Northeastern Earns Dramatic Win Over BU in Women’s Beanpot Opener

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Feb 2, 2010

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Northeastern women’s hockey team qualified for its first Beanpot final since 2004 in dramatic fashion on Tuesday, earning the Beanpot's first-ever shootout victory, 4-4 (2-0 in the shootout) over Boston University.

Rachel Llanes and Alyssa Wohlfeiler were the heroes for the Huskies on Tuesday night at Harvard’s Bright Center as NU went up 4-0 early. But the Terriers didn’t go down without a fight, clawing back to tie the game in the third and send it to overtime. Llanes and Wohlfeiler scored in the shootout while goaltender Leah Sulyma (31 saves) stopped both BU shots to lead Northeastern back to the title game, where they’ll hope to improve on their record 14 women’s Beanpot titles. 

Northeastern got on the board less than three minutes into the first on an unassisted goal by freshman Kelly Wallace. Llanes would strike shortly thereafter on another unassisted goal at 10:36, her sixth of the season. NU duo Annie Hogan and Brittany Esposito would add to the Huskies’ lead and assist on each other’s goals. Hogan picked up her seventh of the season 16:14 into the first, and Esposito picked up her eighth early in the second.

Just as quickly as NU scored its four straight, BU’s offense came rapidly to life midway through the second. Holly Lorms sparked the Terriers as she took a centering pass from Laurel Koller and buried her fifth of the season to put the Terriers on the board before the end of the period.

Lauren Cherewyk and Lorms started BU off strong in the third as they scored the team’s second and third goals within the first 3:31 of play. Cherewyk picked up her seventh at 2:58 with an assist from Melissa Anderson and Lorms put away her second of the night just 33 seconds later with Jill Cardella collecting the helper. Anderson would step up for the Terriers at 10:38 to tie the game as Cardella picked up her second assist of the night.

Five minutes of scoreless overtime play forced an overtime shootout. In the shootout, Llanes and Wohlfeiler were both able to find the back of the net while Sulyma shut the door on BU.

Melissa Haber and Alissa Fromkin split time in net for BU and stopped 13 and 21 shots, respectively.

This is the first time Northeastern has made it to the Beanpot final in six years. It has been 12 years since the team has prevailed as champions.

The Huskies are now riding a seven-game winning streak — their longest streak of the year — and will face Harvard — which topped Boston College 5-0 — in the final next Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. They will be able to gear up for the championship, though, as they host Providence College on Saturday, Feb. 6, at Matthews Arena.

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