Ranked fourth in the nation, the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team proved it is a force to be reckoned with after a pair of convincing victories over two Top-10 ranked teams at Cheel Arena over the weekend. The Golden Knights improved their home record to 5-0-1 after overwhelming 9th-ranked Boston University 7-2 before 366 fans on Saturday afternoon. The Green and Gold soundly defeated third-ranked University of New Hampshire 6-2 on Friday night.
At 6-1-1 overall, Clarkson rolls into ECAC Hockey play on Tuesday night when it hosts archrival, 6th-ranked St. Lawrence University in a 7:00 p.m. game in Potsdam.
The Knights did not display any letdown after Friday night’s big win over UNH as they dominated Boston University (2-1-4) in the first period, out shooting the Terriers 12-4 en route to a 3-0 lead before the stanza was 10 minutes old. Clarkson made the most of its two power-play opportunities in the opening stanza to build the convincing advantage.
Sophomore Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) started the scoring with her third goal of the weekend and eighth of the season. Just 49 seconds into the first man-advantage opportunity, Baribeau finished off a pass from senior Dominique Thibault (L’Original, ONT) with a shot from the top of the left circle that found its way through traffic in front at 2:43. At 7:31, Thibault banked in a wraparound shot off the BU goaltender’s skate, just 20 seconds into the second power play. Senior captain Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT) and junior Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) assisted.
Thibault scored again at 9:17 for her fifth goal of the year, with classmate Genevieve Lavoie (Delson, QUE) recording the assist.
As good as the opening 20 minutes was for the Knights, the second period might have been even better as Clarkson outscored BU 4-1 in the frame with three players recording their first goals of the season.
The Green and Gold came out strong to start the second as sophomore Brittany Mulligan (London, ONT) scored unassisted at 1:49, knocking in her own rebound for her first tally of the season. The Terriers got on the scoreboard with a power-play goal by Jenelle Kohanchuk at 8:49, but the Knights roared right back with three straight scores for a commanding 7-1 lead through 40 minutes.
Just eight seconds after BU’s goal, Waldie won the ensuing faceoff, beat a Terrier defender at the blueline and fired in her seventh goal of the season. Senior defender Carlee Eusepi (Oakville, ONT) connected for her first goal of the year, a power-play marker at 11:07 off an assist from Selina. Senior blueliner Tegan Schroeder (Lumsden, SASK) also scored her first of the year at 15:33 with Eusepi and Selina assisting.
Jillian Kirchner scored the Terriers’ second goal at 1:6 of the third period, but Clarkson, behind another solid effort from junior goaltender Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY), shut down BU the rest of the way to finish off a stellar weekend.
Clarkson out shot Boston University 30-21 with Dahm posting 19 saves. Both teams had five power-play opportunities with Clarkson connecting for three man-advantage goals and killing off four of the Terriers’ chances.
