BOSTON, Mass. – Maine women's ice hockey improved their unbeaten streak to eight games this season after sweeping Boston University (7-12-4, 3-9-3 WHEA) in a two-game series at the Walter Brown Arena. The Black Bears (14-6-3, 8-3-2 WHEA) grabbed a 3-2 win against the Terriers on Sunday afternoon after Tereza Vanisova scored a pair of goals and Jessica Jacques snuck in the game-winner.
 
Breaking down the ice Michelle Weis looked to angle a shot towards the near post, but was held off just long enough by the Terrier's defense for Erin O'Neil to swat away the shot with ease leaving a free puck centered in front of the crease. Vanisova followed up on the play with direct precision; she tipped the puck just enough to sneak above O'Neil's pads while just under her open glove. The Black Bears had a 1-0 advantage 8:01 into the opening frame.  
 
With 5:49 left on the clock in the first, Nara Elia capitalized on a two-on-one attack with Jesse Compher. Compher whipped the puck across right in front of the last defender guarding Carly Jackson in net, and with one swift motion, Elia fired it into the back of the net before Jackson could react enough to switch angles. With help from Deziray De Sousa dishing the puck out of Boston University's defensive end, the Terriers had tied up the game, 1-1.
 
Under one minute later, the Black Bears retaliated, taking back claim of the lead, 2-1, with 4:26 remaining in the first. After an impressive save by Jackson, Vendula Pribylova waited patiently to clear the puck up the ice looking for an open teammate and finding just that. Seeing a clear slot directly through all five Terriers on the ice, Pribylova connected a perfect pass to Vanisova already on the move towards net leaving her all alone with O'Neil. The Black Bear's leading scorer hit the top shelf without hesitation, for her 12th goal of the season.
 
Extending Maine's lead to 3-1, Jacques put away her fourth goal of the season on a hard slap shot from the corner ice, with just enough momentum behind it to leave O'Neil juggling the puck between her body and the near post. Daria Tereshkina and Ebba Strandberg earned assists starting off the play with under four minutes of action remaining before the second intermission.
 
With just over five minutes remaining in regulation, Compher sweeps the puck down the edge of the ice deking out two Maine defenders on her path towards net. She pushes the puck purposefully into the bustle on the crease where two of her teammates looked to get a piece of it. Unfortunately for the Black Bears, the puck tipped off one of their own defenders over Jackson, dropping in just under the crossbar to cut deficit to one goal for the Terriers, 3-2.
 
Maine shut down five more shots by Boston University to close out the final period for the 3-2 win. Throughout the match both teams displayed a strong defense willing to step in front of countless shots to protect their goaltenders and nets, with the Black Bears tallying 18 blocks to the Terriers' 15. In between the pipes, both O'Neil and Jackson faced a similar number of shots, shutting down 24 apiece.  
 
Coming up on the Maine women's ice hockey schedule are three back-to-back games against Merrimack College, starting off with a single match on the road next Saturday, Jan. 13 in North Andover, Mass. Puck will be dropped at 2:00 p.m.
 
-UMaine-