In a weekend that featured two extremely different games, the No. 3/6 Boston University women’s hockey team defeated No. 5 Boston College and went on to tie the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.
On Friday, when the Terriers (1–0) traveled down the Green Line to face the Eagles (0–1) in the season opener, freshman forward Sarah Lefort stole the show in an effort that earned her the title of Hockey East Rookie of the Week as BU defeated BC 4–2.
“I thought it was three real good periods of hockey from our team,” said BU coach Brian Durocher. “The first period I felt we came out and kind of asserted ourselves, and of course when BC went up 2–1, we could have lost our composure, but everybody stayed on board.”
Sophomore defender Shannon Stoneburgh put the Terriers on the board first when she took a shot from the left circle that trickled through BC netminder Corrine Boyles’ five-hole.
BU maintained that early lead until the second period when BC scored two goals in a three-minute span of time to take a 2–1 lead. The Eagles’ second goal came halfway through a BC power play that came as a result of a checking call on Lefort.
Lefort made up for the penalty, however, when she scored the game-tying goal on a pass from junior co-captain Marie-Philip Poulin.
Then, just over six minutes into the third period, Lefort scored the game-winning goal on a pass from senior co-captain Jill Cardella in front of the net.
“A game-tyer [sic] and a game-winner in your first game and a penalty? Gordie Howe would have been proud of her,” Durocher said of Lefort’s performance.
Lefort said she was nervous coming into the game, but she began to feel more comfortable as the contest progressed.
“[My teammates] were there supporting me,” Lefort said. “I just got the nerves out in the first couple of shifts, and then after that it felt like any other game.
“I couldn’t have asked for more for my first game.”
Freshman forward Jordan Juron rounded out the scoring with her first collegiate goal 41 seconds after Lefort’s second goal. Between Lefort and Juron, freshman accounted for 75 percent of the Terriers’ offense.
“They’re picking up confidence,” Durocher said of the team’s freshmen. “They’re feeling like they’re contributing. They’re getting used to playing at this pace. You’re playing at Boston College, who’s a fantastic team … and you’re putting pucks in. That’s a good sign and it bodes well for their confidence as much as anything else.”
After an impressive freshman outing on Friday, the Terriers took to the ice for an exhibition game against the Blades on Saturday in an exhibition game that celebrated the return of former Terriers Holly Lorms and Kasey Boucher.
The Blades dominated the Terriers in the first half, scoring all four of their goals in the single frame. Forward Kelli Stack, who used to play for BC, scored two of the Blades’ four goals.
“From a systematics standpoint, we just gave up the middle of the rink all period,” Durocher said. “The [Blades] made a couple of great long passes because of the talent of their defense.”
BU bounced back from the initial shellacking and went on to score four unanswered goals in what would become a 4–4 draw.
Junior Louise Warren scored the first goal at the 2:20 mark when she picked up a rebound from a shot by senior forward Isabel Menard. With just one second left in the second frame, senior forward Jenelle Kohanchuk scored a power-play goal after receiving a pass right in front of the crease.
The tally was Kohanchuk’s first since suffering a season-ending concussion at the beginning of last season.
Halfway through the third period, junior transfer student Shannon Doyle left her mark with a goal of her own to bring the game within one.
Poulin tied the game with 32 seconds left in regulation to send the game into a five-minute overtime.
Durocher said he was pleased with the result of the game with the Blades, especially because of the comeback his team made to earn it.
Against a team of top former college players, his team did not quit.
“I think we learned a lesson against an elite team like this,” Durocher said. “If we kind of stick to the system and then let our skills take over, we’re going to be in good shape. If we just want to play run and gun all over the place … nobody’s good enough to keep winning that way.”
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