Top-ranked in the country heading into the tournament, Wisconsin knew their road through the Frozen Four wouldn’t be easy and Boston College made sure of it. After a 7-0 victory over Robert Morris to reach St. Charles, Mo., the Badgers ran into a stingy Eagles team and, in particular, a spectacular goaltender in Katie Burt.
It took until the final seconds for Wisconsin to gain an edge on the scoreboard. That’s when Mellissa Channell sent a drive onto the BC goal, where the 38th shot eluded Burt to give the Badgers the victory with just seventeen second left in regulation.
Early in the game, Wisconsin started strong with pressure on the BC net, but the Eagles kept the Badgers on the perimeter, never letting them get, but one shot on goal in the first twelve minutes.
Delane Beliskas had the Eagles’ first chance with a drive down the wing at the 2:30 mark. It began a first period in which Wisconsin goaltender Ann-Ren Desbiens was busy and needed to be sharp. Not long after that opening chance, a two-on-one play nearly hit the mark for the Eagles, but Desbiens steered it aside. In the first six minutes, the Eagles led in shots 8 to 1.
At 7:20, Wisconsin’s Jenny Ryan was called for the game’s first penalty, a slash, putting the Eagles on the power play. While the Eagles landed two shots on net, not one hit twine, but midway through the opening frame, BC extended their lead on shots 11 to 1.
It wasn’t until 12:15 of the period that Wisconsin registered their second shot, this, their best chance at that point when Sarah Nurse had a centering pass deflect off her stick and away from the net. 
In finally applying pressure in the BC zone, the Eagles’ Megan Keller was called for body checking (not allowed in the women’s game), putting the Badgers on the power play. 
With the extra skater, Wisconsin’s best chance came when Jenny Ryan slid a pass to Sydney McKibbon, whose tip just went wide. This was followed by a glorious chance from Alexis Mauermann, but all were turned aside by BC goaltender Katie Burt.
The teams traded penalties late in the period, but neither resulted in any sustained scoring chance. BC ended the period with a lead in shots 12 to 5.
With penalties expiring just after the start of the second period, action resumed early near the BC net. A drive by Sarah Nurse, whose arcing shot toward the open net was destined for twine, was swatted away by Burt’s stick paddle as she lay prone in the crease.
Wisconsin continued more pressure when Baylee Wellhausen sped down the left wing and whistled a drive toward Burt, who snared the shot and held it for a whistle. And there was more to come.
Five minutes into the period, the Badgers applied pressure on the BC net with a flurry of six shots in a minute, each turned aside by the confident Burt.
Not long after the flurry, Baylee Wellhausen took a centering pass from behind the net, putting a snap shot on Burt who got a shoulder on it to keep the game scoreless. Then it was Desbiens turn, but not in a good way.
Just more than halfway through the second frame, Desbiens’ miscue in playing the dump-in from behind the net nearly led to the game’s first goal, but the puck was cleared before stunned Eagles players had a clean scoring opportunity.
Then Desbiens tightened up her play. BC’s Caitrin Lonergan sent a drive toward Desbiens, who stopped it, but let up the rebound to Kristin Capizzano, who was quickly solved by the Wisconsin goalie.
BC continued the pressure when Makenna Newkirk sent Kenzie Kent on a drive that Debiens saved, followed not long thereafter by Kent feeding Newkirk on a similar play. This was also saved.
Then it was Wisconsin’s turn when Welhausen had a break on Burt. Her shot was saved, but the rebound went to Abby Roque who couldn’t put it past Burt. Then Sam Cogan sent Sara Nurse in with a chance that Burt snared with the glove for the desperately needed whistle.
Late in the period, BC’s Erin Connelly delivered a body check on Wisconsin’s Lauren Williams, sending the Badgers on the power play.
Although Wisconsin couldn’t convert, the momentum had clearly swung the top-seed’s direction with the Badgers holding a 20 to 8 lead in the period.
The third period was delayed a bit due to ice issues at the Wisconsin end, but when it resumed, Wisconsin was quickly on the hunt for the first goal.
After a power play, a scramble in front of the BC net nearly led to a goal. The play was prematurely blown dead after several shots on Burt hit the goalie, until finally, there was a whistle with the puck still loose. The referee lost sight of the puck.
Less than five minutes into the third period, Wisconsin’s Mikaela Gardner was called for interference sending the Eagles on the power play. After a few chances by BC, the Badgers survived and were back in business. And it started with a nifty three-on-two play.
Sarah Nurse took the puck and streaked down the left wing, sent a pass to Annie Pankowski who dropped it to Emily Clark. Burt was there to save the glorious chance.
A little more than 11 minutes into the period, Wisconsin was still piling on the shots, leading 12 to 1 at this point and 33 to 21 for the game.
With BC back on their heels and pressure continuing from Wisconsin, several miscue nearly led to goals, first by Burt on a misplayed dump-in she smothered just in time and then from an errant pass off the stick from Megan Keller, who had a phenomenal game.
And then finally as everyone in the building anticipated overtime, the Badgers advanced across the red king, secured the play in the Eagles zone and sent the puck back to Channel for the game-winner.
Story by Dennis Morrell, Photos by Les Stockton
e-Mail me at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com
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