BOSTON - Freshman Julia Nearis scored with 5:58 remaining in regulation to get the Terriers within a goal, but the eighth-ranked Boston University women's ice hockey team ultimately fell short in its quest for a sixth Hockey East title, suffering a 2-1 setback to Maine in game two of a Hockey East quarterfinal series on Saturday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena.
Redshirt senior Abbey Stanley and sophomore Alex Allan both assisted on Nearis' 12th goal of the season. BU pulled junior Corinne Schroeder, who made 32 saves in a strong effort, with a minute remaining in regulation, but Maine (15-13-8) held on for the win.
BU finished its season with its highest win total in five seasons, posting a 24-8-4 record. The eight Terrier seniors - Stanley, Alexandra Calderone, Abby Cook, Sammy Davis, Deziray De Sousa, Breanna Scarpaci, Katie Shannahan and Natasza Tarnowski - combined for 78 wins and helped BU claim the 2019 Beanpot championship.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Maine capitalized on its first power play of the game when Ida Kuoppala found the back of the net at 15:41 of the first period.
- Tereza Vanisova made it 2-1 with 1:48 to play in the second stanza.
- Nearis gave the Terriers life late in the third period with her 12th goal of the campaign. Maine blocked Allan's initial attempt, but Stanley pinched in and kept the puck alive along the wall before chipping it to Nearis, who cut to the middle and snuck a shot past Carly Jackson (27 saves).
- BU continued to push for an equalizer and finished the third period with 15 shots on goal, but Jackson and the Black Bears were able to hang on for the triumph.
GAME NOTES
- Schroeder broke her own single-season program record by posting a .943 save percentage. She also set a new single-season program record with a 1.54 goals-against average.
- Davis closed her impressive career with 142 points (66g, 76a), which ranks sixth all-time at BU. Her 66 goals are tied for fifth-most in program history.
- She led BU in goals (17), assists (24) and points (41) this year.
- Junior Jesse Compher will head to the IIHF Women's World Championship in April after totaling 29 points (13g, 16a) in just 26 games.
- Cook finished her remarkable career with 99 points thanks to 24 goals and 75 assists; all those marks are program records for a defender.
- Stanley had a point in both quarterfinal games and ends her career with 51 points (7g, 44a).
- De Sousa saved her best season for last, totaling a career-high 20 points thanks to career highs in goals (8) and assists (12).
- Tarnowski set a new career high with 10 assists this season while Calderone also set a new career high with six points, all off which were assists.
- Scarpaci led the Terriers with 75 blocked shots this season, her third straight season as the Terriers' leader in blocked shots, and finished her career with 277 blocks.
- Shannahan tallied one assist in 78 career games and continuously proved to be one off the team's hardest workers, both on and off the ice.
