Links: Box Score
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.— The Merrimack women's ice hockey team splashed for four goals in an offensively dominant tilt at Boston College on Friday afternoon, with the hosts surging late to notch a 6-4 home ice victory.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack Warriors 4, Boston College Eagles 6
Records: Merrimack (5-22-1, 4-18-1 HEA) | Boston College (18-12-0, 15-8-0 HEA)
Location: Kelley Rink at Conte Forum | Chestnut Hill, Mass.
How It Happened
- As teams both looked to match pace, the Warriors and Eagles ended the first period scoreless with Merrimack holding a 6-5 shots advantage. The defense stepped up early to kill the only penalty of the frame, before Emma Gorski held firm against a 2-on-1 break to end the first with no score.
- Merrimack started out the second period with offensive persistence, carried over from its work in the first. The Warriors scored the first of the day with a flurry of pressure around the crease. Managing a puck from behind the net, three Merrimack players circled the crease to hunt the puck, with Ally Qualley setting her stick in the right place to send the corralling puck in.
- Minutes later, the Warriors stepped up once again to get a goal on the board. Julia MacLean intercepted a clearing attempt by the Eagles, dishing a quick pass to Katie Kaufman at the hash marks. Cutting in on goal, Kaufman sent a no-look pass to an unmarked Courtney Maud in the slot for the clean finish to give Merrimack a 2-0 lead.
- Riding the momentum, Merrimack struck for the third of the period. Again the defense stepped up to hold a deep Boston College clear in the zone. Teghan Inglis, catching the Eagles pinned deep in their defensive end, worked with space at the point to send in a hard shot that neatly tucked under the crossbar for her ninth of the year.
- Boston College rallied on their own ice, responding after the timeout following Inglis' goal. Three goals came in the second period, including a shorthanded tally before sailing one in the final seconds of the period to hit intermission with teams even once again. The hosts came out firing in the third period, scoring two in the first four minutes of the period to stretch to a 5-3 lead at Kelley Rink.
- The Warriors responded for their fourth of the afternoon off of a faceoff. Courtney Maud won the draw back to Katie Kaufman, who cut across to fire a shot using the traffic in the circle as a screen. Kaufman's tenth goal of the year brought it back to a one goal game midway through the third period.
- Eagles re-gained their two goal lead on the power play to put the game out of reach for the Warriors in the weekend series opener.
Notes & Numbers.
- This is the third game this season where the Warriors have scored four goals and is the first four goal game to end in regulation. Merrimack previously scored four on Oct. 15 in a shootout win at Boston College and an overtime loss at Vermont on Oct. 24.
- All three of Merrimack's four goal efforts this season have come on the road.
- With her tally this afternoon, Katie Kaufman becomes the first Merrimack player to hit double-digit goal scoring since Mikyla Grant-Mentis had a 20 goal year in 2019-20. The threshold is the highest for Kaufman in her Warriors career.
- Inglis, with her goal today, still holds second place in Hockey East in goals by a defenseman in the league.
- Madison Oelkers was top among centers with 12 faceoff wins on the day. Gabby Jones won six of her seven draws, adding to her +3 effort on the day.
- Maud and Kaufman both had multipoint games for Merrimack, both good for their second of the season.
- Goaltenders: Emma Gorski (27 saves) | Abigail Levy (25 saves)
- Power Plays: MC 0-2 | BC 1-3
- Shots on Goal: MC 6, BC 5 | MC 15, BC 16 | MC 8, BC 12 | MC 29, BC 33
- Faceoffs: 30 MC | 23 BC Blocks: 7 MC | 15 BC
Up Next
Merrimack returns home to finish the series against Boston College on Saturday, Feb. 12 with puck drop for senior day set for 4 p.m.
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For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.
