GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Junior Jenn Wakefield and freshman Marie-Philip Poulin each scored two goals to propel the No. 4/6 Boston University women's ice hockey team to a 6-2 win against North Dakota on Sunday afternoon at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Terriers, who defeated a WCHA team for the first time in program history, improve to 1-1-0 (0-0-0 HEA) on the season.
North Dakota opened the game's scoring early in the first period, but the Terriers responded with four straight goals to take a 4-1 lead. After the Fighting Sioux cut the advantage to 4-2 with 5:01 remaining in the third period, BU answered with two empty-net goals to account for the 6-2 final.
Senior Jillian Kirchner and junior Jenelle Kohanchuk also scored for the Terriers, while freshman Kerrin Sperry turned aside 21 shots in her BU debut.
North Dakota grabbed a 1-0 lead with a Kelsey Ketcher marker at 4:33, but the Terriers responded with three straight goals in a 3:25 span to take a 3-1 advantage in the first period.
Wakefield, who also notched two assists, evened the game, 1-1, with her first goal of the contest at 6:11. Junior Tara Watchorn collected the puck near BU's defensive blue line and sent a pass to senior Lauren Cherewyk through the neutral zone. Cherewyk skated to the top of the right circle and slid a pass to Wakefield, who was driving hard to the net. The Pickering, Ont., native redirected the pass high to the top corner.
The Terriers took a 2-1 lead with Kohanchuk's marker at 8:18. While skating down the ice 2-on-1 with Poulin, Kohanchuk had her pass attempt blocked by a diving North Dakota defenseman. She gathered the loose puck and fired it past North Dakota netminder Jorid Dagfinrud, who was out of position after committing to Kohanchuk's initial pass.
BU extended its lead, 3-1, with Wakefield's second marker 1:18 later. Senior Jillian Kirchner maneuvered around the North Dakota defense near the net and sent a cross-crease pass that Wakefield banged into the open net for the shorthanded tally.
In the second period, Poulin gave the Terriers a 4-1 advantage with a shorthanded marker at 11:28. Wakefield skated into the offensive zone, cut through the circles on her backhand and slid a cross-ice pass to Poulin, who one-timed the puck into the net.
Kohanchuk appeared to give BU a 5-1 lead midway through the third period, but the goal was disallowed following video review. North Dakota then cut the Terriers' lead to 4-2 on a goal from Jocelyne Lamoureux at 14:59.
With 1:58 remaining in the game and the North Dakota goaltender pulled in favor of an extra attacker, Poulin notched her second goal of the game. In BU's defensive zone, she gathered the puck along the boards and sent the puck down the length of the ice for the shorthanded empty netter.
Kirchner scored BU's second empty-net goal at 19:45 to account for the 6-2 final.
The Terriers will return to action on Saturday (Oct. 9) with a matchup at Union. Opening faceoff is set at 2 p.m.