DURHAM, N.H. - Lindsey Minton (Richardson, Texas), a junior goaltender on the University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team, recorded a career-high 37 saves but sixth-ranked Boston College scored three goals in the last 2:48 of regulation to rally for Sunday afternoon's 3-1 Hockey East victory at the Whittemore Center.
UNH is now 8-7-0 overall and 2-5-0 in Hockey East while BC improved to 10-2-4, 6-1-2.
Minton stopped all nine shots she faced in the first period as well as all eight in the second period to backbone the Wildcats to a 1-0 lead through 40 minutes. She stopped 20 of 22 shots - the Eagles netted an empty-net goal with five seconds on the clock - in the final frame to mark a personal high for a single period.
BC's Kelli Stack, who entered the game ranked fifth in the nation in goals per game and 10th in points per game, spearheaded the comeback with her second consecutive two-goal game. Stack corralled the rebound of Meagan Mangene's shot along the left boards, skated to the slot and wristed shot into the upper-right corner to tie the score, 1-1, at 17:12. She struck again 46 seconds later off another rebound, this time off the stick of Danielle Welch.
UNH pulled Minton in favor of an extra skater with 40 seconds remaining but could not sustain pressure in the offensive zone. Katelyn Kurth intercepted an attempted dump-in at the blue line and played the puck along the right boards to Mary Restuccia, who, with her back to the net, backhanded a shot into the open net at 19:55 to seal the victory.
BC netminder Molly Schaus was credited with 12 saves.
The Wildcats went on their first of three power-play opportunities at 3:55 of the first period. They eventually were able to get a pass to Kristina Lavoie (Fonthill, Ontario) in the slot, but her shot was turned aside by Schaus. UNH maintained possession, however, and set up a low, hard, screened shot from the top of the right circle by Courtney Birchard (Mississauga, Ontario) that Schaus stopped.
Two minutes later, Stack was unmarked in the slot and one-timed a shot that Minton blocked aside. BC had a dangerous flurry with three minutes remaining in the opening stanza in which Minton denied Alison Szlosek's initial shot from the right circle and Caitlin Walsh on the rebound in the low slot.
New Hampshire scored 43 seconds into the second stanza to take a 1-0 lead. Birchard executed a head-man pass from the defensive zone to Hannah Armstrong (Aurora, Ontario) in the center face-off circle. Armstrong quickly backhanded a pass to the right wing and Brittany Skudder (Plainview, N.Y.) skated onto the loose puck. Skudder advanced to the low post and beat Schaus five-hole for the goal, her first of the season.
With BC on its fifth power play of the game and just over two minutes left in the second period, Restuccia was positioned in the low slot to redirect a shot on goal that Minton had to make an acrobatic save to preserve the one-goal lead.
The Eagles nearly tied the game on their sixth - and final - power-play opportunity early in the third period when Stack's initial shot from the left circle was stopped by Minton and Walsh's bid off the rebound deep on the right side caromed off the near post.
UNH called time out at the outset of a power play that began at 14:33. One minute later, however, its was Stack that created a dangerous scoring bid in which her shot from the slot hit Minton and trickled wide of the left post. The Wildcats quickly went on the attack, however, and generated a succession of shots by Birchard, Skudder and Julie Allen (Brampton, Ontario) that had to be turned aside by Schaus.
BC's string of goals began 39 seconds after killing of that power play.
The 'Cats finished the game 0-for-3 (five shots) on the power play while the visitors went 0-for-6 (10).
New Hampshire returns to action Dec. 1 (7 p.m.) at home against Northeastern University. Tickets are available at the Whittemore Center Box Office, by calling 1-800-745-300 or going online to www.unhwildcats.com.