CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Ryan Little scored eight minutes, 51 seconds into overtime, to help the No. 6/6 Boston College women's hockey team top UConn, 5-4, on Saturday at Kelley Rink. With the win, the second-seeded Eagles sweep the best-of-three Hockey East Tournament quarterfinal series and advance to face third-seeded Boston University next weekend.
BC grabbed 1-0 lead three minutes into the game on Lindsay Agnew's 14th of the season but UConn used three answered goals to hold a 3-1 lead entering the final minute of the second period. Erin Connolly, though, scored with one second remaining to give BC life, and it was Connolly again minutes into the third that tied the game up. It seemed as if Makenna Newkirk's tally with 12 minutes to play would stand up to be the game-winner, but UConn pulled Morgan Fisher and potted an extra attacker goal with 1:47 to play to force overtime.
Little then earned her first game-winning goal of the season in the sudden death overtime to push BC to victory.
Fisher finished with 31 saves for UConn while Maddy McArthur had 16 for BC. The Eagles held the 36-20 edge in shots on goal and went 0-for-2 on the power play while UConn was 1-for-4.
No. 6/6 Boston College 5, UConn 4 (OT)
March 2, 2019 | 2 p.m.
Kelley Rink at Conte Forum | Chestnut Hill, Mass.
SCORING
1st, 3:04 | 1-0, BC GOAL: Daryl Watts started a breakout and Agnew hit Newkirk just as she crossed over the blue line. Agnew circled behind Newkirk and got the puck back at the bottom of the circle where she held on for a backhand across the crease around Fisher's left pad.
1st, 17:26 | 1-1, UCONN GOAL: Morgan Wabick skated into the zone and hit Natalie Snodgrass entering on the right for a long look into the upper right corner of the net.
2nd, 6:48 | 1-2, UCONN GOAL: Kayla Mee collected the puck in the high slot and slapped it over McArthur's left pad.
2nd, 9:28 | 1-3, UCONN GOAL: Viki Harkness fed Savannah Bouzide at the right post and Bouzide slotted it to Danika Pasqua in the slot, with Pasqua able to finish it.
2nd, 19:59 | 2-3, BC GOAL: Serena Sommerfield took a shot that was blocked at the bottom of the left circle. Delaney Belinskas got her stick on it first, shoveling a pass to the far post that Connolly swooped in to loft past a lunging Fisher.
3rd, 3:52 | 3-3, BC GOAL: Connolly picked off a pass at the BC blue line and skated into the zone before roping a long wrister under the crossbar from the high slot.
3rd, 7:55 | 4-3, BC GOAL: Caitrin Lonergan entered on the right side and centered to Agnew for a shot from the top of the left circle. The rebound dropped to the top of the crease and Newkirk was there to flick the puck over Fisher's right pad at the post.
3rd, 18:13 | 4-4, UCONN GOAL: With Fisher on the bench for an extra attacker, Snodgrass was able to pounce on a loose puck in the slot and push it in through traffic.
OT, 8:51 | 5-4, BC GOAL: Lonergan's touch pass to Kelly Browne at the hasmarks led to a shot that met Fisher's pads. The puck dropped to the top of the crease. Surrounded by three Huskies, Little was able to push the puck over the goal line.
GAME NOTES
- BC advances to its ninth consecutive Hockey East Tournament semifinal and 13th overall.
- The Eagles now lead the all-time series with UConn, 36-15-9 ... BC has a mark of 21-6-2 against the Huskies at Kelley Rink ... BC and UConn have now met five times in the conference tournament with BC holding a 4-1-0 record.
- BC is now 12-1-0 all-time in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
- The Eagles have out-shot the opponent in 25 consecutive games.
- Lindsay Agnew has recorded at least one shot on goal in every BC contest this season ... Caitrin Lonergan has fired at least one shot on goal in all 34 of her games played this year.
- Makenna Newkirk has each earned at least one point in the last four games ... this is her fourth point streak of at least four games this season.
- With her two points today, Newkirk (10-9-19) moved into a first-place tie with Haley Skarupa (8-11-19) for first all-time in program history in Hockey East Tournament scoring.
- Ryan Little's goal was the third game-winning goal of her career and first since Oct. 29, 2017 against Maine ... she now has two game-winning goals against UConn.
- Erin Connolly's two-goal outing was her first multi-goal game of the season ... it was her first multi-goal game since scoring twice against Harvard on Jan. 10, 2017 ... she now has a two-game point streak.
- Nine different Eagles got on the scoresheet today ... four finished with two points each.
- Daryl Watts now has a point in four consecutive games and eight of the last 10.
- Lonergan has at least one point in 13 out of the last 15 games ... the junior has four multi-point outings over that span.
TEAM RECORDS
UConn: 14-18-4
Boston College: 25-10-1
UP NEXT
Boston College will face Boston University on Saturday, March 9 in the Hockey East Tournament semifinals at Providence College's Schneider Arena.
