PROVIDENCE, R.I. – On a day when senior goaltender Katie Burt claimed the NCAA career wins record as her own and the team won its fifth-straight Hockey East regular-season title, the No. 3 Boston College women’s hockey team topped No. 10 Providence, 3-2, on the road at Schneider Arena to set up the milestone occasions.
Freshman Daryl Watts – the nation’s leading scorer – potted two goals, including the game-winning power-play goal with less than 3:30 left in the game, to secure the win.
Burt made 29 saves, including 15 in the second period, to earn her 115th career victory and move into sole possession of first place on the NCAA’s career wins list, breaking the tie at 114 with former Minnesota goaltender Noora Raty ’13.
The win also moved the Eagles far enough ahead in the Hockey East standings – with 37 points in 21 games – that Boston College (24-2-3, 17-1-3 HEA) secured its fifth regular-season conference title in as many years. BC will now be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Hockey East Tournament. Providence (14-9-6, 10-5-4 HEA) sits in second with 24 points through 19 games.
After a scoreless first period, Caitrin Lonergan put BC on the board with a power-play goal at 1:48 of the second, before Watts notched a shorthanded goal at 4:28 to stake the Eagles to a 2-0 lead going into the second intermission.
Providence cut into the lead just :17 into the third period through Christina Putigna’s shorthanded goal, and then Chloe Gonsalves pulled the Friars even with a power-play goal at 9:58.
Watts’ second goal of the game – on BC’s sixth power-play opportunity of the night – put BC ahead. The Eagles withstood a Providence 6-on-4 almost immediately after Watts’ goal before closing the game on its own power play after PC’s Brooke Boquist was whistled for her fourth penalty of the night at 18:22 and also received a game misconduct penalty simultaneously, ending her night early.
Midway through the second period, Burt also set the Hockey East goaltender record for career minutes played in conference games … she has now played 4702:14 in her Hockey East career, passing former Eagles goaltender Molly Schaus ’11, who played 4673:19 conference minutes in her career to hold the last record.
Boston College returns to the ice next on Tuesday, Feb. 6, when the Eagles host Northeastern in the first round of the 40th Women’s Beanpot at Kelley Rink. Faceoff for the BC-NU game is set for 8 p.m., while Boston University and Harvard will meet in the first game at 5 p.m. All games of the 2018 Women’s Beanpot will be played at the Eagles’ Kelley Rink. Tournament and ticket information is available at womensbeanpot.com.