BC's "Overlooked" Breakout Star

October kicked off the women's hockey season with some hard-hitting storylines. The Boston College roster was devoid of Megan Keller and Kali Flanagan as they joined Team USA for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. A third active Eagle defenseman, freshman Cayla Barnes, withdrew after five games for the same reason.

Despite the shifting roster, BC continued to roll. It averaged over four goals per game, doing so six times in seven games en route to a 6-0-1 month. And while the emergence of freshman Daryl Watts as the AHCA National Player and Rookie of the Month has been electrifying, sophomore Caitrin Lonergan has been every bit as good.

"Our team is doing extremely well," Lonergan said. "In every game, (goaltender) Katie Burt has been doing well, and she's kept us in a position where we can be ahead late in games. The defense is really stepping up after our teammates left for the Olympics, and everyone's really been playing phenomenal."

Lonergan's emergence has the Eagles well-positioned through its first seven games. BC's second-line center, she skates with two freshmen in Watts and Willow Corson. The three skaters have 19 of the Eagles' 29 goals and over half of the 85 points already amassed.

As Watts and Corson have made their names in college hockey, Lonergan - who's started the season in stunning fashion herself - has been a bit overlooked. It's a unique situation to say that the nation's second-leading scorer is overlooked, but yet, that's what's been happening.

Watts sits atop the team's scoresheet with 21 points, but Lonergan is just three behind her with 18 points (seven goals and 11 assists) and a 12 rating. She ranks second nationally in points and points per game, and is tied for third in the nation in assists.

In addition, Lonergan is one of three skaters, with both Watts and Makenna Newkirk, with a point in each game this season. She has multiple-point games in six of seven games this year, held to only one point with an assist in the 2-2 tie against UConn. She responded by scoring a hat trick - and factoring on all four BC goals - at Vermont two days later.

"All of our goals come from each other," Lonergan said. "That's really special to say. I know that when I'm on the ice, both Daryl and Willow know where I'm going to be and vice-versa. When we get the pucks on our sticks, it's really unique because we can pass into breakaways for that jump."

There are two ways to look at the sophomore's breakout.

On one hand, Lonergan earned Hockey East All-Rookie honors after scoring 33 points last year. She tied for the team lead among freshmen but played in two fewer games than Delaney Belinskas, tying for the team overall lead with 141 shots on goal.

On the other hand, Lonergan is enjoying a massive breakout because she's healthy after playing through a back injury last season.

"I had the ongoing injury after Christmas break last season," she said. "It set me back but I spent the offseason and summer really focusing on recovery on my back. It taught me to do things more in little steps. I'm fully healthy now, and I feel great. I'm able to use more speed, and I have more explosiveness because I have a full first jump. That quickness can really help with one-on-one battles because I can get that step, and it's something that playing with Daryl and Willow really helps me get."

It's the type of cohesion and chemistry that makes BC's line fully dynamic. The forward lines can anchor the lineup while the defense is in transition. Considering how good the defense plays in general, it shows just how high the ceiling can go for the team's potential even in the wake of losing key players.

"Everyone on the team knows their roles," Lonergan said. "Every line has goal scorers, and our defense is full of offensive-minded skaters. Look at our top pairing with Toni (Ann Miano) and Serena Sommerfield and it shows just how good we are."

BC now heads into a clutch weekend with a fast-developing roster of skilled players. Ranked No. 2 in the USCHO national poll, it will play No. 9 Providence on Friday afternoon at Kelley Rink. It's the first meeting of the year in an evenly-matched rivalry. Hockey East launched in 2002-03, and BC holds an eight-win edge with a 26-18-3 record. But Providence leads the all-time series with a 36-31-3 record and beat BC last February in the Ocean State.

It's the first time the teams have met while both ranked since 2011.

"Our team wants this challenge because we know Providence competes well," Lonergan said. "Playing teams to start the year like Minnesota Duluth and Quinnipiac made us better and prepared us for games against ranked teams. We know we're not going to change too much about our team, and we're working every day in practice to get better."

The Eagles and Friars drop the puck at 2 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN3.

Players Mentioned

Cayla Barnes

Delaney Belinskas

Katie Burt

Willow Corson

Kali Flanagan

Megan Keller

Caitrin Lonergan

Makenna Newkirk

Serena Sommerfield

Daryl Watts

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