HYANNIS — For the past four years, Hockey East has hosted its Women’s Hockey East Championship at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center.
And for the fourth straight year, the vastly talented Boston University Terriers Sunday afternoon took home the regional crown by defeating the top-ranked Boston College Eagles, 4-1. It was only the second loss of the season the 33-2-1 Eagles have taken this season.
Boston University staged a major upset of the top-ranked Boston College Eagles Sunday afternoon at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center, taking home the 4th straight Women’s Hockey East title.
Photo by Eric Cunha/Courtesy of Hockey East
Seeded No. 2 in this collegiate hockey postseason tourney, Boston University was led by two-game winning goals from senior captain Marie-Philip Poulin in the semifinal and final. With the win, the Terriers secured an automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. It is the second year in a row that one skater has scored both the semifinal and final game-winning goal, after Maddie Elia clinched victory twice for BU in 2014.
Boston University claimed the Bertagna Trophy once again in a rematch of the 2014 title tilt, downing No. 1 Boston College, 4-1, for the second straight year. Poulin wasted no time in her final Hockey East game, staking her squad to a one-goal lead just 4: 56 into the first frame. BU junior forward Sarah Lefort corralled the puck deep in the attaching zone off a feed from Lillian Braga-Ribiernha. Poulin then caught a pass from Lefort as she came streaking down the middle of the ice before maneuvering around Eagle goaltender Katie Burt for the score. Poulin nearly pushed the Terriers to a two-goal advantage, but rang a hard shot off the crossbar with 20 seconds left in the period.
Alex Carpenter evened the game at one goal apiece at 6:14 of the middle stanza, tipping home a shot from Emily Pfalzer. Haley Skarupa carried the puck into the Terriers’ zone, leaving a drop pass for Pfalzer at the right point. The Eagles defenseman fired a shot on net that nicked off of Carpenters stick before sailing past BU netminder Victoria Hanson.
Poulin reclaimed the lead for Brian Durocher’s squad at 2:40 of the third period with what proved to be the game-winning goal. Kayla Tutino stole the puck off an Eagles defender’s stick finding the Terrier captain in the slot. Poulin positioned her stick and tipped the puck past Burt for the tally. Elia extended the BU lead to two goals for the first time at 12:31, teaming up with Sarah Steele and Shannon Doyle to make it a 3-1 game in favor of Boston University. Brian Durocher’s squad added an insurance empty-net goal off the stick of Lefort to claim the Bertagna Trophy.
Boston University senior captain Marie-Philip Poulin paced the Terriers’ offense once again as BU was crowned champions for the fourth straight season in the Women’s Hockey East title game yesterday afternoon in Hyannis.
Photo by Eric Cunha/Courtesy of Hockey East
Poulin was unanimously named MVP of the 2015 Women’s Hockey East Tournament, setting new league records with six goals and six assists for 12 points. Joining Poulin on the All-Tournament Team was UConn junior goaltender Elaine Chuli, who stopped 122 shots in three games for the Huskies, defensemen Doyle and Pfalzer, and forwards Carpenter and Tutino.
Boston University and Boston College now await seeding in the national tournament, to be revealed tonight on NCAA.com at 7 p.m.
— Story provided by Hockey East. Portions of this story were written by Sean Walsh, Capecod.com sports editor. Photos by Eric Cunha, courtesy of Hockey East. Sean Walsh may be reached via email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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