seniors.”

With the wins over the weekend, BU clinched a meeting with sixth-seeded University of New Hampshire in the Hockey East quarterfinals on Sunday, Feb. 26 at Walter Brown. Now that the regular season is over, BU coach Brian Durocher is focused on performing well the rest of the way.

“Everything is thrown in the basket, we are both 0-0 starting next Sunday and it is going to be up to us to come out, play with energy, play with intelligence and play with discipline,” Durocher said. “After that, you hope you get a couple of bounces, pucks have eyes and people are doing a good job that way.”

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