Boston University scored twice in the third and Kerrin Sperry made 18 saves in the period as the Terriers beat Boston College, 3-2, to win their third straight Hockey East title Sunday afternoon in Hyannis.
BU entered the third trailing 2-1, but team captain Louise Warren tied the game 2:50 into the period when she buried Kaleigh Fratkin‘s slap pass from the point.
A little more than five minutes later, the Terriers took the lead. Rebecca Russo, who scored BU’s first goal, threw the puck to the net off a faceoff, and Maddie Elia grabbed the rebound, wrapped around to the other side of the goal and slid the puck inside the post before Corinne Boyles (31 saves) could get across the crease.
The Eagles pressured BU throughout the final 11 minutes of the game, but Sperry — who finished the game with 40 saves and earned tournament MVP honors — stood tall. Her best save came with 2:34 to go when BC’s leading scorer, Haley Skarupa, got behind the defense and tried to slide a backhander five-hole.
The Eagles outshot BU 19-7 in the first period and took a 2-1 lead into the break thanks to goals from Dana Trivigno and Taylor Wasylk. The Terriers turned the tables in the second, outshooting BC 14-5 in the period, but it took them until the third to tie the game.
With the win, the Terriers earned their fifth straight NCAA tournament berth. They would not have qualified had they lost, as they entered the day outside the top eight in the Pairwise Rankings used to determine the eight-team NCAA field. BU also became the third team to three-peat in Hockey East, joining Providence (2003-05) and New Hampshire (2006-09).
The Eagles will still make NCAAs despite the loss, as they finished sixth in the Pairwise. Had they won, though, they likely would’ve hosted their first-round game.
BU and BC will find out their first-round opponents Sunday night. Those games will take place next weekend at the home of the higher seed. The semifinals and national championship will be March 21 and 23, respectively, at Quinnipiac’s TD Bank Sports Center. All rounds are single elimination.
The Terriers and Eagles both reached the Frozen Four last year, but both were bested by Minnesota — BC in the semifinals and BU in the championship.