NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - The Boston University women's ice hockey team rallied to defeat Merrimack in an overtime thriller on Friday afternoon.
Merrimack got on the board early in the first, but a total 16 saves from graduate student Alexa Matses in net kept the Warriors from scoring again. With her first collegiate goal, Freshman Neely Nicholson netted the equalizer with under a minute to go in the third to send the game to overtime. The Terriers wrapped things up quickly in overtime when senior Catherine Foulem went top shelf to secure the win for BU.
Junior Christina Vote and senior Julia Shaunessy tabbed assists on Nicholson's goal and graduate student Nadia Mattivi logged one of her own on Foulem's. Matses earned her first collegiate win in the victory.
BU improves to 3-2-1 overall and 2-2-0 in league play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- BU started a skater down due to a protocol violation but held the Warriors from scoring right off the bat.
- Despite multiple great saves to start the period, a loose puck found its way over the goal line to give Merrimack an early 1-0 lead in the first.
- The Terriers and the Warriors skated evenly through the second and most of the third period with few penalties that did not benefit either team.
- BU went on the power play with 2:15 to go in the third when Merrimack got called for too many players on the ice.
- With two extra skaters and an empty net, Nicholson scored the top-shelf equalizer from the post with 56 seconds to go to send the game to overtime.
- The Terriers carried their momentum into extra minutes when Foulem scored the game-winner off a pass from Mattivi at the 2:57 mark, building BU's winning streak to three.
GAME NOTES
- BU had 35 shots on goal to Merrimack's 17.
- The Terriers were 1-for-2 on the power play while the Warriors were 0-for-2.
- BU won 27 faceoffs through the game.
- Merrimack blocked 10 shots and BU blocked seven.
- Merrimack netminder Calli Hogarth made 33 saves in the crease.
UP NEXT
- BU will continue its home-and-home series with Merrimack on Saturday.
- Puck drop at Walter Brown Arena is set for 4 p.m.
