BOSTON, Mass. - Sophomore Sarah Lefort's NCAA-leading 16th goal of the season also proved to be the game-winning goal as the No. 8 Boston University women's ice hockey team defeated Dartmouth, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena.
BU (15-3-1) extended its home win streak to 20 games and improved to 2-1-0 all-time against Dartmouth (3-12-0). The Terriers have now won six one-goal games this season and are 12-0-0 over the last two seasons in one-goal contests.
Freshman Maddie Elia notched her fifth goal of the season and also assisted on Lefort's winner. Sophomore Rebecca Russo added the other BU goal and four other skaters had an assist. Senior goaltender Kerrin Sperry stopped 28 shots for her 13th win of the season.
Russo opened the scoring just 3:05 into the proceedings. Junior Caroline Campbell began the play with a pass to senior captain Louise Warren, who skated into the Dartmouth zone and found Russo on the doorstep for an easy tap-in finish. It was Russo's eighth goal of the season.
Dartmouth tied the game just over two minutes later when Karlee Odland created a 2-on-1 rush and finished the play herself. Elia regained the lead for BU, however, at the 14:53 mark of the opening frame. Freshman Sarah Steele intercepted a Big Green clearing attempt and sent the puck down low to Elia in the left circle. She made a great move to create space before roofing a shot past Robyn Chemago (28 saves).
The Big Green tied the game at the 5:31 juncture of the second stanza when Kennedy Ottenbreit collected a rebound off a blocked shot and slotted the puck into the back of the net.
Lefort's heroics came on a power-play chance at the 8:18 mark of the middle period. Senior Kaleigh Fratkin's shot was tipped in front by Elia before Lefort pounced on the puck and put it past Chemago. It is her NCAA-best fifth game-winning goal of the season.
The Terriers will return to league play on Wednesday night when they host No. 7 Boston College at Walter Brown Arena. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m.