In the third period, anything can happen.
The Boston University women’s ice hockey team found that out firsthand Saturday as they started the third period down 3-0 to cross-town rival Northeastern University, only to skate to a 4-4 overtime tie.
Although the unlikely comeback gave the Terriers another point in the conference standings, they slipped five points behind the University of Connecticut for the fourth and final playoff spot after UConn defeated the University of Maine this weekend.
“Which side you take is hard to determine because you could be disappointed that we didn’t get two points, but as you looked at the game unfold, you’ve got to realize that that team was carrying the lead 3-0 going into the third period,” said BU coach Brian Durocher.
“The confidence wasn’t growing in the first two periods because nothing positive was happening, but in the third period, all of a sudden, you’ve got one and now it’s two and now you’re playing like the Red Army of the mid-eighties,” Durocher added.
Sophomore Nicki Wiart scored what was the go-ahead goal at 15:14, putting the Terriers up, 4-3, before Northeastern’s Crystal Rochon netted the tying goal with just 1:26 remaining in regulation.
Before the third period, the Terriers (15-9-3, 7-7-2 Hockey East) struggled to produce offense, while the Huskies (3-22-2, 2-13-2) scored one goal in the first and two in the second, putting BU in a three-goal hole.
Northeastern’s first goal came just over three minutes into the first frame when senior captain Amy Goodney stole the puck from BU defenseman Julie Poulin in the Terrier zone. Goodney then turned and fired past goalie Melissa Haber, catching Haber off guard.
The Huskies struck again early in the second period when senior forward Marie Desrosiers won the face-off to the right of Haber and hit a one-timer to give them the two-goal edge.
They added another goal to their seemingly insurmountable lead later in the second, when Cassy Sperry was given credit for what appeared to be an own goal off the stick of BU freshman Lynn Hillen.
After two periods of deflating play, the Terriers went into the locker room looking for some inspiration.
“I tried to remind them of what happened last year, when we had multiple comeback games where we either won or tied games, or we put a lot of pressure on experienced teams to get within one goal,” Durocher said. “It became a theme for our team last year, and I had to kind of remind them today that we had a chance.”
In the third period, BU finally came out firing, putting 19 shots on goal — one less than the combined total of their first two periods.
“We thought if we could get one, things could go forward, and sure as heck they did, all the way to the point where we were up a goal,” Durocher said.
Junior captain Cara Hendry ruined Northeastern freshman goaltender Sydney Arbelbide’s shutout bid at 1:46 into the final frame. After Northeastern’s Ginny Berg went to the box for checking, Hendry collected a pass from Wiart that she slipped past Arbelbide to cut the lead to two goals. Defenseman Sarah Russell assisted on the play.
At 7:53, sophomore co-captain Gina Kearns brought the Terriers within a goal when she skated the puck the length of the ice before beating Arblebide for BU’s second goal of the game.
Berg’s penalty minutes hurt the Huskies again when she went to the box for a second time for holding the stick at 13:22. The Terriers capitalized yet again when Amanda Shaw sent a beautiful cross-ice pass to a charging Melissa Anderson, who slammed the puck home for the power play score that tied the game.
“Gina Kearns made a phenomenal individual rush to turn that really into an off-angle breakaway that she made,” Durocher said. “Amanda Shaw walked around a couple of people and made a pass out in the slot and we put it away. Those types of plays are key,” Durocher said.
The five-minute overtime period was fruitless for both teams, as they both skated away with one point.
The Terriers will see the Huskies again when they face off tomorrow night in the first round of the Women’s Beanpot.
“I think the good thing is that we made the big comeback, we put some pressure on them and maybe left some doubt in them because this is a game, no matter how you shake it, at 3-0, they want to win this game,” Durocher said. “They think they’re going to win the game and they got out of here with a point, and not two points, so I hope that that gives us a little bit of self-confidence.”