SCHAUS AND THUNSTROM LEAD BOSTON

COLLEGE PAST SAINTS, 5-2

Jan. 4: The No. 6/5 St. Lawrence University women’s hockey team was unable to sweep their opening series of 2008, as the Boston College Eagles defeated the Saints by the score of 5-2 in Chestnut Hill, MA on Friday evening. Boston College used a 53 save performance by Molly Schaus and a pair of goals from Allie Thunstrom to earn the upset.

The Saints (14-6-2, 7-1-0) allowed five goals for only the second time this season, as Meaghan Guckian struggled one night after her best performance of the season on Thursday night. Boston College scored five consecutive goals to earn a 5-1 lead, while Schaus was brilliant between the pipes to help her team improve to 8-6-3. The loss dropped the Scarlet and Brown to 7-3-1 all-time against the Eagles.

It was the visiting team that would jump on the board first, though, as junior forward Alison Domenico tallied her eighth goal of the season at 10:26 of the first period. With her team skating on the power play, senior Kerri Wallace fired a shot on Schaus, who couldn’t control the rebound. The opportunity allowed Domenico to put

St. Lawrence ahead 1-0.

Only 2:48 later, however, the Eagles tied the score at 1-1 on Thunstrom’s first of the game at 13:14. The home team used their power play chance efficiently, as Kelli Stack found Thunstrom on a cross-ice pass to beat Guckian and even the score to close the first period.

Though St. Lawrence would out-shoot their opponents 25-12 in the second period, it Boston College that would leave the ice after two periods with a 3-1 advantage. Katelyn Kurth put the Eagles ahead at 4:37 of the period as she collected a rebound in front and banged it behind Guckian, while Becky Zavisza notched her fourth of the season at 15:40 of the period to put her team on top 3-1. Lindsay Wright created the chance, as she fed a crisp pass to Zavisza who finished the play by beating Guckian.

St. Lawrence was not without their chances in the period, as they racked up 25 shots including ten on the power play. However, Schaus was up to the task, turning away each chance to protect her team’s two goal lead.

Knowing full well that St. Lawrence has one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, Boston College kept their foot on the gas pedal and poured on offense of their own to build their lead to 5-1 in the third period. Wright added her first goal of 2007-08 at 4:09 of the period after stealing the puck from a St. Lawrence defender in the face-off circle. Thunstrom then picked up the Eagles final goal of the night on the power play with a fantastic individual effort, beating both a defender and the goaltender for her seventh of the season at 6:01 of the third period.

Senior defenseman Annie Guay scored her second goal of the weekend at 11:09 on the power play to pull the Saints closer at 5-2. Fellow classmate Sabrina Harbec centered a perfect crossing pass in front of the net for Guay, who beat Schaus for her second goal of the season. The point for Harbec ended a season-long three game scoring drought.

However, the Saints would not get any closer as Schaus and the Eagles put the finishing touches on their signature win of the season thus far.

The two teams combined for 16 penalties on Friday night, and the Saints finished with a 55-34 advantage in shots on goal. Schaus earned the win with the 53-save night, improving to 8-6-3. Guckian suffered the loss having made 23 saves in 46:14 minutes, while sophomore Maxie Weisz stopped all six shots she faced in 13:46 minutes of action.

The Scarlet and Brown will now turn their attention back to ECAC Hockey play as they will play host to conference foes Harvard and Dartmouth next weekend in Appleton Arena. The puck will drop on the Saints and current-No. 3 Crimson on Friday, January 11 at 7:00pm.

GUCKIAN’S 32 SAVES LEAD SAINTS

PAST BOSTON COLLEGE, 3-1

Jan. 3: St. Lawrence University junior Marianna Locke broke a 1-1 tie at 3:10 of the third period with her eighth goal of the season and senior goaltender Meaghan Guckian posted a season-high 32 save performance as the No. 6/5 St. Lawrence University women’s hockey team came from behind to knock off Boston College by the score of 3-1 in Chestnut Hill, MA on Thursday evening.

The Scarlet and Brown’s victory opened the second half of the 2007-08 season in style, as the team moved to 14-5-0 (7-1-0). Despite a 36 save performance from goaltender Molly Schaus, the Eagles dropped to 7-6-3 overall on the year.

The two teams battled to a scoreless first period as Schaus and Guckian were on top of their games. Schaus turned away 15 St. Lawrence bids, while Guckian stopped all eight Boston College attempts she faced in the opening 20 minutes.

A mere 10 seconds into the second period, though, Boston College grabbed a 1-0 lead on Kelli Stack’s ninth goal of the year. Maggie Taverna got the play started, as she hit a long outlet pass up ice to Debora Spillane. Spillane then relayed that pass across the ice to the far right post where Stack was waiting to finish the play and put the Eagles ahead 1-0.

The home team held their one-goal cushion for just under 11 minutes, as the Saints evened the score at 11:07 when senior Chelsea Grills converted a breakaway chance on Schaus. Junior Alison Domenico found Grills at center ice, and the Stittsville, Ontario native did the rest, pulling away from the defenders and scoring her tenth goal of the season. Grills’ goal sent the two teams into the second intermission tied at 1-1.

Juniors Carson Duggan and Marianna Locke would work together to put St. Lawrence ahead 2-1 only 3:10 into the third period. After taking a pass from sophomore Courtney Sawchuk, Duggan wrapped around the goal and fed a perfect centering pass right on Locke’s stick at the top of the goal mouth. The Brasher Falls , NY native snapped a shot past Schaus, and gave the Scarlet and Brown a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Trailing by a goal, Boston College took two costly minor hooking penalties only 10 seconds apart at 9:47 and 9:57 . St. Lawrence took advantage of the 5-on-3 chance, and added an insurance goal at 10:46 to take a 3-1 lead and cap game’s scoring. With a scrum in front of the Eagles’ net following a shot by Domenico, Guay corralled the loose puck and pushed it across the goal line for her first goal of 2007-08.

The two goal cushion was more than enough for Guckian, who played one of her best periods of the season in the final frame, stopping all 17 shots that came her way in the third. Her 32 save showing was a season high.

St. Lawrence finished with a 39-33 advantage in shots on goal, and was 1-for-5 on the power play to Boston College ’s 0-for-4 mark. Guckian’s win moved the senior to 11-5-0 on the season, while Schaus fell to 7-6-3 .

The Saints and Eagles will be in action again tomorrow, Friday, January 4, completing the non-conference series between the pair of 2007 NCAA Semifinalists. The puck will drop on the two squads at 4:00pm.