BOSTON - The No. 10 Boston University women's ice hockey team completed a weekend sweep of Maine with a 4-2 win on Sunday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena.
BU (9-1-1, 6-0-0 WHEA) scored twice in the first period and twice more in the final 20 minutes to secure the victory. Maine (0-7-3, 0-3-3 WHEA) trailed by just a goal late in the third period before freshman Samantha Sutherland scored an insurance goal to seal the win.
Senior Kaleigh Fratkin and sophomore Rebecca Russo each had a goal and an assist while sophomore Jordan Juron provided the other BU goal. Senior goaltender Kerrin Sperry needed just 18 saves to secure her eighth triumph of the season.
The Terriers' first goal came just 4:29 into the proceedings. Russo forced a turnover in the Maine zone, picked the puck up and evaded defenders before going behind the net. Juron, who ran a little interference to free some space for Russo, went to the front of the net and knocked Russo's pass past Mariah Fujimagari (31 saves) for her third goal of the season.
Russo scored her second shorthanded goal of the season with 2:45 remaining in the opening period. Freshman Sarah Steele collected the puck in her own zone and sent it all the way down to the Maine zone. Fujimagari went behind her net to gather the puck, but Russo's tenacious forecheck proved to be troublesome for the freshman netminder. Russo stole the puck, wrapped around the cage and slotted the puck into the empty net.
Kelly McDonald brought Maine to within one goal 3:28 into the second stanza when she got to a loose puck and snapped a shot under the bar for her second strike of the season. The Black Bears had a chance to tie on their only power-play opportunity of the period, but the Terriers' penalty kill maintained the status quo.
Fratkin extended the BU lead to 3-1 with 8:09 remaining in regulation. Senior captain Louise Warren passed the puck to freshman Maddie Elia in front, whose shot was kicked away by Fujimagari. Her rebound came all the way out to Fratkin in the right circle, and she turned and blasted a shot past Fujimagari for her second marker of the year.
Emile Brigham answered for Maine at the 14:32 mark of the period when she capitalized on a rebound to make it a 3-2 contest. The Terriers earned a late power-play chance, however, and took advantage with only 1:58 to play. Fratkin fired a shot from the top of the zone that Lefort tipped in front. A scrum in the crease ensued before Sutherland finally poked the puck past the line for her second goal of the year.
Sunday's contest was the Terriers' last home game until early December. BU begins a five-game road swing on Friday (Nov. 15), when it faces off against St. Cloud State in Vail, Colo.