Lonergan, Miano Key Semester-Closing Win

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Caitrin Lonergan spurred a three-goal outburst in the second period to help the No. 2 Boston College women's hockey team overcome a two-goal deficit and earn a 4-2 win over Merrimack at Lawler Rink on Saturday afternoon.

After a scoreless first period, Paige Voight and Mikyla Grant-Mentis posted Merrimack (6-12-3, 1-8-2 HEA) a two-goal lead midway through the second period. But then Lonergan's efforts helped turn the tables for Boston College (15-1-3, 9-0-3 HEA). She factored in the Eagles' next three goals in a four-minute, three-second span.

At 13:46, Lonergan spurred Daryl Watts' power-play goal, setting her up from behind the goal. Just over two minutes later, she worked on the boards behind the net and set up the play leading to Toni Ann Miano's game-tying goal. Less than two minutes after that, she took Miano's shorthanded pass out of the zone and scored on a breakaway to claim the lead for the Eagles. Makenna Newkirk added a power-play goal in the third period to round out the scoring.

BC out-shot Merrimack 38-24 in the game. Katie Burt made 22 saves in the win – her 106th of her career. Merrimack's Samantha Ridgewell stopped 32 shots in the loss.

Boston College now enters college hockey's traditional winter break, which brings them through the new year. The team returns to the ice on Tuesday, Jan. 2, when they face Merrimack for the third time in a row. Faceoff is set for 4 p.m. at the Warriors' Lawler Rink in North Andover.

No. 2 Boston College 4, Merrimack 2
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.

HOW IT HAPPENED

2nd, 2:35 | MC GOAL, 0-1 – Paige Voight created the turnover in front of the penalty box as a BC penalty expired, and she keyed a break in. She got around the BC defenders skating back and got a shot off – which was saved by Katie Burt – but she picked up the rebound off the boards and put in a wrap-around shot for the Warrior lead.
2nd, 10:35 | MC GOAL, 0-2 – Katelyn Rae picked up the rebound of a centering pass off to Merrimack goaltender Samantha Ridgewell's right and skated up ice, gaining Mikyla Grant-Mentis behind her. Once she gained the blue line, she laid a drop-pass for Grant-Mentis, who used the screen in front to beat Burt and put the Warriors up 2-0.
2nd, 13:46 | BC GOAL, 1-2 (PPG) – With the Eagles on the power-play, Grace Bizal pushed a pass ahead in her own zone to Lonergan, who skated through the Merrimack defense down the left side and gained the Warriors' end. She pulled up behind the goal, drawing two defenders to her and allowing Daryl Watts to skate in off the half boards undefended. Lonergan pushed the quick pass ahead to Watts off the edge of the crease and she banged it in past Merrimack goaltender Samantha Ridgewell to pull BC with in one.
2nd, 15:58 | BC GOAL, 2-2 – Lonergan fought for the puck behind Ridgewell and connected with Delaney Belinskas at the bottom of the circle. Belinskas curled and centered for Miano between the tops of the circles, and her rising slapshot kicked in behind Ridgewell off the crossbar to pull BC even.
2nd, 17:49 | BC GOAL, 3-2 (SHG) – While killing a penalty, Lonergan defended at the point and disturbed a diagonal pass enough that allowed Miano to pluck it off at faceoff dot and push it up ahead for her as she turned and sprinted out of the zone. Lonergan beat a Merrimack defender at the red line and skated in one-on-one with Ridgewell, beating her with a backhand the edge of the crease.
3rd, 12:40 | BC GOAL, 4-2 (PPG) – On the power-play, Miano took a pass from Kent at the center point and then played Watts at the half boards. Watts put a centering pass into the crease, where Makenna Newkirk redirected it home to cap the Eagles' scoring.

GAME NOTES

Caitrin Lonergan noted three points (one goal, two assists) for her ninth game this season with three or more points
Lonergan tallied her second shorthanded goal of the season and the third of her career … she is now tied for 10th on the Eagles' career shorthanded goal chart
Lonergan also tied her career long point streak, recording a point in her ninth straight game … her previously set her long at the start of the season, posting at least one point in each of the first nine games to start the season … during this current run, Lonergan has at least one assist in each game
Toni Ann Miano recorded her first three-point effort of the season with her one-goal, two-assist afternoon … it was her fourth-career three-point game as she has notched one each of her four seasons at BC … her last three-point game came Nov. 12, 2016 (three assists)
With her goal today, Miano scored her eighth of the season and matched her single-season high which she set in 2015-16 as a sophomore
Miano's second-period goal was her 26th career goal, moving her into a tie for second place on the Eagles' defenseman goals chart, matching the totals of Megan Keller '19 and Blake Bolden '14 … Genevieve Missirlian '99 holds the record with 29 career goals
Miano also claimed sixth place on the Eagles' defenseman career assist chart as her own, breaking the tie with Missirlian with her 55th career assist on Lonergan's shorthanded goal in the second period
Daryl Watts notched her 15th multiple-point game of the season with her one-goal, one-assist day … her goal was her 22nd of the season and her nation-leading ninth power-play goal of the year
Makenna Newkirk's third-period power-play goal was her 15th career strike on the man-advantage … she moved into a tie for ninth place on the Eagles' career power-play chart, matching three other players' totals
The goal was also Newkirk's 10th goal of the season
Grace Bizal notched her sixth assist of the season with her set-up on Watts' goal
Delaney Belinskas registered her fifth assist of the year … five of her seven points have come in the last six games
Katie Burt recorded her 106th career win in goal … she is already second in the NCAA career record books and is now nine wins shy of the NCAA career wins record (114), which is held by Minnesota's Noora Raty '13
Today marked the sixth time this season BC scored at least two power-play goals in a game, and the second time in the last three games
Boston College moved to 14-0-0 when scoring four or more goals
The Eagles moved to 10-0-0 all-time against Merrimack, including a 4-0-0 mark at Lawler Rink
Lonergan's shorthanded goal was the Eagles' fifth against Merrimack in three seasons
Merrimack's two goals today marked the most BC has allowed the Warriors in the teams' 10-game series
BC is now unbeaten in its last nine games, the longest current run in women's D1 hockey ... the Eagles are 7-0-2 in that span

THREE STARS

Caitrin Lonergan, BC
Toni Ann Miano, BC
Mikyla Grant-Mentis, MC

TEAM RECORDS
Boston College: 15-1-3, 9-0-3 HEA
Merrimack: 6-12-3, 1-8-2 HEA

UP NEXT
Boston College now enters college hockey's traditional winter break, which brings them through the new year. The team returns to the ice on Tuesday, Jan. 2, when they face Merrimack for the third time in a row. Faceoff is set for 4 p.m. at the Warriors' Lawler Rink in North Andover.

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Team Stats

Caitrin Lonergan

Toni Ann Miano

Daryl Watts

Makenna Newkirk

Players Mentioned

Delaney Belinskas

Grace Bizal

Katie Burt

Megan Keller

Caitrin Lonergan

Toni Ann Miano

Makenna Newkirk

Daryl Watts

Players Mentioned

Delaney Belinskas

Grace Bizal

Katie Burt

Megan Keller

Caitrin Lonergan

Toni Ann Miano

Makenna Newkirk

Daryl Watts