Guckian Leads Saints Past BC

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, MA -- St. Lawrence University junior Marianna Locke broke a 1-1 tie at 3:10 of the third period with her eighth goal of the season and senior goaltender Meaghan Guckian posted a season-high 32 save performance as the No. 6/5 St. Lawrence University women's hockey team came from behind to knock off Boston College by the score of 3-1 in Chestnut Hill, MA on Thursday evening.

The Scarlet and Brown's victory opened the second half of the 2007-08 season in style, as the team moved to 14-5-0 (7-1-0). Despite a 36 save performance from goaltender Molly Schaus, the Eagles dropped to 7-6-3 overall on the year.

The two teams battled to a scoreless first period as Schaus and Guckian were on top of their games. Schaus turned away 15 St. Lawrence bids, while Guckian stopped all eight Boston College attempts she faced in the opening 20 minutes.

A mere 10 seconds into the second period, though, Boston College grabbed a 1-0 lead on Kelli Stack's ninth goal of the year. Maggie Taverna got the play started, as she hit a long outlet pass up ice to Debora Spillane. Spillane then relayed that pass across the ice to the far right post where Stack was waiting to finish the play and put the Eagles ahead 1-0.

The home team held their one-goal cushion for just under 11 minutes, as the Saints evened the score at 11:07 when senior Chelsea Grills converted a breakaway chance on Schaus. Junior Alison Domenico found Grills at center ice, and the Stittsville, Ontario native did the rest, pulling away from the defenders and scoring her tenth goal of the season. Grills' goal sent the two teams into the second intermission tied at 1-1.

Juniors Carson Duggan and Marianna Locke would work together to put St. Lawrence ahead 2-1 only 3:10 into the third period. After taking a pass from sophomore Courtney Sawchuk, Duggan wrapped around the goal and fed a perfect centering pass right on Locke's stick at the top of the goal mouth. The Brasher Falls , NY native snapped a shot past Schaus, and gave the Scarlet and Brown a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Trailing by a goal, Boston College took two costly minor hooking penalties only 10 seconds apart at 9:47 and 9:57 . St. Lawrence took advantage of the 5-on-3 chance, and added an insurance goal at 10:46 to take a 3-1 lead and cap game's scoring. With a scrum in front of the Eagles' net following a shot by Domenico, Guay corralled the loose puck and pushed it across the goal line for her first goal of 2007-08.

The two goal cushion was more than enough for Guckian, who played one of her best periods of the season in the final frame, stopping all 17 shots that came her way in the third. Her 32 save showing was a season high.

St. Lawrence finished with a 39-33 advantage in shots on goal, and was 1-for-5 on the power play to Boston College 's 0-for-4 mark. Guckian's win moved the senior to 11-5-0 on the season, while Schaus fell to 7-6-3 .

The Saints and Eagles will be in action again tomorrow, Friday, January 4, completing the non-conference series between the pair of 2007 NCAA Semifinalists. The puck will drop on the two squads at 4:00pm.