Poulin leads No. 5/6 Terriers to win over Dartmouth

Playing in its first road contest since Nov. 15, the No. 5/6 Boston University women’s ice hockey team earned a 4-2 victory over Dartmouth College Saturday.

The Big Green (4-3) came into the game on a cold streak, having lost their previous two matchups after starting the season off in impressive fashion with four consecutive wins.

Meanwhile, the Terriers (10-3-2, 6-2 Hockey East), rejuvenated by the return of senior captain Marie-Philip Poulin, entered the tilt riding a four-game unbeaten streak, highlighted by a 6-2 drubbing of the University of New Hampshire in their most recent game on Nov. 23.

Facing a stout Dartmouth defense, BU did not generate a lot of opportunities early, but it cashed in on those it did create. Just over five minutes into the first period, Poulin made her presence felt when she tapped in a rebound off junior linemate Sarah Lefort’s deflection to give her squad the early lead.

The Terriers continued their efficient first frame by forcing a costly turnover in the neutral zone halfway through the period. Junior defenseman Lillian Ribeirinha-Braga intercepted a Dartmouth outlet pass and quickly executed a two-on-one play with freshman winger Rebecca Leslie. Ribeirinha-Braga received the pass-back from Leslie and deked goaltender Robyn Chemago before burying the puck in the net.

Despite getting outshot 10-7 in the first stanza, BU held strong defensively and earned the 2-0 advantage going into the second period.

“A lot of it is circumstantial,” said BU coach Brian Durocher. “You get outshot, but you keep the other team on the outside, and we got a couple of good chances. Certainly on [Poulin’s] goal to start things, it was an in-tight play. And we were the benefactors of a nice play by Rebecca Leslie when she gave [Ribeirinha-Braga] a real nice chance, which she took advantage of with a real nice move to deke the goalie and score.

“Those were two grade-A opportunities that we cashed in on. I don’t think there was any planning. I just think there was good execution, and the kids scored.”

Looking to extend their lead and put the game out of reach, the Terriers grew more aggressive as the game progressed. At the 11:19 mark in the second, Lefort capitalized on some crisp passing from linemates Poulin and sophomore winger Samantha Sutherland when she potted the puck amidst an odd-man rush. The goal was Lefort’s fourth in two games, and it gave BU the 3-0 lead.

Bookending the Terriers’ offensive efforts, Poulin notched her second tally of the day just 1:09 into the final period. After Dartmouth took a penalty with less than a second remaining in the second frame, Poulin made them pay on the ensuing power play. Receiving a backhanded pass from freshman forward Victoria Bach, Poulin one-timed a shot home, highlighting her three-point afternoon.

“She was real steady all the way through,” Durocher said of Poulin’s play. “She had her usual game where she scored a couple goals, but also dished out some great plays, real nice passes like the one on Sarah Lefort’s goal. She also had some blocked shots and was solid on faceoffs.

“It’s really important for us to have the leaders and to bring their A-game, and they certainly did that on Saturday.”

Though the Big Green threatened with two third-period goals, the Terriers’ consistent outburst for the first 42 minutes of the game proved insurmountable. Sophomore goaltender Victoria Hanson earned her seventh win of the season for her 20-save effort.

Facing a tough test on the road, Durocher said he was proud of his team for continuing its recent momentum.

“Another good road win for us,” Durocher said. “We played a pretty thorough game. Maybe early in the game, we were trying to get a little too cute with our passing. We did get ahead with a couple of goals and stretched it all the way to 4-0 before some penalties got in the way at the end. We played and competed, and as the game went along, we kept it a little simpler and put the game away, which is always nice on the road.”