The Northeastern Women’s hockey team traveled to Chestnut Hill tonight to take on Boston College in the first tilt of a home and home. NU rolled into the Conte Forum to face an Eagles team that was undefeated on the season, while the Huskies were riding their own 3 game win streak. As the talking heads like to say, something’s gotta give. Looking sharp in their road reds, the Huskies added another dub to their total as they handled BC 4-2 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates.
Midway through the opening period Maddie Mills opened up the scoring when she split two BC defenders and corralled her own rebound to beat Abigail Levy over the blocker. Maureen Murphy carried the puck through the neutral zone and sent Mills away with a great transition play and the Huskies were off and running.
Originally tweeted by Northeastern Women’s Hockey (@GoNUwhockey) on October 29, 2021.
BC could have clawed right back into this game if it wasn’t for all galaxy goalie Aerin Frankel. BC’s Katie Pyne had a solid bid on a wraparound, but Frankel beat her with a left leg save at the post to hold the NU edge.
Late in the period Tessa Ward proves once again that hard work pays off as she made the play to extend NU’s lead with a great forecheck down the RW wall. Hard on the forecheck, Ward lifted the defender’s stick and swiped the puck all in one fluid motion. Driving from the RW dot, she came across the crease with the puck on her backhand but was denied by Levy. The puck squirted through her pads and was loose in the crease until Peyton Anderson tucked it in the net to put the Huskies up by a pair heading into the intermission.
Originally tweeted by Northeastern Women’s Hockey (@GoNUwhockey) on October 29, 2021.
With less than 5 minutes played in the 2nd period, Frankel had what was arguably her biggest save of the game when Abby Newhook walked down the slot with a defender chasing and Frankel shut the door with a leg save. Forehand – backhand – denied! If BC had got one there the whole game may have shifted. What you think they just hand out the Kazmaier award? That hardware is earned. That’s what you call a huuuuuge save boys and girls.
#HowlinHuskies🐾🏒 | #HockeyEast
Originally tweeted by Northeastern Women’s Hockey (@GoNUwhockey) on October 29, 2021.
With time winding down Brooke Hobson got what turned out to be the game winner when her bottle rocket from the top of the LW circle beat Levy upstairs. Murphy won the faceoff and Mills found Hobson up high and the Saskatchewan native showed where Grandma keeps the peanut butter… top shelf baby, top shelf.
#HowlinHuskies🐾🏒 | #HockeyEast
Originally tweeted by Northeastern Women’s Hockey (@GoNUwhockey) on October 29, 2021.
With time running out in the period, Chloe Aurard and Murphy walked in on Levy on a 2 on none. Aurard over to Murphy and then back to Aurard for the backdoor tap in, but Levy made the save. No whistle and Aurard gets another whack and did.. that.. puck.. go.. in?? Aurard had the best view of it and she thought so; from where I was sitting on my couch it certainly looked as if it went in. The feed showed 3 replays, but cut the overhead before it could be determined. The NU coaches wanted a replay, but no dice and the call on the ice stood and the Huskies went to the room with a 3 goal lead.
Ward showed her mettle on the defensive end of the ice when she drew a penalty with a hard backcheck; and on the ensuing power play the Huskies put another one up on the board. Megan Carter found Mia Brown coming from Gretzky’s office and put it on her tape as Brown came out from behind the net. Brown skated up towards the LW circle with no resistance and curled at the dot; with a quick drag snap she beat Levy short side over the shoulder and let’s get the buses revved up and get back to Huntington Ave.
Originally tweeted by Northeastern Women’s Hockey (@GoNUwhockey) on October 29, 2021.
The Eagles tried to climb back into this one less than a minute later. After a bad bounce off a skate, the puck found Hannah Bilka at the left post and she tucked it in behind Frankel to get BC on the board. With 8 minutes left in the game BC finally had some jump. NU had control of the game as the clock was winding down until an iffy call against the Huskies put BC on the power play with 3 minutes left to play. A one timer redirect on the advantage got over Frankel’s blocker and the Huskies lead was now cut in half.
It ended up being too little too late and the Huskies head back to Matthews Arena for a matinee matchup against this same squad tomorrow. NU had a decided edge in SOG (51-23) and in terms of zone play it wasn’t even that close. The Huskies set up for long stretches in the BC end and if it wasn’t for Levy this would’ve gotten very ugly. Quick shout out to Andrea Renner who was noticeable all over the ice tonight. Renner played a solid game that didn’t translate to the scoresheet tonight but what a way to set the pace.
Back at it tomorrow. #HowlinHuskies
The Morning Skate 