Storrs, Conn.--Tenth-ranked Boston College women's ice hockey (9-1-1, 5-1-1) defeated the league-leading Connecticut Huskies, 5-1, Saturday afternoon at the Freitas Ice Forum. Sophomore blueliner Maggie Taverna went 1-2--3 on the afternoon, including scoring the game-winning goal and the Eagles handed the Huskies their first Hockey East loss this season and fifth in their past five meetings.

Sophomore Meghan Fardelmann, who missed the previous two games because of injury, picked up where she left off by starting the scoring at 9:50 of the first half. Her sixth goal of the season was assisted by Taverna and sophomore defender Stephanie Olchowski. The UConn (9-4-0, 6-1-0) first line retaliated seven minutes later when Amy Hollstein beat Boston College freshman netminder Molly Schaus on the power play with help from Nicole Tritter and Dominique Thibault.

After the first frame, the score was deadlocked at 1-1 and the Huskies had the slight advantage in shots on goal, 8-7.

The Eagles broke the game open in the second period and never looked back. Freshmen Tracy Johnson and Allie Thunstrom connected with Taverna for the game-winning power-play goal just 54 seconds into the middle stanza. Despite two power play opportunities in the period, the Huskies could not tied up the score again. Instead, freshman Anna McDonald scored her seventh goal of the season to give Boston College the 3-1 lead at the second intermission. Freshman Kelli Stack and junior co-captain Deborah Spillane earned credit for the assists.

Thunstrom scored the Eagles' second power-play goal of the game at 8:30 in the third period. Spillane put the puck past UConn goaltender Brittany Wilson less than three minutes later to finish the scoring.

Schaus finished the game with 13 saves, earning the first star of the game and improving her record to 8-1-1. Wilson made 28 stops in net for the Huskies. The Eagles went 2-for-5 on the power play opposed to the Huskies' 1-for-6 conversion rate.

The Eagles play in the UNH Tournament next weekend. They play Mercyhurst on Friday and Wayne State on Saturday, each at 4:00 p.m. at the Whittemore Center. -BC-