BU topples ranked foe

While the men were busy putting away Michigan State University Saturday night, the Boston University women’s hockey team was working on a signature victory of its own.
Fueled by a late game-winning goal from junior forward Jonnie Bloemers, the Terriers knocked off No. 9 Mercyhurst College, 3-2, at Walter Brown Arena. The win forced a weekend split between the Terriers and the Lakers, as BU dropped Friday’s series opener, 4-2, in a come-from-behind victory for Mercyhurst.
Mercyhurst is the highest-ranked team the Terriers have beaten in their four-year history. According to BU coach Brian Durocher, the victory was a testament to the Terriers bringing their A-game while the Lakers might have been caught a bit flat-footed.
‘We’re certainly excited,’ Durocher said. ‘Sometimes you lose your edge just a little, and we capitalized on it.’
Saturday’s game did not start off well for BU. Several miscues by the Terrier defense allowed the Lakers to score twice in the first period. Freshman Kelley Steadman scored her first collegiate goal 58 seconds into the game and senior Hayley McMeekin followed at 15:47, sneaking a quick goal past BU goalie Allyse Wilcox.
Despite the Terriers’ sloppy performance in the first period, the defense stood firm and the offense came out firing in the second. BU outshot the Lakers 23-8 in the frame, but was unable to come up with a goal despite a two-man advantage midway through the period. Wilcox was perfect during the second, and remained so for the rest of the game to finish with 26 saves.
There was a visible change in the Terriers’ play from the first to the second period. Bloemers attributed the difference to Durocher’s pep talk during the first intermission.’ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘This was the first time all year that he’s really gotten mad at us,’ Bloemers said. ‘No one moved the whole time he was in there. It was real quiet after he left. We knew we had to get things going.’
The third period started similarly for the Terriers, as it did for the Lakers in the first. Sophomore Jillian Kirchner scored the first goal of the game for BU at 2:55 off a shot made more difficult by the fact she was playing with a broken wrist. Senior co-captain Gina Kearns and freshman Jenelle Kohanchuk assisted on the goal.
Less than a minute later, senior Erin Seman followed up with another goal off an assist from junior Melissa Anderson. After winning a faceoff, Anderson passed the puck back to Seman, who converted on a shot from the blue line.
Bloemers netted her game-winner at 17:22 with assists from Seman and Kohanchuk. Kohanchuk shot from close range, but Lakers’ senior goalie Courtney Drennen was there for the save. The shot rebounded right to Bloemers’s stick, and she buried the puck to put the Terriers ahead, 3-2.
‘Our goal is to beat teams like [Mercyhurst], play with teams like this and win our share,’ Durocher said Saturday. ‘Today was one of those times ‘-‘- the highest team we’ve beaten.’