Oct. 19, 2012

Game Notes

Saturday: Watch | Listen (WTBU) | GameTracker | Twitter (@BUGameDay)

The Last Meeting Boston University 7   Cornell 8 3OT March 10, 2012 Ithaca, N.Y. No. 5/6 Women's Hockey Loses Triple Overtime Thriller, 8-7 The No. 5/6 Boston University women's hockey team erased a 7-4 deficit to force overtime, but a goal with 11 seconds remaining in the third overtime lifted No. 3 Cornell past BU, 8-7, on Saturday afternoon at Lynah Rink. Recap | Box Score

Sunday: Watch | Listen (WTBU) | GameTracker | Twitter (@BUGameDay)

The No. 3 Boston University women's ice hockey team will host No. 2 Cornell in a weekend series that begins on Saturday night (7 p.m.) at Agganis Arena.

This rivalry has become heated over the past two seasons, as BU (4-0-0, 2-0-0 WHEA) eliminated Cornell (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) in the 2011 Frozen Four before the Big Red defeated the Terriers, 8-7, in a triple-overtime thriller in last year's NCAA quarterfinals.

History will be made on Saturday, as the Terriers will be playing their first night game in Agganis Arena. It is also the first time that BU will host Cornell; the previous four contests took place outside of Boston.

The Terriers remain unbeaten after a 4-1 win over No. 8/9 Northeastern on Tuesday night. Junior goaltender Kerrin Sperry made 24 saves to earn her 44th career win, which broke the previous program record of 43 wins set by Allyse Wilcox ('09). Four different skaters lit the lamp, including freshman Sarah Lefort, who scored her league-leading sixth goal of the season. Lefort is tied for second in the nation and tied for first among NCAA rookies with an average of 1.50 goals per game.

BU has the fourth-ranked offense in the nation, as the Terriers average 4.25 goals per game. The Terriers defense has also been solid, as BU allows an average of just 1.75 goals per game, good for seventh in the NCAA. The Terriers have also trailed for just 3:11 of the 240 minutes they have played this season. BU has scored first in all four games this season.

This weekend will feature the first two games of the season for Cornell. The Big Red were eliminated in the Frozen Four for the second straight season last year and returns 13 players from last season's squad.

Junior Brianne Jenner is the leading returning scorer from last year’s team, as she tallied 58 points and 38 assists. Sophomore Jillian Saulnier scored 22 goals last year as a rookie. Junior Lauren Slebodnick will be the likely starter for the Big Red. She finished last season with a 1.45 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage in 17 games played.

The teams will conclude the weekend on Sunday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena. Puck drop is slated for 2 p.m., and the first 200 fans will receive a free winter hat.