Boston College women’s hockey had far exceeded its typical workload for one day—the team played an additional 20 minutes of overtime in Hockey East semifinal action against the University of Vermont. The Eagles (26-5-5, 17-4-3) clashed against the Catamounts (15-14-9, 9-8-7) again for another two minutes in a second overtime, both teams hoping to put an end to a stalemate that began after an offensive burst for Vermont in the second period. But captain Andie Anastos had had enough. She took position by the goal, watching as Megan Keller took the puck up the boards and passed it to Kenzie Kent. She launched the shot between Vermont defensemen, but couldn’t get it to hit the twine. But Anastos was waiting. She connected instantaneously with the puck and dished it toward the goal, not wasting any time with setting herself up or turning around for a better view. She raised her hands up and jumped toward her teammates. Though the Eagles would likely have preferred an easier foray into the Hockey East finals, the last hurdle before making it to the national stage, it was over. They lived to see another day.
BC played hard from the get-go, staving off the Catamounts after Katie Burt earned a penalty for roughing a mere three minutes into the period. A minute after the penalty was complete, however, the Eagles capitalized on a power-play opportunity of their own off a slashing penalty by Mackenzie MacNeil. They came together with a performance straight out of a playbook—Keller passed to Anastos at the goal, who passed it back out to Kent on the left faceoff circle. With the fast-paced passing, goalie Madison Litchfield was distracted toward her right side, giving Kent a clear shot to put the puck in, no problem.
The Eagles extended the lead early in the second period with a collaboration by Kristyn Capizzano and freshman phenom Caitrin Lonergan. As Lonergan weaved up the ice, Capizzano streaked up on the left side, anticipating a pass in front of the net. Capizzano crossed paths with Lonergan, which tripped up the Catamounts’ defensemen, and Lonergan found room in the corner on Litchfield’s glove side. Lonergan celebrated the goal as she slid on the ice and crashed into the boards—the price to be paid for an excellent goal.
UVM found its stride a few minutes later, finding cracks in Katie Burt’s stalwart goaltending. Taylor Willard made it look easy against the Eagles, taking a chance on a shot far ahead of the left faceoff circle. Burt miscalculated the direction of the puck, thinking that she could grab it with her glove. Instead, it went through the five-hole, leaving her grasping at air.
BC evened it up midway through the period, letting its sophomore players shine with a goal from Makenna Newkirk and Serena Sommerfield on the assist. Sommerfield turned the tide in the neutral zone, dishing a light pass to Newkirk. From there, it was all her—Newkirk ran up the ice and evaded three Catamounts on her rush to the goal. Her work almost seemed to be for nothing when the puck hit the crossbar, but a lucky bounce put it into the net.
Willard helped Vermont mobilize against the Eagles, taking another opportunity from far out during a power play for UVM. This one wouldn’t go in, but Burt’s deflection of the puck put it right in Ali O’Leary’s lane. As Burt tried to chase the puck down, she came too far out of the goal and offered O’Leary her chance. She spun around and snuck it by Burt’s stick side, putting the Catamounts back in the game.
Another penalty, this time on Haley McLean for checking, allowed Vermont to tie it up. Alyssa Gorecki notched the third goal for the Catamounts, as a collision between Burt and Keller caused a commotion in front of the net, but not in time for the whistle to be blown before the puck went in. The ecstatic Vermont team celebrated like it was the end of the game, falling over each other in a group hug. When regular time expired 13 minutes later, it remained a tie—but after two overtimes, the rest was history.
The win displayed the offensive depth that the Eagles will need continuing into trophy season—each class contributed a goal to the final tally, with Anastos, one of the three seniors, capping it off. While the Eagles have some things to work on and little time to work on them—the Hockey East finals take place on March 5, just one day after their win against Vermont—it seems that there is enough talent to go around to possibly make a bid at the Frozen Four.
Featured Image by Kyle Bowman / Heights Staff
