Terriers Season Ends with Loss at Maine in Women’s Hockey East Tournament

By: Brian Lombardo

A roller coaster season came to a roller coaster end on Sunday, as the Boston University women’s hockey team fell in overtime of game three of the Hockey East quarterfinals after letting a three-goal lead slip away.

After Brooke Stacey’s third period hat trick forced overtime, Maine’s Tereza Vanisova found the back of the net at the 4:39 mark of overtime to clinch the victory and the series for the Black Bears in three games.

The first game of the series saw the Terriers fall by a score of 3-2. The Black Bears came out of the gate hot, scoring the games first three goals all in the first period. The Terriers responded with one of their own late in the first, but a second period power play goal from Victoria Bach was not enough as Maine hung on to take a series lead.

With a helper on Bach’s goal, senior captain Rebecca Leslie overtook Marie-Philip Poulin for the program’s assist record with 101.

Freshman goaltender Corinne Schroeder received the start but was pulled just 17 minutes into the first period. Erin O’Neil played the rest of the game.

O’Neil received the start in game two and shut the door while the Terriers’ offense overpowered the Black Bears to take game two 4-1 and even the series.

This time around the Terriers scored the first three goals of the game. Bach, Leslie and Jesse Compher all scored to give the Terriers a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the third frame before Leslie added a fourth goal late in the third period.

Heading into the decisive game three, Head Coach Brian Durocher once again gave the senior netminder O’Neil the start in goal.

The super forward duo of Leslie and Bach struck in the first period, both notching a goal and giving the Terriers a two-goal lead. They carried that lead all the way into the third period, when Natasza Tarnowski added a third tally to give BU a 3-0 lead.

But it only took one goal for the floodgates to open for Maine. Junior forward Brooke Stacey, who scored 15 goals on the season, netted a hat trick in the final 12 minutes of the third period, singlehandedly bringing the Black Bears from the brink of elimination and into overtime. Stacey was named Hockey East Player of the Week for her efforts.

After Stacey and the Black Bears forced extra time, it didn’t take long for Maine to strike again, as Vanisova ended the game and the series 4:39 into overtime.

Maine advances to the semifinal round against Northeastern on Saturday afternoon.