NCAA Women’s Hockey Tournament: Heartbroken Huskies and Grounded Eagles

For the second year in a row both Boston teams bowed out in the quarterfinals. Northeastern and Boston College both fell in overtime to ECAC opponents.

Northeastern v Cornell

The day was off to a poor start for Husky fans when it was announced Patty Kaz top ten finalist Alina Mueller would miss the game with a broken right hand. The injury was sustained against Providence, but wasn’t fully discovered until after the championship game against Boston College.

With her missing the lines got shuffled and it seemed to leave NU in a slight confusion for the first half of the game. There were multiple points in the first and second period where the Huskies only had four skaters on the ice, not on a penalty kill.

Cornell came out swinging with two goals in the first including a power play goal in the waning moments of the first that was deflected in. Northeastern caught their groove in the second period but was unable to put one behind Marlene Boissonnau, which would end up costing them.

The third period saw the Huskies come out firing but until Andrea Renner fired a blistering shot on Boissonnau that she couldn’t coral and Vernika Pettey made a spectacular dive to swipe the puck in just past Boissonnau’s glove, the Huskies were without reward. Five minutes later Skylar Fontaine did what she has been doing the whole second half of the season as she sniped the tying goal.

Overtime seemed to be going the way of the Huskies until Diana Buckley found Gillis Frechette with the perfect breakout pass that skipped right over a Husky’s stick. Frecehette had the time and room to make the one extra move to slip the puck past Aerin Frankel and advance the Big Red to the Frozen Four

Boston College at Clarkson

The Eagles played like the better team to start the game and went ahead in the first by a goal. They left some opportunities on the table but were unable to capitalize. The game got rather physical in the last two periods as the officials swallowed the whistles allowing for both teams to get away with more, though this seemed to favor Clarkson. The rest of the game seemed to leave the Eagles just trying to hold on which they did until the 58^thminute which saw the Golden Knights force overtime.

The overtime was a back and forth 14 minute affair in which either team easily could’ve won. Eventually a scrum form in the BC crease and the Eagles were unable to clear the puck as the Golden Knights were able to capitalize and return to the Frozen Four.

Minnesota v Princeton

In a game that had plenty of intrigue it did not fail to deliver. The Tigers actually jumped out to the early lead but the Gophers were able to net two as they took to the first intermission 2-1.

Tiger fans had more cause for hop as Sarah Fillier got another one for Princeton to tie it up early on in the period which would stand until the third.

The final frame saw both teams with opportunities but eventually the Gophers more impressive firepower overtook the Tigers and the added two empty net goals to take the game 5-2.

Wisconsin v Syracuse

This was the most clear-cut game of the four. While the Orange stuck around for longer then anyone expected them to they were no match for a far superior Badgers team.