One day after being outshot 28-13 and defeating Boston College 2-1, the eighth-ranked St. Lawrence University women’s hockey team dominated the shot charts on Saturday afternoon but were forced to settle for a split in the series as the Eagles won the rematch, 6-3.
The Saints outshot BC 39-23, and while they were held scoreless in six power play opportunities, produced 12 shots on the power play.
After BC jumped out to a 2-0 lead halfway through the first period, the Saints cut the lead to one on two occasions, but the Eagles made it a 5-2 game with two goals in the final five minutes of the second period.
Skylar Podvey (pictured above) got the Saints back within one with her first career goal early in the third period and St. Lawrence had a number of chances to make it a one-goal game, but Makenna Newkirk scored her second goal with BC on a 5-on-3 power play with just 3:47 to play for the game’s final margin.
“This was a great series for our team,” said head coach Chris Wells ’92. “Coming away with a win and holding a team like BC to just one goal last night was a great result for us. Today’s game was a completely different type of game. They took advantage of their scoring opportunities and we had a ton of chances. We converted on a few of them and had a few off the pipe and two that had a piece of the goal line that they went back to review.”
Caitrin Lonergan gave the Eagles the early lead, scoring on a bang-bang play off a won faceoff in the St. Lawrence end. Serena Sommerfield took a pass at the blue line from Daryl Watts and fed Lonergan on the left side where Lonergan had a wide-open net.
Newkirk added to the lead less than six minutes later, one-timing a pass by Watts into the short side from the left side of the crease.
The Saints responded just 17 seconds later, with Justine Reyes scoring on a give-and-go with Kayla Nielsen from the left side of the net.
But BC restored the two-goal lead five minutes later, as Willow Corson put away a loose puck in the slot after St. Lawrence goaltender Grace Harrison made a save on a shot from the point.
Nadine Edney cut the lead to one once again scoring a shorthanded goal after winning a faceoff in the St. Lawrence defensive end and getting loose for a breakaway, beating Boston College goaltender Katie Burt with a backhand to the glove side.
Corson scored her second goal of the game five minutes later, potting a pass from Lonergan with the Eagles moving the puck quickly in transition. Toni Ann Miano increased the Eagles’ lead to 5-2 with a snipe from the slot to the top corner of Harrison’s blocker side.
Podvey’s first career goal came after Rachael Smith crashed the net, and Podvey picked up a loose puck in the right faceoff circle and put the puck into a wide open net to cut BC’s lead to two.
Harrison made 17 saves for the Saints, who fell to 6-4-2, while Burt sturtopped 36 shots for BC, now 9-1-1.
“It’s been great to see this team progress and continue to get better,” said Wells. “Today’s game was probably the best we’ve played all season, and it couldn’t come at a better time, with Princeton and Quinnipiac coming to town next weekend.”
The Saints will return to ECAC Hockey play next weekend, hosting Princeton on Friday at 6 p.m. and Quinnipiac on Saturday at 3 p.m.
