Amanda Boulier’s goal just 1:43 into the contest stood as the game-winner for St. Lawrence when the Saints bested the No. 5 Quinnipiac Bobcats Friday night.
Boulier’s goal came off a pass from Hannah Miller, and the quick strike allowed the Saints to gain momentum for the game.
“We had a ton of good positive energy going into the game and then we scored three shifts into the game, that was huge,” said Boulier. “It was a great pass by Hannah Miller coming out of the corner, I streaked down the slot and just one timed it.”
After Boulier’s goal, the Saints continued to dominate the possession of the puck, ending the first period with a 10-2 lead in shots.
The second period told a more even story. While the shots were 7-4 in favor of Quinnipiac, and both coaches admitted the period seemed more even, St. Lawrence managed to get a second goal late.
With 4:11 left on the clock in the middle frame, Boulier shuffled a pass to Megan Armstrong along the blue line. Her slap shot skipped low along the ice, allowing Jess Hon to tip it past Chelsea Laden for the 2-0 SLU lead. Saints coach Chris Wells cited this goal as an important factor in allowing his team to “play the way we wanted” in the third.
The third period started much the way the first period did. A mere eight seconds into the final frame, Jackie Wand found herself with the puck and a shooting lane in the left faceoff circle. Her wrist shot deflected off a defender’s shin pad and beat Laden, giving SLU the 3-0 lead. Laden was pulled in favor of Sydney Rossman, who made three saves on three shots in the final period.
Carmen MacDonald finished with 20 saves for the shutout, her third of the season.
With a goal and an assist in the win, Boulier has tallied eight points in the last six games, three of which were multi-point outings.
“She really creates a lot of enthusiasm and energy,” said Wells of his captain. “She’s gotten back to where she was before her injury after Christmas and has started to make a huge difference.”
Rick Seeley credited St. Lawrence’s work ethic in the game while criticizing his players’ inability to seize on a good opportunity.
“I thought St. Lawrence’s effort was great; they showed up for a huge game and we didn’t,” said Seeley. “The obvious negative from this game is when we show up thinking we’re good enough to win games without the effort. It’s quite clear we’re not.”
The effort Seeley mentioned has Boulier and the Saints climbing toward home ice in the ECAC playoffs, and the win against Quinnipiac helped, in the standings, and in SLU’s confidence.
“We can play with anyone,” said Boulier. “If we keep playing like this, its a good road ahead.”
