PITTSBURGH - The Boston University women's ice hockey team tallied twice in the third period to rally from a two-goal deficit and earn a 3-3 tie with Syracuse in the opening round of the Battle at the Burgh on Saturday afternoon at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
After a scoreless overtime in which BU (9-6-4) had several chances to win, Syracuse (6-9-5) scored in the fourth round of the shootout to advance to Sunday's title game. The Terriers will face either Penn State or St. Cloud State on Sunday at noon.
Sophomore Lacey Martin's first goal of the season with 6:04 remaining in regulation tied the game for the Terriers. Earlier in the frame, Junior Haylee Blinkhorn notched a shorthanded goal to get BU to within one at 3-2. Senior Mackenna Parker also lit the lamp for BU, with Martin assisting on that goal to complete a two-point effort.
Senior Jesse DeVito and sophomore Tamara Giaquinto assisted on Martin's game-tying strike. Senior captain Kaleigh Donnelly, playing for the first time since Nov. 12, assisted on Blinkhorn's goal. Senior goaltender Kate Stuart made 24 saves for the Terriers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Syracuse opened the scoring just 11:29 into the proceedings, but the Terriers tied the score just 41 seconds later. Martin skated up the left side and fired a shot on goal that Arielle DeSmet (32 saves) turned aside. The rebound popped out right to Parker, however, and she buried it for her eighth goal of the season.
- The Orange scored twice in the second stanza to take a 3-1 lead into the third period.
- BU cut the lead in half at 3:48 of the final frame. Donnelly deftly chipped the puck off the boards from the neutral zone and Blinkhorn beat two Orange defenders to the loose puck in the Syracuse zone. Blinkhorn skated to the bottom of the left circle and fired a shot past DeSmet for her third goal of the campaign.
- Martin tied the game with 6:04 to play. Giaquinto got the puck to DeVito, who took it below the right circle and ripped a cross-crease pass to Martin, who had snuck past the Syracuse defense and got to the left post for the finish.
- BU dominated overtime, outshooting Syracuse, 7-1.
- Giaquinto had the best chance of the 3-on-3 session when she had the puck all alone in front of the net, but DeSmet somehow got her stick on Giaquinto's attempt to keep the game tied.
- In the shootout, Stuart and DeSmet stood tall in the opening three rounds, but Syracuse took a 1-0 lead on its fourth attempt.
- Blinkhorn made a terrific move on her chance to keep the shootout going, but DeSmet made a fantastic pad save to advance the Orange to the title game.
GAME NOTES
- This was the first-ever meeting between BU and Syracuse.
- Parker has lit the lamp in three straight games and four of her last five contests.
- She has totaled four points (3g, 1a) during this three-game point streak.
- All four of Martin's points this season have been in the last three games, as she tallied two assists against Merrimack on Dec. 4.
- Blinkhorn has found the back of the net in two of the last three games.
- She is the second Terrier to score a shorthanded goal this season, as senior Courtney Correia notched one at Union on Oct. 23.
- Giaquinto pushed her point streak to three games.
- BU has outscored its opponents, 5-1, in the third period of its last four contests.
- All 20 Terriers that have notched a point this season have at least two points to their credit.
UP NEXT
- BU will face either Penn State or St. Cloud State on Sunday at noon.
