Before Northeastern faced Boston University in the finals of the women’s Beanpot Tuesday evening, Huskies senior goaltender Florence Schelling told freshman center Kendall Coyne her goal for the evening.
“She said to me, ‘I want to win something in girls hockey,” recalled Coyne post-game. “I want us to finally win the Beanpot.”
Schelling used that determination to stop a blistering 43 shots to lead Northeastern to their first women’s Beanpot title since 1998 with a 4-3 overtime win and earned herself the tournament’s Most Outstanding Goaltender honor.
In an extremely physical game, Northeastern drew calm from its Swiss netminder.
“Schelling has been our anchor,” said NU coach Dave Flint. “Our team plays more confident knowing she’s back there.”
On the game-winner, Flint said he told his team to keep it simple.
“I started to see some long faces after BU’s third goal, and I just said to them, ‘We have plenty of time to get this done,'” said Flint.
“Once we had the third goal, I felt calm. I knew we could win.”
After many quality shots in overtime, it was the familiar combination of Coyne and winger Casey Pickett that gave the Huskies the win. Coyne passed the puck to Pickett, who shot it on BU goalie Kerrin Sperry’s left side for the goal.
It was confidence and calm that lifted the Huskies over their Hockey East counterparts. Northeastern was unable to capitalize on two early game penalties on holding and tripping and were held to a mere four shots on goal in the first period. BU on the other hand, flung 13 shots on net during the frame. Freshman Kayla Tutino and Tara Watchorn were delivering most of the offensive pressure, but were unable to convert.
The game’s physicality jumped to a whole other level in the second period, with post-whistle tussles, play against the boards and hooking and holding penalties. Northeastern scored the game’s first two goals in a 1:40 span at the beginning of the second. After BU right winger Marie Philip Poulin was called off for roughing, the prolific Coyne notched the game’s first goal with a shot over Sperry’s shoulder.
Husky right winger Lucie Povova added another goal after an all out Northeastern rush on Sperry, to give them a 2-0 lead. After some quick skating and several rushes on both ends of the ice, BU finally found the scoreboard. Northeastern defensemen Maggie Brennolt and Colleen Murphy both went off for holding, giving junior left winger Shannon Mahoney a chance to tip in a shot by freshman defender Shannon Stoneburgh to pull the Terriers within one goal.
Pickett went to the penalty box for yet another hooking call 12 seconds later, giving BU’s Kasey Tutino the opportunity to score her 15th goal of the season with just a minute left in the frame to tie the game at two.
In the third period, both team’s play became sloppy and choppy. Tutino scored her second power-play goal of the night deep into the third to give the Terriers their first lead of the game. It was short-lived, though, as Sonia St. Martin deflected a Katie MacSorely pass to notch the game up 3-3 for Northeastern.
Despite the loss, BU coach Brian Durocher was pleased with the Terriers’ effort and the 1129 fans in attendance.
“I am more proud of my team than I have been any other time this year,” Durocher said. “Northeastern isn’t a mirage – they’re an excellent hockey team.”
