STORRS, Conn. - Senior goaltender Alexandra Garcia (Pointe-Claire, Que.) made 41 saves on "Senior Day" and the University of Connecticut women's ice hockey team fell short of its upset bid against No. 9/10 Boston University, 3-2 in overtime, Saturday afternoon at the Freitas Ice Forum.
BU senior Jenn Wakefield played a puck, untouched, past the goal mouth to sophomore Marie-Philip Poulin. Poulin, from behind the net, placed her shot off the back of Garcia's pad and into the net for the game-winning score.
UConn controlled the pace of the game early on, outshooting BU 7-1 in the games first 10 minutes. Freshman Kayla Campero (Wallingford, Conn.) netted the game's first goal at the 8:05 mark of the first. Sophomore Jocelyn Slattery (Hugo, Minn.) picked up a loose puck at center ice and played a pace to Campero on the right wing, who went in for her seventh goal of the season.
The Terriers answered at 11:37 when Poulin, assisted by senior Carly Warren and junior Isabel Menard, posted her fifth goal of the year.
In the second period, Boston dominated play by outshooting Connecticut 24-3, but it was the Huskies who went into the intermission with a one-goal lead. At the 14:34 mark, freshman Emily Snodgrass (Eagan, Minn.) registered UConn's first shot on goal for the period. Snodgrass took the puck up the left wing and beat BU sophomore goalie Kerrin Sperry over her left shoulder for Snodgrass' team-leading ninth goal of the season.
BU tied the game at the 14:27 mark of the third period on a score by Menard, assisted by Poulin. In the final seconds, the Terriers almost took the lead, but were denied by Garcia. After a dangerous turnover at the blue line, BU skated in three-on-two and fired off a pair of shots from close range that were turned away.
For the game, the Terriers outshot the Huskies 44-18. Sperry made 16 saves for Boston.
Connecticut's playoff chances remain in tact, despite the loss. The Huskies are still one point back of the final Hockey East playoff spot and take the ice at 3:00 pm tomorrow for a re-match with the Terriers.