The Crusaders (16-7-1, 8-6-1 HEA) ambushed the Terriers (7-12-3, 5-7-2 HEA), whose four-game unbeaten streak was halted Saturday night at Walter Brown Arena. BU had a chance to get some points against a conference opponent in Holy Cross (who came in fourth in Hockey East).
The game started the moment the puck dropped. Just a few minutes after 4 p.m., the scoring opened up quite quickly.
Thirty seconds later, a fast breakout pass found the stick of Crusader forward Lulu Rourke, who flew past BU freshman defenseman Avery Supryka. Rourke lost control of the puck in the crease, but it found its way under junior goaltender Mari Pietersen to give Holy Cross the 1-0 lead.
That lead would not last long; at 6:06 PM BU responded with authority. The Welcke sisters went to work behind the Holy Cross net, sliding the puck to an open Neely Nicholson. Nicholson fired her shot past Brooke Loranger in the end to level the score at one.
From there, the first period settled into a rhythm, and some quick possessions on both sides turned into a sustained attack for the Terriers. BU found the escapes feasible, which made entering zones all the more fun.
Some sustained offensive zone time was generated, but at the other end, BU struggled to get some shots through. The Crusaders blocked 11 of the Terriers’ 21 attempts in the first frame.
Some of that defense led to BU giving up a goal late in the first. A loose puck found its way to Holy Cross’ Emily Crovo, who passed the puck herself out of her defensive zone on a two-on-one opportunity. Off the rush, Crovo found Violet Carroll, who went ahead to give Holy Cross a 2-1 lead with 3:47 to go.
The course of the second period mirrored the first. BU saw its offensive opportunities come in separate stretches of good zone time, cycling the puck and finding scoring opportunities. However, they could not break the seal.
After a fatal penalty following a cross-check from Lilli Welcke, Holy Cross eventually added to their lead.
Crusader defenseman Kaitlin Sullivan put a puck through many bodies from the point. The shot bounced into the crease, where Alexa Moreau’s follow-up effort trickled in front under Pietersen and over the goal line at 7:22.
Holy Cross again reduced its goal. This time putting full pressure on BU’s defenders and finding scoring opportunities. The Crusaders had registered 21 of their total 25 shot attempts on target so far. In contrast, the Terriers had collected 16 shots on target from 41 attempts.
During the final TV timeout of the second period, BU made a goalie change, bringing freshman Jackie Wright between the pipes for her first NCAA minutes of the year. Wright made seven saves in her outing.
The Terriers flew to start the third period, registering multiple chances against Holy Cross. But even as they managed to get through their sticks, connect between passing lanes and fire past the bodies of defenders, Brooke Loranger was a sponge in her net. Loranger stopped 26 of BU’s 28 shots on goal.
Naemi Herzig ended the match with an empty net goal to make it 4-1.
Luisa Welcke answered back with a solo, DIY goal that brought the Terriers within two goals for the final score of 4-2.
This story will be updated.
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