Women’s Hockey Falls to BC in Hockey East
Terriers end season 18-11-7 with fewest losses in program history
The 10th-ranked Boston University women’s ice hockey team fell in the semifinals of the Hockey East tournament to 6th-ranked Boston College by a score of 2-1 on March 7 at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore Center Arena. Lauren Cherewyk (COM’11) and Jenelle Kohanchuk (CGS’10) scored for the Terriers, who close their campaign at 18-11-7, the fewest losses recorded in a season in program history.
Junior Kelli Stack was involved in all three goals for the second-seeded Eagles, scoring one and assisting on the other two. Junior goalie Molly Schauss topped 36 shots between the pipes for BC; junior Allie Thunstrom and freshman Andrea Green netted the Eagles’ other tallies. BC improved to 22-7-5 and advanced to face top seed New Hampshire in the Hockey East championship game on March 8. UNH took that game, 2-1, winning the conference crown and a bid to the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship.
BU took an early lead when Cherewyk knocked in a rebound three minutes into the game for her 13th goal of the season and first career postseason goal, thanks to assists from Melissa Anderson (MET’10) and Kohanchuk.
The Eagles leveled the score before the period was out when Stack struck midway through the frame. Thunstrom broke loose for a one-on-one rush and was unable to get off a shot, but swept the puck across the crease, where Stack swooped in from the right side to net her 23rd goal of the season at the 10:43 mark. The Terriers held a 19-6 advantage in shots on goal in the opening period, part of a 38-21 lead in the game, but were unable to put anything else past Schaus.
BC took the lead for good on the opening play of the second period, when Stack set up Thunstrom, who got the puck through traffic in front of the net just 16 seconds into the middle frame.
The Eagles stretched their lead to two in the middle of the third when Green redirected a shot from Stack, making it a 3-1 game at 8:55 of the final period, but BU struck back soon after. With Jonnie Bloemers (SMG’10) and Anderson in a scrum to the side of the net, Anderson got the puck to Kohanchuk, who was free in the slot and scored on the open net to extend a seven-game point streak.
The Terriers were unable to muster an equalizer, pulling goalie Allyse Wilcox (SHA’09) for the final minute to no avail. Wilcox stopped 18 shots in the contest and leaves BU as the Terriers’ all-time leader in goals-against average (2.32), save percentage (.916), wins (43), and shutouts (7).
The game marked the final appearance for the nine members of BU’s inaugural class of four-year seniors who launched the program in 2005. Gina Kearns (SAR’09) graduates as the Terriers’ all-time leading scorer with 102 points (50 goals, 52 assists). Caroline Bourdeau (COM’09), Kelley Karnan (COM’09), Caitlin Reddy (CAS’09), Sarah Russell (SMG’09), Erin Seman (SMG’09), Amanda Shaw (SMG’09), Nicki Wiart (ENG’09), and Wilcox have also skated in their final game in scarlet and white.
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