BOSTON — Any lasting luck from Northeastern’s Beanpot Championship faded Tuesday night, as the Huskies fell in a 3-2 loss against Boston University.
The opening frame was defined by a lack of offensive rhythm for both teams, particularly the Huskies. The first six minutes saw little in the way of scoring opportunities, with no shots on goal from Northeastern. Despite extended puck control by defender Kristina Allard, BU controlled much of the momentum early.
The Terriers broke through with 7:17 remaining, when freshman forward Kaileigh Quigg capitalized on an opening to put BU up 1-0. The Huskies attempted to respond, including a chance by junior forward Lily Brazis that missed the mark, and an effort by sophomore forward Ella Blackmore that came up short. Despite a power play opportunity late in the period, the Huskies couldn’t find the net, leaving them trailing 1-0 after one period.
“We didn’t really compete that hard,” said associate head coach Nick Carpenito. “We were taking lazy penalties… if somebody’s putting our team at a disadvantage… we’re not willing to sacrifice the greater good for one player.”
The second period mirrored the first in Northeastern’s inability to penetrate BU’s defense. Early on, BU’s forward Ani Fitzgerald was penalized, giving the Huskies a power play, but the Terriers penalty kill was once again up to the task.
A penalty by Northeastern’s Jules Constantinople for indirect head contact on a hit further hurt the Huskies, giving BU more power-play time.
With 2:27 left in the period, BU’s Clara Yuhn scored to extend their lead to 2-0. At the end of the 40 minutes, the Terriers had amassed 25 shots on goal compared to the Huskies’ 10, leaving Northeastern searching for answers heading into the final period.
However, the Huskies seemed like a brand new team in the third, displaying a sense of urgency that was clearly not present earlier in the game. Within the first 90 seconds, Northeastern generated two solid scoring opportunities, and their previous laziness seemed to be forgotten.
Their offensive play improved significantly; by the middle of the period, Northeastern had nine shots on goal, compared to BU’s single attempt.
“I thought the third period was like night and day,” Carpenito said. “They know what we can do when we’re at our best and they know how ugly it can be if we’re not.”
The Huskies’ persistence paid off with 5:50 remaining in the third period when Blackmore scored, cutting BU’s lead to 2-1. Just over a minute later, fellow sophomore Allie Lalonde tied the game at 2-2. The final minutes were an intense puck grab, but neither team could score, sending the game into overtime.
Overtime began with Northeastern on the attack, dominating the first two minutes. Despite a couple of strong chances, though, the Huskies just couldn’t replicate their third period result. Freshman Morgan Jackson came through with a breakaway, but was unable to seal the deal, relenting the puck back to the Terriers. With just 30 seconds remaining, BU forward Alex Law scored the game-winning shot, sealing a 3-2 victory for the Terriers.
“Collectively, we could’ve cleaned up our passing a little bit,” Carpenito said. “We sat back a little more than we should’ve.”
While the Huskies showed resilience in their third-period rally, BU’s early dominance and timely scoring ultimately sealed their win.
Northeastern will be back in action Friday when they travel to Orono to take on Maine. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.