POULIN'S FOUR POINTS LEAD BOSTON UNIVERSITY PAST PROVIENCE, 6-4
Junior forward Marie-Philip Poulin collects hat trick and assist for Terriers

Junior forward Marie-Philip Poulin had a hat trick and an assist for the Terriers

BOSTON - Junior co-captain Marie-Philip Poulin tallied her third career hat trick and senior Isabel Menard notched her second game-winning goal of the weekend as the No. 7 Boston University women's ice hockey team defeated Providence, 6-4, on Saturday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena.

It was a four-point effort for Poulin, as she also added an assist on senior Jenelle Kohanchuk's shorthanded goal. BU (11-3-1, 6-2-1 WHEA) swept the regular-season series, 3-0, against Providence (8-7-4, 5-4-2 WHEA) and scored at least four goals in each victory.

Menard managed similar heroics to Friday night's victory at Providence when she once again put the Terriers ahead for good. With the Terriers on the power play, she blasted a shot from the slot that beat Sarah Bryant (31 saves). Menard and junior Louise Warren then assisted on sophomore Kayla Tutino's insurance goal with 58 seconds left in the third period.

Five Terriers in total had at least two points, with freshman Sarah Lefort and senior co-captain Jill Cardella each collecting three assists. Kohanchuk also added an assist of her own along with her goal, the 50th of her career. The Terriers also scored three power play goals, their highest output of the season.

Junior goaltender Kerrin Sperry made 24 saves to earn her 10th win of the season and her 50th career victory. She is the first Terrier goaltender to reach the 50-win plateau after she broke the program record for career victories earlier this season.

Poulin struck first just 3:57 into the proceedings when she scored from the right circle after Cardella found her from the left point. The lead lasted until the 13:13 mark of the first period when Nicole Anderson potted the first of her three goals to tie the game, 1-1. Poulin responded with 1:04 remaining in the stanza, however, when she collected a rebound in the slot and used a quick turnaround shot to beat Bryant.

Anderson answered 1:44 into the second stanza to pull Providence even, but Kohanchuk and Poulin capitalized on the penalty kill at the 11:40 mark of the period. Poulin won the puck in the neutral zone for Kohanchuk, who used a highlight-reel deke to get around her defender and move forehand to backhand to score her ninth goal of the season.

The teams entered the third period tied, 3-3, after Anderson completed her hat trick with less than four minutes to play in the middle session. BU earned its fourth lead of the game at the 8:14 mark of the final frame when Poulin potted her second power play goal of the game as Providence was killing a five minute major. Just over eight minutes later, however, Molly Illikainen leveled the score with a strike right in front of the net.

Maggie Pendleton was whistled for a bodycheck with 2:04 remaining in regulation and the Terriers wasted little time to take the lead. Junior Shannon Doyle carried the puck into the zone and got it to Cardella at the top of the left circle. She then slid the puck to Menard, who was skating towards the slot and rocketed a one-timer past Bryant.

This was the final home game of the semester for the Terriers, who will travel to Duluth, Minn., for a weekend series with Minnesota-Duluth on Dec. 8-9. Game time for both contests will be 4:07 p.m.