Meghan Hunter had five points and became the first Badger to collect four goals in a game in a 7-0 victory over Boston College at Kelley Rink on Saturday. The result also gave Wisconsin its fourth consecutive shutout victory.
Hunter put the Badgers on the board at 5:06 of the first period, scoring her 10th of the season. Kendra Antony knocked the puck away from a BC defender at the blue line and skated down the left boards. Antony curled in front, but lost the puck to Hunter, who followed the play. Hunter beat goalie Sharon VanTuyl for the goal.
Wisconsin (14-8-2) scored again at 15:13, on the power play, when Kerry Weiland tallied. Hunter beat an Eagle defender in the high slot before shooting. Weiland redirected the shot in the slot and past VanTuyl for her fourth goal of the season.
Hunter then took over the contest, scoring the game’s next three goals. The first, at 4:40 of the second period, came on a deflection. Weiland kept in a Boston College (4-14-3) clearing attempt at the blue line, then took a shot on goal. Hunter was in the path and directed it past VanTuyl for her second of the game.
Just before the second period expired, Hunter completed her hat trick converting a rebound of a Molly Engstrom shot. Weiland also got credit for an assist on the power-play goal at 19:58.
The sophomore set a Badger record at 3:20 of the third period when she fired a wrist shot into the corner over VanTuyl’s left shoulder for her fourth goal of the game. Carla MacLeod sent Hunter down the right side to extend her scoring streak to six games.
“I had a feeling Meghan was going to have a great game and I told her that beforehand,” said assistant coach Dan Koch. “That’s just because the week of practice she had, and the way she practices all year. She’ll spend 15 minutes after every practice taking shots, spending time doing faceoffs, one-timers and this is just a result of hard work during practice. She looked hungry.”
The Badgers scored twice more goals before the final horn sounded as Kathryn Greaves and Steph Boeckmann picked up goals at 10:17 and 14:35 of the third period, respectively. Greaves scored after Engstrom’s point shot got blocked and Jackie Friesen put a stick to the puck. It was Greaves’ second of the season.
Boeckmann scored on the Badgers’ third deflection of the contest. Karen Rickard took a shot headed wide from along the left boards, but Boeckmann skated toward the goal mouth from the corner and redirected the puck past the BC goaltender’s short side. For Boeckmann, it was her fifth goal of the season.
Jackie MacMillan made nine saves in two periods in improving to 14-7-1. Jen Neary stopped seven shots in the third period in relief of MacMillan. VanTuyl made 39 saves and fell to 0-1-0.
Wisconsin reached 40 shots for the third straight game, taking 46 to Boston College’s 16 shots. Wisconsin also went 2-for-4 on the power-play and went a perfect 2-for-2 killing penalties.
“I thought, at times, we played very well defensively,” Koch added. “We are very conscious of taking away the middle. We had some mental lapses where our defense jumped up and they had some odd rushes late in the game. Jackie and Jen both made some saves off of one-timers and shots from in tight. In the first period, again, Jackie made some saves that were right in the scoring areas. When she can make a couple of those, her confidence grows and I think our team’s confidence grows.”
