DURHAM, N.H. - Kelli Stack recorded three points on a goal and two assists to propel the sixth-ranked Boston College women's ice hockey team to a 3-2 victory against 10th-ranked Boston University in the semifinal round of the Hockey East Championship Tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Whittemore Center.
The win improves the Eagles to 22-7-5 on the season as they advance to the Hockey East championship game on Sunday (12:30 p.m.) to face off against fifth-ranked University of New Hampshire. As for the Terriers, their season ends with a record of 18-11-7.
The Terriers drew first blood in the contest as Lauren Cherewyk scored the game's opening goal at 3:01 in transition on an odd-man rush. The goal was set up by Melissa Anderson and Jenelle Kohanchuk.
The Eagles would strike back about seven minutes later as Allie Thunstrom took the puck up the left side of the ice to the doorstep and then hit Kelli Stack at the right circle. Stack slapped a shot into the open window on the right side of the net at 10:43 to tie the score, 1-1.
BU, which controlled play for a majority of the opening stanza to generate a 19-6 shot advantage, would have another major scoring chance with about a minute left in the period as Lauren Cherewyk fired a shot from the left circle, picked up the rebound off the save and slapped it back into glove of BC goalie Molly Schaus, ending the rush.
The Eagles wouldn't wait long to take control of lead in the second period as Thunstrom got a goal of her own just 16 seconds into play. Stack returned the favor to Thunstrom on the play as she set up her up for a goal right in front of the net which she punched past BU goaltender Allyse Wilcox.
BU would threaten the BC 2-1 advantage early in the third as Gina Kearns rebounded a puck around the net at the left circle and fired a bullet into an open left side of the net, but Schaus was able to get her pad down in time to stop the shot and send away any chance of a tie.
Boston College would go on the power play just moments later but could not manage to widen the gap. However, almost directly after the power play ended, BC answered the call as Andrea Green received the puck from Stack at the right circle and slipped it through the legs of Wilcox at 8:55 to give the Eagles the 3-1 advantage.
The Terriers caught fire late in the period as they managed to cut the score to 3-2 minutes later. Jonnie Bloemers' initial shot from the right side was turned aside by Schaus and her second shot was blocked by an Eagle defender in front, but Jenelle Kohanchuk corralled the puck at the top of the crease and shot it into the cage at 11:33.
BU would have two more major opportunities with just under a minute to go as they pulled Wilcox and went with an extra attacker in hopes of tying the game. The first came on a shot from Anderson at the point that was fended off by Schaus. The other came just seconds later when Kasey Boucher launched the puck from the left circle and it landed into Schaus' torso.
Despite leading in shots for the period, 11-6, the Terriers were not able to find the back of the net.
Schaus stopped 36 of 38 shots on goal for the game, including an impressive 18 just in the first period. As for Wilcox, she finished with 18 saves, eight of which came in the second period.
Thunstrom finished the game with two points on a goal and an assist. For the Terriers, Kohanchuk tallied two points on a goal and an assist. Melissa Anderson also notched two points in the contest as she compiled two assists.