Northeastern women’s hockey (24-7-1, 19-2-1 HE) took on the Boston College Eagles (14-17-1, 12-9-1 HE) in a goalie battle Feb. 15, ending 1-0 for the Eagles in overtime.
The No. 5 team in the country was skating uphill in the afternoon cross-town rival game, but the Huskies were short four skaters due to injuries — one of which was announced just minutes before puck drop. The game was a true goalie battle and, after going into overtime, the Eagles found the only goal of the game.
“We’re used to running four lines, and now we’re around three, and so they got a little more tired with it, but, still, I didn’t think that’s what cost us the game. I thought they did a good job,” said head coach Dave Flint.
In the near end-of-season rivalry matchup, the teams didn’t waste much time getting shots on goal. Both goaltenders made big saves to keep their teams in the game in the first period; senior goaltender Grace Campbell had 15 saves and sophomore goaltender Lisa Jönsson had 10.
Four critical forwards were sidelined for the Huskies due to injury: junior Peyton Compton, senior Holly Abela, sophomore Éloïse Caron and graduate student Jaden Bogden. The Huskies were also without freshman defender Alessia Baechler, who is representing Switzerland in the Winter Olympics. With all of the roster changes, the Huskies were looking to prove resiliency, and they did in terms of relentless energy and shots on goal, just not on the scoreboard. The game was already chippy within the first five minutes as each team picked up a penalty while attempting to get on the board.
By the end of the second period, though, the scoreboard hadn’t changed. It was back-and-forth play with Northeastern leading in shots 30 to 16, but neither team was able to find the net after two power plays in the second.
Pucks banged off of the pipe and Campbell and Jönsson were reaching for third rebounds. At one point, the puck escaped behind Campbell before being batted away by a defender. Players were landing in the net themselves, but no one was able to take the puck with them over the goal line.
In the third period, both teams displayed exhaustion, which weighed heavier on an overworked Northeastern team lacking a line. Lines were mixed for the Huskies, especially with Abela scratched after lines were posted.
“There were players playing regular shifts that don’t normally play regular shifts and people out of position and lines are all scrambled. I liked the way they came together,” Flint said. “And if it wasn’t for Campbell, I don’t even think it’s going into overtime.”
But into overtime it went. Two minutes and 38 seconds into overtime, junior forward Allie Lalonde took a penalty for slashing, and an already tired team caved to a sharp shot from freshman forward Ava Thomas from the right faceoff circle that sailed past Jönsson’s left.
Thomas led the Eagles with 12 shots on goal throughout the game and was ultimately the deciding factor, securing her 18th goal and 42nd point. She ranks at ninth in the NCAA in total goals.
It was Northeastern’s second conference loss, both of which have been in overtime.
The Huskies will go on the road for their final regular season games, starting with the University of Connecticut Huskies (23-7-2, 16-5-1 HE) Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Toscano Family Ice Forum.
“The players that are healthy need to step up and do a good job. And we’re going to do that and we’re going to have a lot of good chances,” Flint said about the upcoming matchup.
