After winning their first Beanpot tournament since 1981, the Terriers (17-6-8, 13-5-6 Hockey East) returned home Saturday and tied 3-3 against the University of New Hampshire (13-14-5, 10-13-2 Hockey East).
“We couldn’t quite get our legs weeded and fight through it as good as I might of hoped,” said BU head coach Brian Durocher. “UNH did a great job.”
In games at Agganis Arena, the Terriers are 7-2-1 and hold a 5-0-1 record overall against Hockey East opponents.
After the arena showed highlights from Tuesday’s Beanpot victory, the puck dropped, opening the game to the cheers of the crowd.
UNH attempted four shots early on in the match, but the Terriers managed to get their offense going and get the early goal. Junior defender Breanna Scarpaci got the puck from sophomore forward Jesse Compher and shot it from the left side of the ice into the net.
The Terriers would hold this lead for the rest of the period, despite being outshot on goal 15-8.
The second period saw UNH put up three power-play attempts. UNH would equalize within the period on one of these power plays, as Wildcat forward Taylor Wenczkowski got the puck past freshman goaltender Kate Stuart. The helper went to defender Marie-Jo Pelletier.
BU would grab its lead back within the period. A deflected shot from Compher got into the range of junior redshirt forward Sammy Davis, and she lit the lamp with her 23rd goal of the season to put BU back in front, 2-1.
The second period ended with 1:54 minutes remaining in a BU power play, and that time resumed in the third period.
After 10 minutes the third stanza seemed like it would be shy of action, but it took until the 14:27 mark for the Wildcats to equalize the game. Wildcat forward Taylor Wenczkowski shot a loose puck past Stuart to set things square at two.
Just 36 seconds later, the Terriers took their lead back. Compher got the puck from junior defender Abby Cook, brought the puck into the Wildcat zone and made a wrist shot into the UNH goal. It was Compher’s 17th tally of the season.
With 1:26 remaining in the third, the Wildcats took out their goaltender in favor of an extra attacker.
The strategy worked. With 21 seconds left in regulation, Wildcat forward Taylor Wenczkowski got the puck through Stuart, with Meghara McManus on the assist. Neither team would be able to score again in the last 21 seconds, and the game went into a five-minute overtime.
The five minutes in overtime could not decide a winner, and the day ended in a 3-3 tie. UNH had four shots on goal, and BU had two.
Durocher said he was proud of Stuart’s effort on the ice. She tallied a total of 41 saves Saturday.
“Kate Stuart certainly gave us one heck of a chance to win today,” he said. “… I continue to get plenty of confidence in her.”
BU will travel to Durham, New Hampshire, for a rematch tomorrow at 2 p.m. against the Wildcats.
Durocher said the Wildcats are a respectable team that BU could potentially face in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
“They seem to have the ability,” Durocher said. “… Some of the games where they’ve carried shots-wise like tonight, that’s what impresses me.”
