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Skylar Irving, Northeastern women too good in Beanpot final to lose to Boston University
Leading scorer Skylar Irving helped lift the the Huskies over the Terriers with a game-winning shot in overtime.
After going four games without a goal, Northeastern leading scorer Skylar Irving was more than due.
She picked the perfect time to end the drought.
The Kingston native scored both goals, including the winner 27 seconds into overtime, to earn the Huskies a second consecutive Beanpot with a 2-1 victory over Boston University in the first-ever women’s college hockey game played at TD Garden.
Northeastern goalie Gwyneth Philips made 23 saves in the victory.
Trailing late in the third period, BU pulled goalie Callie Shanahan for the extra attacker with 3:04 remaining. After surviving two empty-net attempts by the Huskies, the Terriers tied the game with 58.1 seconds left in regulation on a goal from Catherine Foulem.
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The first period showcased quick and chaotic play, with both teams playing well in transition. BU tried to take advantage two power plays in the opening frame, but Northeastern (16-9-1) killed off both.
The Huskies came out of the first intermission with momentum. Two minutes into the second, Mia Langlois sent what looked to be a sure goal toward the net, but the bid rang the post and Shanahan smothered the puck.
Minutes later, it was BU’s turn for a near miss, as a Sydney Healey shot stopped just short of the goal line.
The Terriers (11-11-3) controlled possession in the later portion of the middle period, but after Northeastern killed off a rare penalty on Philips, it took control of the puck. With 33 seconds left in the frame, Irving sent a slapper past Shanahan for a 1-0 lead heading into the second intermission.
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In the consolation game, Harvard upset Boston College with a shootout victory after a 2-2 tie.
The Eagles’ Sidney Fess earned the honor of scoring the first ever Beanpot tournament goal at TD Garden. Her snipe off a pass from Molly Jordan got BC (13-7-5) on the board with three minutes left in the first period.
The Crimson (4-15-2) outshot the Eagles in the first, and that trend continued in the second. At the 10:22 point of the frame, Eva Dorr picked up a Brooke Manning rebound and put it past goalie Grace Campbell to tie the game.
Sophie Ensley streamed up ice on a shorthanded breakaway to give the Crimson a 2-1 lead halfway through the third period. BC struggled with penalties in the period, taking three of its six during the frame.
But with 1:56 left, the Eagles knotted the game off a goal by leading scorer Sammy Taber. BC then went to overtime for the third time in four games.
Davidson, in only her second start for the Crimson, stood tall in overtime to make nine of her 39 saves. In the shootout, Gabi Davidson Adams scored in the fourth round to give Harvard the win.
The Women’s Beanpot Hall of Fame inducted four members at the first intermission of the championship game. Three former Beanpot MVPs — Boston College’s Taylor Wasylk, Northeastern’s Shelley Looney, and Harvard’s Sandra Whyte-Sweeney — were among the inductees. Looney and Whyte-Sweeney were also members of the 1998 US team that won the first Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey.
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Corinne Schroeder, who backstopped BU to its first Beanpot championship in 2018, was the fourth inductee. Currently the starting goaltender for PWHL New York, she leads the new league with a .949 save percentage.
“This tournament is such an incredible showcase of talent and rivalry within Boston and I will forever remember every single Beanpot game that I was a part of,” said Schroeder earlier in the week.
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