BOSTON - Graduate student Lindsay Bochna punched in a rebound 7:12 into the second overtime to lift the No. 13 Boston University women's ice hockey team past No. 15/14 Boston College, 3-2, on Wednesday evening at Walter Brown Arena to earn a spot in the Hockey East title game.
For the first time since 2016, the Terriers were victorious in a Hockey East semifinal as they will face fifth-seeded Northeastern in this year's title game on Saturday (March 8) at UConn.
BU never led in the contest, erasing 1-0 and 2-1 deficits with goals from juniors Clara Yuhn and Riley Walsh to send the game to overtime. After a scoreless first overtime, senior Christina Vote set up the winning play by getting around the BC defense from the right side and getting to the crease, where she put a shot off the far post before Bochna poked in the puck to end the contest.
Senior Callie Shanahan turned in an impressive 38-save performance, stopping all 18 shots she faced after the second intermission. Vote had a pair of assists while Yuhn, senior Maggie Hanzel and juniors Lilli and Luisa Welcke each recorded on assist apiece.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- BU went on the penalty kill 1:06 into the game for a tripping call.
- The Terriers were successful on the penalty kill.
- Moments after, BC was called for hooking with 16:06 on the clock and killed off the penalty.
- The Eagles got on the board first with a goal at the 8:10 mark.
- BC held a 1-0 lead until 2:48 in the second when passes from Hanzel and Vote made their way to Yuhn in the slot, who tied the game 1-1.
- BU looked to take a 2-1 lead, but BC challenged the goal for offsides and was successful, keeping the game tied at one goal apiece.
- The Terriers went on the power play with 13:59 to go in the second thanks to a slashing call on the Eagles.
- BU did not find the back of the net through the extra skater advantage.
- BC took back its lead at 18:21 in the second when it scored off a rebound.
- Just 5:10 into the third, Li. Welcke and Lu. Welcke set Walsh up at the crease, allowing her to lift the puck into the net and tie the game 2-2.
- The tie held through the remainder of the third to send the game into overtime.
- BU was called for interference 1:59 into overtime.
- The Terriers successfully killed the penalty and, right after, BC was called for too many skaters on the ice.
- BU did not score on the power-play chance.
- The tie lasted through the first overtime, sending the game into a second overtime.
- The Terriers created momentum early in the second overtime, putting pressure on BC's net.
- Yuhn set up Vote, who drove the net and stuffed the puck at the post which BC initially saved.
- Bochna was there to poke the puck into the net, lifting BU to a 3-2 win to advance to the Hockey East title game.
GAME NOTES
- Shots were even for BU and BC with 40 each.
- BU was 0-for-3 on the power play while BC was 0-for-2.
- BC blocked 18 shots and BU blocked 17.
- The Eagles won 34 faceoffs and BU won 32.
- Shanahan's 38 saves were the second most this season behind the 40 saves she made at Minnesota.
- This was the Terriers' second-longest Hockey East postseason game, as their double-overtime loss to Maine in the 2020 quarterfinals lasted 95:21.
- This marked the first time BU went to overtime in the Hockey East semifinals.
UP NEXT
- BU will face fifth-seeded Northeastern in the Hockey East Championships on Saturday (March 8) at the Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn.
- Puck drop is set for noon.
