BC falls in final seconds
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Boston College goalie Katie Burt was almost perfect last night. Unfortunately for the Eagles, they needed perfection.
Melissa Channell’s goal with 16.2 seconds left in regulation broke a scoreless tie and lifted No.1 Wisconsin to a 1-0 victory over the No. 4 Eagles in a Division 1 national semifinal at Family Arena.
Burt made the first 34 saves that came her way, but couldn’t see the last shot off Channell’s stick through traffic in front.
“She’s an unbelievable goaltender,” BC coach Katie Crowley said of Burt. “I think you can put her up there with some of the best who have played the college game. Especially in big games like this.”
Boston College (28-75) fell to 0-16-0 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams, while the Badgers (34-2-4) improved to 6-0-0 all-time against the Eagles.
“I thought that was an unbelievable hockey game,” Crowley said. “I’m so proud of the way my hockey team played for 60 minutes. Easily they could have come into this game afraid. That’s the No. 1 team, they’ve only lost two games, and we’re not supposed to be here and they responded so well.”
It was just the third goal of the season for Channell, a defensive-minded defenseman, but it was the biggest of her career.
“In all honesty, I was blacking out,” Channell said. “I think Annie (Pankowski) passed it back to me and I just took a shot. I wasn’t really aiming, I was just trying to hit the net, trying to create a rebound or something, but I guess it hit the corner so it was kind of a lucky shot.”
Wisconsin goalie AnnRenee Desbiens (22 saves) stopped several early BC chances, including two by Hayley McLean and a power-play slap shot from Megan Keller. The Eagles outshot the Badgers 12-5 in the opening period.
Burt made a pair of sprawling saves on a Wisconsin power play early in the second period, including a slick stick save to keep a Badgers rebound attempt out of the net.
Makenna Newkirk almost gave the Eagles the lead midway through period the off a rare Desbiens miscue. The goalie went to play the puck and her pass deflected off the post and went right to Newkirk, but her backhand went wide of the open net.
Early in the third, BC’s Andie Anastos came up with a diving poke check to knock the puck away from Presley Norby, who would have been all alone in the slot.
Burt turned away wave after wave of Wisconsin pressure in the third as the Badgers outshot the Eagles 31-10 in the final two periods, until Channell finally broke through.
“I know a lot of people didn’t think that we were going to be here, but it was in all of our minds that we were meant to be here,” Keller said. “We earned this. We played with a lot of heart and I think it showed, and it was a pretty special team this year.”