Women’s Hockey: Bochna’s overtime heroics send Terriers to Beanpot Championship game
Featured image by Kota Tsukada
By Hannah Connors
This had all the feelings of a trap game. Two-win Harvard, fourteenth-ranked BU, Beanpot Semifinals.
With time ticking down in the third period, a 21-5 advantage in shots for the Terriers had only resulted in a 1-0 Crimson lead.
Sydney Healey answered.
A late third-period goal from Healey, and the game-winner in overtime from Lindsay Bochna sent the Terriers back to the Beanpot Championship, this time with the hopes of raising the trophy.
Boston University Women’s Ice Hockey (14-6-1, 11-3-1 HE) came from behind and defeated the Harvard Crimson (2-13-2, 1-10-1 ECAC) 2-1 in an overtime win in the Semifinals of the Dunkin’ Beanpot at Matthews Arena.
“I had no doubt,” Sydney Healey said post-game. “Our team was relentless the entire game.”
The first two periods were largely uneventful, despite the ice tilting heavily in the Terriers’ favor. Two minutes into the opening frame, a hooking penalty on the Crimson sent BU to the man advantage. The Terriers, however, could not capitalize on any goal-scoring opportunities despite the puck staying in the BU offensive zone for the bulk of the two-minute a.
Throughout the rest of the period, Boston University largely maintained possession. The Terriers’ strong forecheck and dominance in transitions allowed for little offensive control in the Harvard zone.
“They didn’t give [them] the middle,” coach Tara Watchorn said, “Whether it started with their forecheck…[as] soon as you start working around, they just kind of start to pack it in.”
Starting the second period with thirty seconds remaining on the power play, the Terriers used defensive momentum from the first to successfully kill it off.
Despite the majority of the period being played in the BU offensive zone, Harvard’s defensive blocks in the slot kept the majority of the BU shots out of the net.
The biggest piece of the Crimson defense was freshman goaltender Ainsley Tuffy. All 21 shots faced in the opening two periods were denied by Tuffy, who made some remarkable saves on numerous Terrier high-danger scoring opportunities.
The final frame started in Harvard’s favor. An outlet pass from Gabi Davidson Adams found Angelica Medanis in the slot, who found the back of the net for her first collegiate goal and the 1-0 lead.
BU lost a bit of steam after going down one, allowing the Crimson more opportunities to break out in the neutral zone.
As a last-ditch effort, the Terriers pulled their goalie, Callie Shanahan, for the extra attacker.
With the clock winding down, Sydney Healey poked a bouncing puck into the net, sending the game to overtime with 55 seconds remaining on the clock.
BU headed to overtime on the front foot, dominating in shots with 36 to Harvard’s 9.
Some bonus hockey was all the difference for the Terriers.
After maintaining possession and generating terrific offensive zone possession that resulted in two shots hitting the post, BU caught their break.
“It was so fun to watch the whole group generate such great offense all night,” Watchorn said, “And you know, you believed and hoped that it was coming, and it was about time.”
With under two minutes in the overtime, an opportunity for the Terriers opened up in the neutral zone. Bochna streaked through the ice with an unbelievable individual effort, breaking through defenders and going top-shelf to win the game.
Bochna’s fifth goal of the season would send her to her first-ever Beanpot Championship game.
“No matter who was putting that puck in the net, we just wanted to do it for each other,” Healey said.
The Terriers will take on the winner of Boston College vs. Northeastern University in the 46th Dunkin’ Championship game next Tuesday, Jan. 21 at TD Garden. Puck drop is set for 7:30 ET, with streaming available on ESPN+.