A complete team effort across 60 minutes was needed for the Boston University women’s hockey team to defeat Northeastern University 3-1 Tuesday night in the Beanpot consolation game. However, one special player stood out above the rest.
BU (19-7-2, 13-4-0 Hockey East) senior forward and captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who was playing in her last-ever Beanpot game, showcased her talents and made it clear why she is one of the best forwards in Boston and the entire country. Skating as the center for junior forwards Sarah Lefort and Kayla Tutino, Poulin wasted no time in making her mark for the Terriers.
On just her second shift of the game and 2:38 into the first period, the Beauceville, Quebec native burst into Northeastern’s (9-15-4, 8-8-1 Hockey East) zone and bested goaltender Sarah Foss with a wrist shot. The goal allowed BU to control the game early on, but for coach Brian Durocher, the play served as a testament to the type of player Poulin is.
“The beat goes on [with her],” he said. “The kid has done it at the biggest stages. She’s been a great college hockey player, a great leader for Boston University and someone who has been highly successful on the national stage.”
With a goal to her name, Poulin continued to control the game and served as a vital member of the Terriers’ power play and penalty kill units. With her veteran presence and skill on the puck, BU was able to fire seven shots on Foss over the duration of three power plays, all while holding the Huskies to eight attempts during four power plays of their own.
Another area that Poulin asserted herself in was at the face-off dot. Often going up against Northeastern forwards Shelby Herrington and Taytum Clairmont, Poulin won her team possession of the puck 18 times across 25 face-offs.
While these often unnoticed and unheralded elements of Poulin’s game were crucial for the Terriers, her goal-scoring instincts graced the ice of the Bright-Landry Hockey Center again in the third period. With Foss pulled and an extra Husky attacker on the ice, Poulin expertly battled Northeastern defenders along the boards along with the help of Tutino.
After wrestling off the two Northeastern challengers, Poulin fired the puck into the top corner of the empty net with 50 seconds remaining in the contest to secure the victory. Durocher said it was a play he didn’t envision developing, but if there was anyone on his team that could make it happen, it was Poulin.
“It was great for her to get the first goal and then ice the game late on when Northeastern was doing everything that they could with the goalie out,” he said. “It was hard for me to see everything, but it didn’t seem like someone was going to come out of that corner with the puck by themselves and score. But, she found a way and we go home with a victory.”
As the final horn sounded on the game and Poulin’s Beanpot career, the Terriers’ two-time Olympic champion skated off the ice with two goals, six shots on goal and a plus-two rating to her name. It was an extremely successful evening for Poulin personally, but the ever-humble captain iterated a team-first mentality when stating that the victory was the most important thing.
“It’s great getting a win,” she said. “For sure, it was not what we wanted being in the consolation game. But coming out with a win, my senior teammates and I got what we wanted, and now we look forward to the playoffs.”
On top of the victory, there was an additional plot line at play for Poulin on Tuesday night. Along with senior forward Sarah Bayersdorfer, and senior defensemen Shannon Stoneburgh, Shannon Doyle and Caroline Campbell, Poulin was competing in the Beanpot Tournament for the last time.
While the quintet did not raise the Beanpot trophy after defeating the Huskies, Poulin emphasized that the game carried added significance and was a special moment for the senior class. She said a sweet Beanpot ending has the team now primed to finish the season strongly.
“I think the game for sure [had added significance],” she said. “As a senior, the Beanpot is a pretty big deal, especially here in Boston. It was sad knowing it was our last one, but we end up on a good note with a win for sure. We want to keep moving forward to the playoffs now.”
Jonathan's a New Englander who writes about sports, features and politics. He currently covers men's hockey at BU, worked as Sports Editor during the spring 2016 semester and is on the FreeP's Board of Directors. Toss him a follow on Twitter at @jonathansigal.
Good piece. I think their may be part of the first sentence of the third paragraph missing though.