Boston University
New Hampshire
No. 3 Terriers Down New Hampshire, 3-1, to Split Weekend Series
February 5, 2011 | Women's Ice Hockey
Feb. 5, 2011
DURHAM, N.H. - Junior Kasey Boucher, classmate Jenn Wakefield and freshman Louise Warren scored one goal each, as the No. 3 Boston University women's ice hockey team downed New Hampshire, 3-1, at the Whittemore Center on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Terriers (22-3-3, 12-2-3 HEA) split their weekend series with the Wildcats.
BU, which previously secured a spot in the Hockey East tournament, earned a bye into the semifinal round with the win. The Terriers also registered their program-best 10th road victory of the season.
BU took a 2-0 lead with Boucher's and Warren's goals in the first and second periods, respectively, before the Wildcats made it a one-goal game midway through the final period. Wakefield sealed the game with an empty-net marker with six seconds remaining.
Freshman Kerrin Sperry improved to 16-0-2 with 17 saves, while UNH netminder Kayley Herman turned aside 32 shots. BU was 0-for-5 on the power play, while the Wildcats (13-14-0, 6-11-0 HEA) were 0-for-3 with the player advantage. The Terriers outshot UNH by a 35-18 margin.
In the first period, Boucher skated the Terriers to a 1-0 lead just one second after the end of a BU power play. From the left of the net, senior Jillian Kirchner passed to sophomore Jill Cardella at the top of the crease, where her shot was blocked by a Wildcat defenseman. Boucher came down from the blue line to fire the rebound past Herman with 8:17 left in the frame.
Warren doubled the Terriers' advantage just 2:33 into the middle stanza. She stole the puck from a New Hampshire player in the neutral zone, skated down the ice on a breakaway and sent a shot over Herman's blocker for the goal.
New Hampshire made it a 2-1 game with 12:39 left in the third frame. With a delayed penalty against BU and the UNH netminder pulled for an extra attacker, junior Emma Clark's initial attempt from between the circles was turned aside. A goalmouth scramble followed, and freshman Nicole Gifford was able to locate the puck and slide it under Sperry.
With Herman pulled with a minute remaining, the Wildcats nearly tied the game. Senior Courtney Birchard rifled a slap shot from the blue line that went off the outside of post.
Wakefield then tallied an empty-netter at the 19:54 mark. From the BU defensive zone, junior Tara Watchorn sent a pass to Wakefield, who tipped the puck into the offensive zone. She then collected the puck and slid it into the unoccupied net to account for the 3-1 final.
BU will return to action on Tuesday (Feb. 8) when it faces No. 7 Boston College in the opening round of the Beanpot. Opening faceoff at BC's Conte Forum is set at 8 p.m.
