Since dropping two games in the season opening series, the Boston University women’s hockey team has been on a tear. Saturday afternoon’s 4-3 overtime win against Merrimack College (4-8-1, 1-6-1 Hockey East) added a fifth game to the Terriers’ unbeaten streak.
BU (4-2-1, 3-2-0 HE) was fueled by solid goalie play from Alexa Matses, a hat trick from senior forward Lacey Martin in Saturday’s win and a heroic overtime goal from senior defender Tamara Giaquinto.
“We’re at the point now, which is a lot of fun, where our foundation is laid. I think we really felt our identity and now we’re just making small tweaks and growing,” BU head coach Tara Watchorn said postgame.
Matses got her third start of the season in Saturday’s game. Despite an early stretch where freshman Mari Pietersen earned a majority of the starts, Matses has played in both games of this weekend’s home and home series.
“Alexa has been doing well, I think she’s proven herself and she’s made some big saves and kept us in both games, so it was fun to watch her,” Watchorn said.
The first period was a quiet one for both teams — the game remained scoreless throughout and neither side put in a strong effort to change that.
BU had the lead in shots on goal throughout the period, ending the first 20 minutes with a 7-5 advantage.
The Terriers got their first power play of the afternoon after a cross-checking penalty went against freshman Warrior forward Ryleigh Horlock past the halfway point of the first. But in the end, all they had to show for the two minutes of five-on-four hockey was a single shot from Tamara Giaquinto.
Two minutes later Merrimack got a power play of its own after a hooking penalty was called on junior Terrier forward Ani Fitzgerald. That power play was ultimately unsuccessful too, with the Warriors getting no shots off.
Seven minutes into the second period, Merrimack grabbed a 1-0 lead on its first shot of the period from a goal by graduate forward Celine Tedenby. Senior forward Emily Oosterveld drove towards the net and then dished it to Tedenby, who stuck the puck in on the stickside of Matses’ goal.
BU almost tied it up off a shot from Lacey Martin that was so close it caused the fan section and pep band to go into their usual post-goal celebrations.
Martin made good on her earlier attempt tying up the game, for real this time, after an assist from freshman forward Alex Law who dished it to Martin after skating netfront.
The Terriers were leading shots on goal 15-7 with seven minutes left in the period when sophomore Merrimack forward Alex Ferguson was whistled for tripping, giving BU its second power play of the game.
Martin scored her second of the night on the power play, capitalizing on the confusion of a chaotic netfront scrum after getting the puck from junior forward Christina Vote.
“After the first period we focused on getting more shots on the net, we practiced on rebounds all week, so I think I got a lot of reps in,” Martin said postgame when asked what contributed to her success Saturday.
It seemed the fireworks would be left in the second period early on in the third, with both teams scoreless through the first eight minutes of the period. This changed, however, when Merrimack grabbed back the lead off a goal from sophomore forward Sophie McKinley.
Until just over a minute later when Martin, off the assist from Alex Law, clinched her first collegiate hat trick and put the Terriers up 3-2 midway through the period.
“It felt good, it’s my first career hat trick, so it’s always exciting. I’m just happy we came out with the win, though,” Martin said.
With a mere twenty seconds to go in the final period, an empty net on the other end of the ice and the Terriers ready to close out the win in regulation, Merrimack tied the game and sent it to overtime off the goal from senior defender Raice Szott.
Tamara Giaquinto put an end to the overtime period two minutes in, scoring on sophomore goalie Calli Hogarth off an assist from Christina Vote.
The Terriers will play another home-and-home series next weekend against the University of New Hampshire, with the first game of the series taking place Friday at Walter Brown Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the Boston Hockey Blog will have full coverage, so be sure to follow along on Twitter (X) @BOShockeyblog and Instagram @boston.hockey.blog.
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