The Cream of the Crop: Hockey East’s Final Four Women’s Teams Faceoff Today

HYANNIS – If you love hockey, then today is your day.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Hockey East 2015 Women’s Hockey East Championship tournament will face off on the Cape as the top four collegiate teams in the Northeast are set to faceoff at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Skating Rink.

Boston College’s Alex Carpenter was named the Player of the Year last night in Hyannis at the WHEA Annual Awards Banquet. She led the Eagles to an incredible 32-1-1 record this season and the Eagles faceoff today in Hyannis in the Hockey East Semifinals against UCONN at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center.
Photo courtesy of Hockey East

Today are the WHEA Championship tournament semifinals and tomorrow, Sunday, March 8 at 1:30 will be the Hockey East Championship title game.

The #1-seeded Boston College Eagles – who boast an astounding 32-1-1 record thus far this season – will face the #5-seeded University of Connecticut Huskies at 1:30 pm. The Huskies are 11-17-8 this season.

The Eagles boast both the Player and Coach of the Year, announced yesterday in Hyannis at the WHEA Awards Banquet in Hyannis.

Boston College women’s hockey junior forward Alex Carpenter was named Hockey East Warrior Player of the Year while Eagles’ head coach Katie King Crowley earned Hockey East Coach of the Year.

The WHEA Warrior Player of the Year, also known as the Cammi Granato Award, is bestowed annually upon the player who has demonstrated superior play and leadership for her team.

Carpenter was honored as the conference’s player of the year for the second time in her three seasons at Boston College. The North Reading, Mass. native previously captured the league’s top honor as a sophomore in 2012-13.

The junior forward has tallied a program record 75 points on 33 goals and 42 assists this season, which included a school record 25-game point streak from Oct. 4-Feb. 3. Carpenter, a Patty Kazmaier Award contender, took home WHEA Player of the Week honors three times while earning Player of the Month twice this season.

Carpenter’s selection as player of the year marks the fifth time a Boston College Eagle has garnered the Cammi Granato Award: Kelli Stack (2006-07), Kelli Stack (2008-09), Kelli Stack (2010-11), Alex Carpenter (2012-13), Alex Carpenter (2014-15).

Crowley led the Eagles to the most single-season wins (32) in program history while amassing the school’s best offensive output in the process (185 goals). With Crowley at the helm, the Eagles earned their highest-ever national ranking at the number one spot on Nov. 3, 2014.

The Salem, N.H. native holds a career record of 188-71-39 (111-36-18 WHEA) at the Heights. Crowley has been tabbed the league’s coach of the year twice before, collecting the award in the 2012-13 season and sharing the honor last year with Vermont head coach Jim Plumer.

Three Boston College Eagles, including Carpenter, were selected First-Team All-Stars: freshman defenseman Megan Keller, senior defenseman Emily Pfalzer, and Carpenter.

Freshman goaltender Katie Burt, junior defenseman Lexi Bender, and junior forward Haley Skarupa were named Second Team All-Stars.

WHEA First-Team All-Stars
G: Meghann Treacy, Maine
D: Megan Keller, Boston College
D: Emily Pfalzer, Boston College
F: Alex Carpenter, Boston College
F: Kendall Coyne, Northeastern
F: Marie-Philip Poulin, Boston University
Second Team All-Stars
G: Katie Burt, Boston College
D: Lexi Bender, Boston College
D: Shannon Doyle, Boston University
F: Sarah Lefort, Boston University
F: Haley Skarupa, Boston College
F: Kayla Tutino, Boston University

WHEA Honorable Mentions
G: Elaine Chuli, UConn
D: Heather Mottau, Northeastern
D: Kelsey MacSorely, Maine
F: Dayna Colang, Vermont
F: Jonna Curtis, New Hampshire

At 4:30 pm, the #2-seeded Boston University Terriers (23-8-3) will face the #3-seeded Northeastern University Huskies (14-16-5).

The games will be televised Live on NESNPlus and tape-delayed on NESN.

The winner of Sunday’s title game will get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm