By NoontimeSports.com
Courtesy of Boston University athletics, here is Friday’s press release from the Terriers first hockey game of the season against Boston College:
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Freshman forward Sarah Lefort (Ormstown, Que.) scored her first two collegiate goals as the No. 6 Boston University women’s ice hockey team defeated No. 3/4 Boston College, 4-2, on Friday night at Conte Forum.
Lefort scored in the second period to tie the game and then potted the winner at the 6:17 mark of the final frame. Junior co-captain Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que.)assisted on both of Lefort’s goals, as BU begins its season with a 1-0-0 record.
Sophomore defenseman Shannon Stoneburgh (Pickering, Ont.) opened the scoring for BU while freshman forward Jordan Juron (Latham, N.Y.) scored her first collegiate goal to close the Terriers’ account. Freshman Rebecca Russo (Shelton, Conn.) collected her first collegiate assist on Stoneburgh’s goal to round out the scoring for the Terrier rookies.
Ten Terriers in total registered a point as BU improved to 7-0-1 at Conte Forum in its last eight league games. Junior Kerrin Sperry made 29 saves to earn the win, including 12 in the second period.
Stoneburgh scored the first goal of the Terriers’ 2012-13 campaign at the 2:28 mark of the first period when her shot from the top of the left circle snuck through Corinne Boyles’ (24 saves) five-hole. Russo and senior Jenelle Kohanchuk each added an assist.
The Eagles nearly evened the score with 7:10 remaining the period, but Sperry stoned sophomore Alex Carpenter, the team’s leading goal-scorer last season, with a nifty blocker save to maintain the status quo.
Sperry had Carpenter’s number again later in the first when she kicked her left leg out to deny the sophomore. However, the Eagles finally beat Sperry at the 3:08 mark of the second stanza, with Carpenter earning an assist on Emily Field’s goal. BC took the lead nearly three minutes later on the power play when Ashley Motherwell scored to make it a 2-1 game.
The Terriers responded quickly, however, and tallied their second goal of the game at the 9:05 mark of the second period thanks to a pretty 2-on-1 between Poulin and Lefort. Redshirt sophomore Caroline Campbell began the play with a pass up the right wing to Poulin before a line change. The junior co-captain then streaked into the BC zone and slid a pass to Lefort, who had a wide open net in which to place the puck.
BC did its best to try and regain the lead at the end of the second period, but Sperry stood tall. She made two great saves with 5:50 to play in the period, including a kick save off a point-blank rebound. The junior netminder then kept the game tied right before the intermission when she saved a 2-on-1 chance and covered the loose puck while skaters from both sides converged on top of the crease.
Lefort grabbed the game-winner thanks to the Terriers forcing a turnover in their own zone. Poulin picked a loose puck up and pushed it forward to senior co-captain Jill Cardella. She streaked up the right wing and passed it to Lefort, who was at the left post to tip it past Boyles.
Juron’s goal came just 41 seconds after Lefort gave BU the lead. Junior Louise Warren’s initial shot was stopped, but Juron was in perfect position to fire home the rebound. Senior Isabel Menard also assisted on the goal.
Sperry made 23 of her 29 saves in the final two frames to preserve the victory, which was the 41st of her career. She is now three wins away from breaking the program record set by former goaltender Allyse Wilcox (’09).
BU will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when the Terriers welcome the Boston Blades of the CWHL to Walter Brown Arena for an exhibition contest. Former Terriers Kasey Boucher (’12) and Holly Lorms (’11) will face their former team for the first time. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m.
For more information on the women’s hockey team — HOP HERE.
