End of the Run

Your Northeastern Huskies ended their underdog run at the Toscana Family Ice Arena yesterday afternoon, falling 3-2 in overtime to crosstown rival Boston University in the Hockey East Championship game. This was a tough one to swallow as this year’s Husky squad seemed to have the mojo, the swagger, the “je ne sais quoi” for another NCAA tourney appearance.

Unfortunately, BU won the 5th matchup between the teams this season (going into this matchup both teams had 2 wins/2 losses against each other), which basically makes my argument that this game should be at the very least a 3 game series. How great would that be? One can only imagine and hope for that change in the future.

This game was the Huskies 9th straight appearance in the Hockey East Championship game (6-3 over that run) while BU made their first appearance since 2016. NU took the ice in their Championship Red sweaters while BU rocked their iconic White and Red.

The lineup was the same as the win over UConn, with some slight player movement amongst the forward lines. In net was Lisa Jönsson for the Huskies while Callie Shanahan manned the pipes for the Terriers. Jönsson is setting up for a nice long run as the starting goalie for the Huskies, but I’d be remiss to not give some stick taps for Shanahan who leaves Comm Ave with solid career numbers at 2.23GAA and a .917%SV.

The pace was frenetic to open play as the sides both had good opportunities, but it was BU that got on the scoreboard first. Tamara Giaquinto punched home a beauty of a cross-crease pass from Lilli Welcke from the inside of the LW circle. Jönsson slid across with the pass but she was just a tick behind the puck. 1-0 Terriers and the heavy BU crowd showed their approval.

That score held until nearly the 13 minute mark when Lily Shannon tied things up. Éloïse Caron corralled the puck in the LW corner and shoveled the puck to Shannon behind the net. Jules Constantinople was walking down the left side of the slot and Shannon laid the puck to her to put on net. Constantinople’s shot was denied with a right leg save by Callahan but the puck found Shannon moving net front and she’s not missing from there. Tie game.

The sides retired for the first intermission with the score unchanged and the tension was building. BU came out with more jump to open the middle frame as NU couldn’t get anything going. The Nailgun Line seemed to turn the tide after some great wallwork by the OG Lily Brazis and Taze Thompson deep in the BU zone. The game spun into a tight checking affair as neither squad could get long setup in the other’s zone, as this was much more of a defensive period with both goalies shutting the door.

Until Lily Shannon kicked it open. With less than 3mins to play, Shannon got her 2nd of the game on the power play. Tuva Kandell spun the puck down the LW wall to Shannon below the LW circle where she sauced the puck cross-ice to Allie Lalonde high at the RW circle. Lalonde caught the puck on her backhand and pivoted around the dot before finding Shannon back at the left post. A drop knee one timer and the Huskies have the lead.

In the 3rd, the Huskies opened up sloppy with numerous turnovers, and just when it looked as if they’d right the ship, BU cashed in. A turnover deep in the defensive zone bounded off the RW half wall and landed perfectly for Clara Yuhn to tie this one up. Her quick (albeit heavy) wrister from inside the LW circle beat Jönsson glove side. Great play by Maeve Kelly to keep the puck in at the blue line under duress. Once again tie game.

Despite some “interesting” penalty calls, neither side could take advantage of 5:4 play, 4:4 play, 4:3 play or even 5:5 play and the sides were headed to overtime. I mean we all knew this was going to OT right? Can I again make my plea to have the final be a best of 3?

In the extra period, NU had the early chances (3 by my count!) but as they failed to convert, you could feel it slipping away. Ask my friend Judy, I almost called it perfectly, but The Hockey Gods show no favorites at neutral site games. Or maybe I should have been nicer to the Rhett the BU mascot when he come over to me in the 2nd period?

With just shy of 5mins played in the extra period, Sydney Healey called game. Maeve Kelly carried into the NU zone and found Lilli Welcke in the slot who put the puck on net. Jönsson made the initial save but the puck slipped to Healey on the net drive and she tucked it home. Game over.

The Huskies fought all the way to the end, but BU was relentless in puck pursuit all game and ended up with the slight edge in zone time and face-offs. It was a great game and congrats to the Terriers.

Some observations from around the rink:

• Goalie U will continue. Even with Paige Taborski moving on, Lisa Jönsson and Mattie Robitzer will be holding down the goalie room. The future looks bright.
• How great is it that we get to enjoy watching Jaden Bogden do her Tasmanian Devil imitation on the forecheck for another year? I’ve admired her game more and more as this season has progressed. The combo of Bogden, Ella Blackmore and Allie Lalonde were dynamic in all phases of the game tonight – The Blonde Ambition Line. Ask your parents about that reference, we’re talking 90’s Madonna.
• Tory Mariano was eating pucks all night, especially on the PK late. What a beauty.
• Lily Brazis, Taze Thompson and Morgan Jackson were tide turners every shift out there. Their combined hockey sense and ability to hunt the puck were unmatched last night. I know Thompson is leaving, but Ms. Jackson and the OG Nailgun should be eating up minutes next season. And I’m talking tough minutes, these ladies were all, well… nailguns along the wall last night.
• Lily Shannon smashed the Beast Mode button yesterday. Just a truly dominant performance from her line. Out there with The Mayor of Kingston: Skylar Irving and Éloïse Caron this top line backed the BU defenders waaaaaay off the puck tonight but just needed that one more bounce to have a different outcome. These 3 all left everything out there and it was great to see Skirvs greet every player as they headed off the ice.
• I’m going to miss Lily Yovetich. That’s it. That’s my observation.
• The Munchkin Line: What absolute beauties. Ellie Mabardy, Katie Davis and MF Holly Abela were tone-setters, pace-pushers and flat out players yesterday. Talk about doing all the little things right and all the dirty work with no fanfare. Great stuff from these 3, and don’t think I forgot about Molly Griffin! She’s an honorary Munchkin, can fill in perfectly on the Blonde Ambition Line and has enough jam to roll with the Nailgun Line too. Just a great Swiss Army knife of a player.
• Jules Constantinople, Kristina Allard and Rylie Jones can all flat out fly. I’d like to be able to skate like one of them for like maybe a week of my life. I would be jumping into every single beer league I could and just walk people left and right. If any of you are staying local this summer that want to hold an edge work clinic for a bunch of broken down old beer-leaguers please reach out.
• And lastly, but certainly not least: The towering Swedish sisters from different misters: Tuva Kandell and Lisa Jönsson. These 2 as lynchpins of the back end for the next 3 years? Yes please. And don’t forget a healthy Tristan Thompson back there with them blotting out the sun for all opposing forwards.
• I keep a steno notebook, usually it’s one per season where I scribble my notes down before putting them into a blog or a post. I then tear out the used pages and toss them so it’s a clean start for every game: This season the notebook lasted until the final game, an empty husk at the end of the run. Much like the team, it had nothing left to give.

It will be tough to say goodbye to these seniors (and grad students), but I’m going to try with a post later this week once all the feels have settled down. Coach Carp will tell you, I’m a big old softy at the end of every season.

In the meantime, keep an eye/ear out for Breaking The Glass Hockey Podcast where myself, Linda Lundrigan and Kelly Dyer Hayes will be talking women’s hockey: PWHL, NCAA, IIHF, Olympics if there’s women playing, we’ll be doing our best to cover it. You can follow on all social media platforms @BTGHockeyPod and look for us on all your podcast platforms.

Thanks for all your support over the season and we’ll see you at Historic Matthews Arena in the fall (or maybe at the golf tourney?). Until then, let’s go Fleet!

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