Trailing 4-0 late in the first period, the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team ran off four straight goals to gain a well earned 4-4 tie at 10th-ranked Boston College on Sunday afternoon at Kelley Rink in Chestnut Hill, MA.
Boston College, which defeated Clarkson 2-0 in both teams official season-opener on Saturday, opened the scoring at 5:37 with Allie Thunstrom’s shorthanded goal, and added three more scores for a 4-0 advantage with 5:08 remaining in the opening stanza.
The Golden Knights began their rally early in the second period with a pair of goals 56 seconds apart. Freshman Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) scored her first collegiate goal at 3:05. Two of last year’s leading scorers, junior Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT) and sophomore Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) set up Clarkson’s first goal of the season. At 4:01, senior Marie-Jo Gaudet (Sherbrooke, QUE) connected off assists from Selina and freshman Gabrielle Kosziwka (Limehouse, ONT) for her 42nd career goal and 70th career point.
The Green and Gold continued to pressure and dominated in the third period, outshooting the Eagles 14-2, and forced the extra session with two more goals to tie the contest 4-4. Freshman Kali Gillanders (Kyle, SASK) knocked in a rebound off sophomore Daris Tendler's (Verwood, SASK) shot at 5:33, and just over six minutes later the Knights converted for their first power-play tally of the year to even the score. Clarkson’s captain, senior defenseman Kimberly McKenney (Smiths Falls, ONT) finished off Gillanders’ pass at 11:38 for a 5-on-3 power-play goal, the Knights’ first extra-man marker in 19 opportunities over the weekend.
The Knights out shot the Eagles 36-27. Sophomore Eve Grandmont-Berube (Drummondville, QUE) started in goal for Clarkson and posted 16 saves on 20 shots before leaving midway through the second period. Classmate Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY) played the final 31:25 of the game and turned aside all seven shots she faced to gain the tie.
Clarkson was 1-of-9 on the power play, while killing off four of five Boston College man-advantage opportunities.
The Golden Knights, ranked 12th in the USA Today/USA Hockey magazine preseason poll, are off this coming weekend before returning to play with another trip to New England to face Boston University on Saturday, October 18 and the University of New Hampshire on Sunday, October 19.
