CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Boston College head coach Katie King Crowley has noticed a trend as her team’s remarkable season goes on.
“People are boxing us out, cramming that middle up, trying to take things away from you,” she said.
Never was that more true than Tuesday night at the Eagles’ Beanpot semifinal against Northeastern.
The Huskies held No. 1 BC off the scoreboard until late in the second period, gumming up the middle of the ice and forcing play to the outside. But a third-period Haley Skarupa goal lifted the Eagles (26-0-1) to a 3-1 win over Northeastern (8-14-4) and a spot in next Tuesday’s Beanpot championship game.
It was far from the lopsided nature of the two team’s Jan. 11 9-1 meeting.
Huskies’ coach Dave Flint admitted they approached this game much differently than other recent meetings.
“We changed our philosophy in the defensive game heading into this game,” said Flint. “We were much more aggressive. In practices this week, we worked on taking up as much time and space as we can.”
The new philosophy showed.
Not only was Northeastern goaltender Chloe Desjardins on point, making showcase saves on flurries of BC shots, but their defense showed new life. Several members of the defense, in particular Ann Doherty, Heather Mottau and Jordan Krause, stepped up and blocked shots, and the rest of the team stopped up the Eagles’ traffic like the snow had Boston roads on the way to the game.
“This was, by far, the toughest [game] we’ve played against them,” said Crowley. “I certainly credit their players and their coaches for doing a great job.”
After a scoreless first period, Northeastern got an offensive chance to match their defensive intensity nearly eight minutes into the second period. McKenna Brand grabbed a Tori Hickel pass and dished it on the right side of Eagles’ goaltender Katie Burt to put the Huskies up by one.
Boston College began to pepper Desjardins with shots, but quick reflexes allowed her to make every save. A Tori Sullivan shot rang the crossbar with six minutes left in the second. In four-on-four play four minutes later, Emily Field slid herself into a perfect position to the left of Desjardins and deflected a shot off a Northeastern defender and into the net to tie the game.
“For Emily Field to finally put one in, she’s been a little snake bit here this half of the season,” said Crowley. “[This] will kind of kickstart her and get her going for the rest of the season.”
The Eagles adjusted to the Huskies’ strong-armed defense in the game’s third period, dominating offensive play, but a Northeastern team looking to make their fourth straight Beanpot championship game was not going to let up easily.
Kendall Coyne had a stellar chance alone on Burt with nine minutes left in the game, but could not convert. Thirty seconds later, Alex Carpenter found linemate Haley Skarupa from the half wall, setting her up for a slapper center into the Huskies’ net for the game-winner. After Desjardins skated to the bench with :47 remaining, Andie Anastos sealed the win with an empty-netter.
Desjardins finished the game with 35 saves, while Burt had 17.
It may not have been the easiest of wins, but Crowley saw a positive out of the fight.
“Having 27 shots in those first two periods and only having one goal, I’m happy our players stuck with it,” she said
