BOSTON - The sixth-ranked Boston University women's ice hockey team was shut out by ninth-ranked Boston College in Hockey East action on Wednesday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena. Junior goaltender Molly Schaus stopped all 25 shots she faced to record her fifth shutout of the season and classmate Allie Thunstrom netted a hat trick for the Eagles. The Terriers enter the holiday break at 8-5-4 overall and 6-2-0 in the conference.
After a defensive battle over the first two periods that saw BC come away with a 1-0 edge despite being outshot, the Eagles began an offensive onslaught in the third, scoring four goals to put the game away. Thunstrom scored all three of her goals in the third period, getting two short-handed, and junior Kelli Stack provided assists on all three tallies. Freshman Mary Restuccia scored a goal and added an assist and senior Becky Zavisza accounted for the other BC score.
"We had the shots in the first two periods, we outshot them in the game, we had a couple more power plays and in the first period we had some Grade A chances," said BU head coach Brian Durocher. "But we're talking about a national team goaltender who most nights is going to get the job done."
The Terriers held a 25-21 edge in shots on goal in the game, including a 7-3 advantage in the first period. Neither team was able to score on the power play with BU going 0-for-7 and BC at 0-for-4.
The Eagles opened the scoring late in the first when Restuccia stole the puck in BC's offensive zone, skated up the left side and took the shot herself to put BC up, 1-0. That score held until the third with neither team taking more than 15 shots over the first two frames.
On the penalty kill to open the third, Stack gained control of the puck and took a shot that was saved by BU senior Allyse Wilcox, but Thunstrom was there to put away the rebound. Thunstrom scored again midway through the final period, finding the puck in a battle in front of the goal and depositing it in the net.
Zavisza made it a four-goal lead for the Eagles with an unassisted tally at 13:28 of the third, knocking in her own rebound after picking off a pass in the neutral zone.
Thunstrom completed her hat trick at the 17:32 mark, once again scoring short-handed with the setup coming from Stack.
Wilcox made 16 saves in defeat for the Terriers, who were shut out for only the second time this season and saw their program-record seven-game home unbeaten streak come to an end.
BU is off until Jan. 2, when the Terriers travel to the Buckeye State to open a two-game series with Ohio State in Columbus.