HYANNIS, Mass. Paced by a pair of goals from sophomore forward Marie-Philip Poulin, the No. 9 Boston University women's hockey team advanced to the WHEA Championship with a 5-2 win over the No. 4 Boston College Eagles on Saturday afternoon at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center.
ADDITIONAL LINKS:
Video Interview: BU Head Coach Brian Durocher
Video Interview: BU Sophomore Marie-Philip Poulin
BU (22-13-1, 14-7-0 WHEA) will face fourth-seeded Providence in the title tilt on Sunday, March 4, at 1 p.m. The taped game will air on NESN at 4:30 p.m. The Friars knocked off top-seeded Northeastern, 2-0, in the first semifinal on Saturday.
The Terriers also got goals from sophomore Louise Warren and junior Jill Cardella. Junior Isabel Menard tallied three assists, while her classmate, Kathryn Miller, added two assists. Cardella, freshman Kayla Tutino and senior Jenn Wakefield each had one helper.
Sophomore goaltender Kerrin Sperry made 33 saves to preserve the win. BU has now set a tournament record with 14 goals over two games. The Terriers have won their only other championship game appearance, as they defeated Connecticut, 2-1, in overtime of the 2010 title game.
Warren opened the scoring just 3:10 into the proceedings when she took a pass from Menard, and from behind the net wrapped the puck around the right post and stuffed it through Boylesı pads for her eighth goal of the season.
The Terriers struck again just 1:42 later to make it 2-0. Tutino won the puck along the half-wall in her own zone and pushed it to Cardella. She gained the Eagles' zone and dropped it back for Wakefield before charging towards goal. Wakefield brought the biscuit into the right faceoff circle and sent a shot towards goal, which Cardella redirected past Boyles to collect her 11th goal of the season.
Cardella's goal was enough to make BC use its timeout, and after the breather, the Eagles regrouped and began to put pressure on the BU defense. The pressure paid off in the form of a power play with 5:29 remaining in the first frame. On the ensuing advantage, Emily Field scored to cut the Terriersı lead to just one at 2-1, which is how it stood as the teams retreated to their respective locker rooms.
Poulin quickly extended the Terriers lead to 3-1 with a pretty goal just 1:25 into the second stanza. Menard brought the puck along the right wall and dished to Poulin, who fired a wrist shot from between the circles that found the back of the net.
Sperry made the save of the game in the second period, as she robbed Emily Field on a BC power play. Alex Carpenter began the rush for the Eagles with a shot that sophomore Kaleigh Fratkin blocked. Field scooped up the rebound and went towards goal, but Sperry sprawled to her right to make a sensational stop. Carpenter and Emily Field notched goals for the Eagles in the losing effort.
Right after Sperry's save, it became a 4-1 game at the 16:40 mark of the second when BU scored its fourth shorthanded goal of the tournament. Miller blocked a BC shot and Poulin picked it up to create a 2-on-1 situation with Cardella. The sophomore forward dished it to Cardella on the right side. Cardella backhanded a pass right back to Poulin, who collected it at the top of the crease and sent it past Boyles for her ninth goal of the season.
The third period began with another BU goal, this time on the power play. Poulin sent a shot from the right circle that hit Menard before caroming off the end wall. Tutino picked up the loose puck and jammed it home on the left post for her 17th goal of the season.
BC gained momentum throughout the third period after Tutino's tally, but Sperry stood tall and stopped 18 shots in the final frame. The Eagles' lone goal of the period came when Carpenter scored at the 6:43 mark.