DULUTH, Minn. - Junior goaltender Kerrin Sperry made 39 saves as the No. 7 Boston University women's ice hockey team skated to a scoreless draw with Minnesota-Duluth on Sunday afternoon at AMSOIL Arena.
The 38 saves ties the regular-season record that Sperry set earlier this season at Boston College. It is Sperry's second shutout of the season, with BU (11-3-3, 6-2-1 WHEA) being blanked for the first time this year. Kayla Black stopped 19 shots for Minnesota-Duluth (7-8-3, 6-7-1 WCHA).
Sperry was sharp in a scoreless first period, with her biggest save coming nearly three minutes into the proceedings. Jessica Wong had the puck on her stick at the top of the crease, but Sperry was in perfect position to make the save as Wong tried to go five-hole.
Senior Isabel Menard may have had the save of the period when she saved a goal after Bridgette Lacquette rang a shot off the pipe. The rebound came to a Bulldog stick, but Menard got in front of the subsequent shot and kept the game scoreless.
Junior Louise Warren had the Terriers' best chance of the opening frame when she earned a breakway chance after a Bulldog defender fell. She tried to sneak a wrist shot through the five-hole of Black, but Black was equal to the task.
After a scoreless second period, the Terriers nearly broke through about halfway through the third. Junior co-captain Marie-Philip Poulin's shot rang off the pipe. Senior Jenelle Kohanchuk nearly potted the rebound, but her attempt also stayed out of the net.
UMD continued to threaten Sperry's cage, but the junior netminder was consistently steady in the final frame. She stoned Jenna McParland on a backhand chance from below the hash marks with 8:36 remaining in the third period, which was perhaps the Bulldogs' best chance of the stanza.
In overtime, both teams had great chances. Sperry stymied Zoe Hickel twice, including a great save during a 2-on-1 rush with 1:59 left in the extra session. However, the Terriers had the best chance of the overtime when Kohanchuk had a shot hit the crossbar. Poulin also had a point-blank chance that Black denied.
BU will have a month off before returning to action. The second half of the season will begin on Jan. 8, when the Terriers trek to Storrs, Conn., to take on Connecticut.