Senior goaltender Samantha Ridgewell made a season-high 51 saves for the Warriors
Ridgewell Stops 51 Shots As Merrimack Defeats Boston College, 1-0
Senior goaltender Samantha Ridgewell made a season-high 51 saves for the Warriors

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - For the first time in program history, the Merrimack College women's hockey team defeated #9 Boston College Eagles in shutout fashion, with a 1-0 victory inside Lawler Rink. Senior Samantha Ridgewell had a career-high 51 saves in the shutout victory, with the win being the first against a ranked opponent this season.

Unlike Friday night's shootout, this game was centered around goaltending. Freshman Kelly Pickreign made her first collegiate appearance for the #9 Eagles, posting 29 saves on 30 shots. With Ridgewell getting the night off Friday, her response was immaculate; 51 saves, including 26 third period stops.

It took just one game to ice the score for the Warriors, breaking its five-game Hockey East losing streak. Senior Paige Sorensen buried her first goal of the year on a Merrimack power play with less than five minutes remaining in the second period. From there, the Warriors were able to lock down defensively, shutting out the Eagles offense for just the first time this season.


The Basics

Score: Merrimack 1, Boston College 0
Records: Merrimack (11-6-2, 7-6-1 HEA) | Boston College (13-7-0, 10-5-0 HEA)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.


Scoring Summaries

Goal #1 (1-0 MC) - It was a different game from Friday's contest - with six goals scored in the opening two periods, Saturday's contest was a goalie battle past the midway point. With just over five minutes left in the second period, the Warriors capitalized on just its third power play opportunity of the day. Senior Mikyla Grant-Mentis moved the puck to junior Chloe Cook; the one-time pass to senior Paige Sorensen saw a snapshot blast that went bar-down, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead.


Notes and Numbers

- Merrimack has never beaten Boston College; the Eagles have been ranked in each meeting over the past two seasons.

- Entering the holiday break, the Warriors climbed back into fourth place in Hockey East standings.

- The Eagles haven't been shut out at all this season; its lowest-scoring game of the year came back on September 29th against #9 Minnesota Duluth.

- Merrimack's victory puts it back in the winning column for the first time in a series of Hockey East contests; the team has fallen in overtime through the last two games.

- Goaltenders: Samantha Ridgewell (51 saves, 10-5-2) // Kelly Pickreign (29 saves, 0-1-0)

- Power Plays: 2-4 // 1-5

- Shots on Goal: 14-11 // 8-14 // 8-26 - 30-51


Up Next

Merrimack gets back out on the ice after Christmas, traveling to Princeton before the beginning of the new year. Puck drop inside Hobey Baker Rink is set for Sunday, December 30, at 3 p.m.

Game Summary

Saturday, December 8, 2018

0
1
Game statistics
51 Shots 30
0 / 7 Power Plays 1 / 3
3 / 6 PIM 7 / 14
13-7-0 Records 11-6-2
GOAL SCORERS
Boston College Merrimack
Paige Sorensen (1)
2nd/14:39 PP GW
GOALTENDERS
Boston College Merrimack
Kelly Pickreign
59:08, 29 Saves, 1 GA
(L, 0-1-0)

Empty Net
0:52, 0 GA
Samantha Ridgewell
60:00, 51 Saves, 0 GA
(W, 10-5-2)