Women’s Ice Hockey: Runnin’ to the 6-0 With O’Neil

By: Max Wolpoff

PROVIDENCE, RI — If Boston University’s aim coming into Providence was to play a sixty-minute, disciplined hockey game and walk away with two Hockey East standings points, they accomplished that and a whole lot more in their 6-0 drubbing against the Providence College Friars.

With the win, BU moves to 13-7-1 on the year, boasting a 10-3-1 Hockey East record, good enough to sit in second place behind Boston College and ahead of Northeastern. Providence (5-11-0, 3-7-0 Hockey East) finds themselves in sixth place.

Right as a late Providence penalty for holding the stick expired, Jordan Juron found the back of the net for the game-winning tally. Samantha Sutherland and Sammy Davis found their way on the scoresheet for their first points since November 21 against Merrimack.

In the second period, BU started to open up the Friars’ defense. In the only BU power play of the period, Sarah Lefort finished off the passing sequence between Kayla Tutino and Victoria Bach for her eighth goal of the year. Bach continued her scoring prowess of late and gave BU a 3-0 lead hafway through the second period. Tutino and Alexis Crossley assisted on Bach’s 11th on the year.

After Bach scored her second of the game two-and-a-half minutes in on the power play, Madison Myers and the Friar defense did enough to withold the Terrier offense. Myers saved 26 of BU’s 32 shots on goal throughout the evening with 12 saves on 14 shots in the second period alone. Erin O’Neil, in her fourth straight start for BU, saved all 27 Friar shots for her first collegiate shutout.

Lefort forced a turnover at the PC blue line as the Friars started the breakout with about three minutes left to play in regulation. With nobody but the goaltender to beat, Lefort calmly potted the easy breakaway for her second of the game. 18 seconds later, Dakota Woodworth finished off the night with her third goal of the year thanks to a feed from Sutherland.

All in all, BU ends the 2015 portion of their season schedule four games back of BC in the Hockey East standings, but still on the outside looking in at the USCHO.com poll. From Windjammer up to now, BU has played teams to one-goal wins or ties when each game could easily be to the level of tonight’s games. Against Providence, they showcased offense from each line and team defense around O’Neil to stay on top the whole game.

Heading into the winter intermission, the Terriers team has one item of homework: stay ready for Boston College on the 9th. The Eagles and Terriers will renew their rivalry in one month’s time in a 3:00 p.m. tilt at Walter Brown Arena.