BOSTON - Despite another sparkling performance from junior goaltender Chloe Desjardins (43 saves), the Northeastern women's hockey team fell to No. 7 Boston College, 3-2, in Hockey East action on Sunday at Matthews Arena. The Huskies (7-12-2, 3-6-2 HEA) scored the first two goals of the game, but the Eagles (14-4-3, 9-1-1 HEA) were able to rally for three unanswered tallies, including two in the third period, to claim their second win over NU this season.
After setting a new career high with 40 saves on Saturday, Desjardins (Saint-Prosper, Quebec) raised the bar again with three additional stops on Sunday. For the weekend, Desjardins turned aside 83 of 87 shots, good for a .954 save percentage.
Senior Katie MacSorley (Stratford, Ontario) and redshirt senior Kelly Wallace (Libertyville, Ill.) scored for Northeastern, while sophomore Paige Savage (Johns Creek, Ga.) added two assists.
Emily Pfalzer, Kristyn Capizzano and Meagan Mangene netted for the Eagles, while goaltender Corinne Boyles turned away 32 Northeastern shots to improve to 10-4-2 on the year.
The Huskies started brightly and took a 1-0 lead just before the nine-minute mark of the first period. Desjardins started the play behind the NU net with a pass up the boards to Savage, who was able to chip the puck up the wall and out to neutral ice. With a burst of speed, MacSorley jumped on the loose disc and blazed into the BC end, before firing a wrist-shot inside the far post at 8:58 of the opening period. Desjardins was credited with the secondary assist, her second career helper and first since Oct. 12, 2012 against Union.
Desjardins then came up big at the defensive end with two post-to-post stops on odd-man rushes in the late stages of the period. The junior first robbed Dana Trivigno's one-time bid from the low slot, before taking away a chance off the stick of Capizzano on another one-timer in front.
Northeastern pushed its lead to 2-0 early in the second period on a beautiful give-and-go between Wallace and Savage. Wallace intercepted a pass in the defensive zone and, with her head up, picked out Savage leaking up the ice unmarked. Savage collected the feed and patiently skated in on the BC net, allowing Wallace to join the play, before sliding a perfect pass across the crease for the redshirt senior to tap home at the 4:20 mark.
Boston College was finally able to solve Desjardins three minutes later on a two-man advantage strike by Pfalzer. Desjardins initially made two big stops on Pfalzer in front, but on her third attempt the BC junior was able to squeeze a shot inside the left post, under the pad of the Huskies' netminder to cut the NU advantage to 2-1.
Desjardins responded with several big stops down the stretch of the middle period, including a save on a 1-on-1 chance by Haley McLean from the right faceoff dot.
Both teams enjoyed early chances in the third period, but it was Boston College that capitalized first. After a faceoff win the Northeastern zone, BC's Lexi Bender deked around a defender and threw the puck at the net from the left circle. Desjardins made the save, but the rebound fell to the stick of Capizzano, who made no mistake with an empty net in front of her, tying the score at two-apiece at the 5:41 mark.
The Huskies nearly went back in front with 11 minutes to play, but Boyles was up to the task, stopping redshirt senior Brittany Esposito (Edmonton, Alberta) and then stoning freshman Hayley Scamurra (Williamsville, N.Y.) on the rebound in tight.
The Eagles went back on the attack in the ensuing minutes and eventually took their first lead of the game when Mangene blasted a point-shot through traffic that clanged off the left pipe and found the back of the net to make it 3-2 BC with 8:53 to play.
The Huskies elected to pull Desjardins in favor of an extra skater in the final minute of play, but Boyles closed the door to help BC pick up its ninth Hockey East victory of the season.
Northeastern will be back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at Connecticut. Opening faceoff from Storrs, Conn. is set for 7 p.m.
News & Notes
- Esposito led all players with eight shots in the game.
- Desjardins is the first NU goalie to record an assist since Kelsey O'Sullivan on Jan. 27, 2013 against Vermont.
- Savage recorded her third multi-point effort of the season and first since Oct. 26 against Providence.