BOSTON - The seventh-ranked Boston University women's ice hockey team matched a program record with four power-play goals in a 5-3 win over Providence on Saturday afternoon at Agganis Arena. Senior Melissa Anderson led the offense with a pair of power-play tallies and sophomore Tara Watchorn tallied three assists. The Terriers improved to 5-3-5 overall and 3-2-1-1 in Hockey East action, while the Friars fell to 3-5-5 overall and 2-2-3-2 in league play.
The last time BU netted four power-play goals was the team's previous appearance in Agganis Arena, when they routed Maine, 8-1, on Oct. 25 of last season. Junior Jillian Kirchner and sophomore Jenelle Kohanchuk each scored a man-up goal and senior Laurel Koller chipped in the lone even-strength goal of the contest. Senior Melissa Haber made 32 saves in goal for the Terriers.
The Friars also did their damage on the power play, with Jean O'Neill and Alyse Ruff each netting a goal and an assist, while Ashley Cottrell added a power-play tally as well as a Providence comeback bid fell short in the third period. Genevieve Lacasse stopped 25 shots between the pipes for Providence. The Friars were 3-for-9 on the power play, while the Terriers were 4-for-7.
Three Friar penalties in the first period gave the hosts a number of man-up opportunities and the Terriers took advantage on two of them. BU won a faceoff in the Providence zone and collapsed on Lacasse. Kirchner got a short range shot off that was blocked, but Kohanchuk cleaned up the loose puck for her team-leading 10th goal on the year.
The Terriers doubled their lead after the next Providence penalty at the 12:29 mark of the opening stanza. Watchorn took a pass from Jill Cardella at the top of the left faceoff circle and fed Anderson down low who flipped home her third score of the season.
The Terriers managed to kill the only Providence power-play of the period in convincing fashion, and took a 2-0 lead into the first break.
The first three penalties of the second period all resulted in goals. Anderson buried her second of the game early in the period before O'Neill got one back for the Friars three-and-a-half minutes later.
Kirchner tallied the eventual game-winning goal at 6:48 in the second period, taking feeds from Kohanchuk and Carly Warren.
Midway through the period, Koller scored the only even-strength goal of the game, scoring her first goal of the season off Watchorn's third assist of the game.
A parade of Terriers to the penalty box allowed the Friars to chip away at the BU lead in the final period. Amber Yung set up Cottrell for a tally that came with a two-man advantage at 8:54 and six minutes later, Ruff cut the Terriers' lead to two, slamming in a rebound after skating the puck behind the net.
The women finish the weekend series tomorrow in Providence in a 2 p.m. game at Schneider Arena.