STORRS, Conn. - The University of Connecticut women's ice hockey team twice led against No. 6 Boston University, but was unable to hold on in an eventual 4-2 loss at the Freitas Ice Forum, Tuesday night.
The Terriers (12-3-3, 7-2-1 Hockey East) controlled the tempo of the game for much of the first period, but the Huskies (3-16-2, 1-8-0) scored first on the game's first power play opportunity. At the 16:07 mark, senior Casey Knajdek (Woodbury, Minn.) sent a pass from the blue line to sophomore Kayla Campero (Wallingford, Conn.) along the half-boards, who centered to freshman Brittany Berisoff (Kelowna, B.C.) in the slot for the goal-scoring shot.
For Berisoff, it was her fifth goal of the season and this in the last three games. Classmate Elaine Chuli (Waterford, Ont.) kept BU scoreless in the first with 12 saves. On the season, UConn is outscoring opponents 22-15 in the opening frame.
The Terriers knotted the game by the end of the second period, first at 1-1 when junior Louise Warren received a pass from behind the net off the stick of senior Isabel Menard on a power play early in the stanza.
Midway through the frame, the Huskies regained the lead on their second power play of the night. Junior Erin Burns (Listowel, Ont.) had a shot from the slot saved that was directed to Campero. Campero, named the Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, knocked in the rebound for her sixth score of the year.
Boston came back once more to tie the game at 2-2 with a score late in the second by freshman Sarah Lefort, assisted by junior Marie-Philip Poulin.
Just 36 seconds into the third period, BU took its first lead of the night. Sophomore Kayla Tutino scored the game-winning goal with her ninth tally of the season. Menard added some insurance with a goal at the 6:56 mark of the frame.
The Terriers held a 35-21 edge in shots for the game, but shots on net were even at 11 in the third.
Chuli totaled 31 saves in a losing effort for Connecticut, while senior Alissa Fromkin stopped 19 to earn the win in just her third start of the season.
The Huskies are back in action on Saturday afternoon for an exhibition game at McGill University in Quebec.