Terrier Women 3-Peat As Hockey East Champs; earn NCAA bid

The BU women's hockey team rallied for two third period goals and defeated Boston College, 3-2, in the Hockey East Championship Game in Hyannis, Mass. For the second day in a row, freshman Maddie Elia (photo) scored the game-winner for BU. Senior captain Louise Warren had tied the score on a power play goal early in the third. Rebecca Russo scored in the first period. Senior goalie Kerrin Sperry stopped 42 Eagle shots including all 18 in a furious final period.  

After BC had taken an early lead on on a deflected slapshot, Russo took a pass from Shannon Stoneburgh in center ice, powered into the offensive zone and rifled a shot past BC's goalie. The Eagles regained the lead in the final minute of the first period, converting a rebound.

Neither team could get on the board in the middle period, but the Terriers took advantage of a power play to knot the score early in the third. Senior defenseman Kaleigh Fratkin's slap pass found Warren to left of the goal and she rapped home her 27th of the season. Then with just over eight minutes remaining Elia grabbed possession of the puck on the left side of the BC net, quickly circled around it for a wrap-around goal to give BU its first lead of the game and the only one it would need. 

Sperry, who barred the door the rest of the way, earned tournament MVP honors for the second year in a row.  BU's all-time leader in wins and Hockey East tournament wins has a 1.444 GAA in the nine tournament games during the Terriers' three Hockey East Championship runs.

Fratkin, a first-team Hockey East all-star, assisted on three of BU's six goals in the semifinal and final, giving her a 4-26-30 scoring line. She, along with Warren, Russo and Sperry were named to the all-tournament team.

With the conference title comes an auto-bid to the NCAA tournament. BU will make its fifth consecutive trip to the NCAAs.

●  GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score