Of course it was two local student-athletes that delivered the decisive final blows Tuesday night for Harvard to secure a spot in the 47th Women’s Beanpot championship next week.
Between Duxbury native Ainsley Tuffy’s sensational, 40-save outing, and Walpole native Kaley MacDonald’s game-winning goal with 11:37 left to play, the Crimson produced just enough to edge Boston College, 2-1, in the Beanpot semifinals at Walter Brown Arena. Harvard will play the winner of Northeastern and Boston University in the championship next Tuesday at TD Garden. Boston College gets the other in the third-place game.
“I don’t think anyone on our team has actually played in the championship game at TD, so we’re all just so pumped to be out of the third-place game and get a shot at the finals,” MacDonald said.
The goal was MacDonald’s first this season. Tuffy’s performance just about shut down what Eagles (9-12-1) head coach Katie Crowley called maybe their most complete game of the year yet.
Coupled with another goal from Braintree native Morgan McGathey early on, Crimson (10-8-1) head coach Laura Bellamy finds it all too fitting in such a meaningful game in the area.
“Just such a great hockey game,” Bellamy said. “We kept saying it all game long. Just great back-and-forth hockey, that’s what you want in the Beanpot. Two local kids here making huge plays for us — pretty great part of the story. We’re just glad to be playing for a championship.”
Goals were difficult to come by for both groups in a standout goalie showdown. Boston College’s Grace Campbell (32 saves) was stellar as well, allowing just McGathey’s goal in the first period before a 14-save second carried a 1-1 tie into the third.
The Eagles’ Ava Thomas and Emma Conner peppered Tuffy all night with seven shots apiece, and it was Thomas who finally got one past her in that second period to set up a thrilling final frame.
But as Tuffy staved off 16 shots from BC in the third, MacDonald stepped up midway through to snipe the game-winner.
“It was super exciting” MacDonald said. “Just saw the puck being rammed and said, ‘Why not?’ So I just picked it up and shot it.”
It was her first of the year, but Bellamy sees MacDonald score that goal all the time.
“That from (MacDonald), she does that everyday in practice,” Bellamy said. “She’s just got great offensive instincts. … She’s one of our leaders and I’m so happy for her.”
The game-winner isn’t possible without Tuffy’s effort in net, though, and she felt a rhythm from the start as BC carried play in the first with 13 shots.
“For warmups I do the same thing every day, so I think just preparation is kind of key to that,” Tuffy said. “Just knowing if I’m feeling good or not. If I’m not feeling good in a certain area, working on that extra during warmups. And I think I did that well today.”
The outing from Tuffy came less than two weeks after setting a program-record 55 saves in a win over No. 5 Minnesota Duluth.
“It feels like the more that’s on the line, the more she rises,” Bellamy said. “She just did a great job to keep us in it and has been spectacular for us this year.”
