LEWISTON — The odds were more than stacked against her.

Twice, Kasey Boucher fell back into her own zone with three Maine forwards rushing at her. In the first period, a situation she said she “barely remembered,” the Lewiston-born sophomore at Boston University trapped the puck with her stick and cleared the threat.

In overtime, with the game on the line, Boucher played her angles properly and slid to the ice to snuff out a cross-crease pass that almost certainly would hve resulted in a Grade-A scoring opportunity.

“I was thinking the whole time, ‘Please don’t let that get through,'” Boucher said.

It didn’t.

Boucher’s defensive play in the waning minutes of the game helped preserve a 1-1 tie for BU, and the Terriers’ Jenelle Kohanchuk roofed her opportunity in the shootout to cap the evening Tuesday at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

“This is just typical of the way Hockey East has become,” BU coach Brian Durocher said. “They’re a tough, gritty team, and they work hard all the time.”

Maine has had a rough season, but two of the team’s best games have come recently — a 1-0 shutout win over ranked Northeastern, and the tie Tuesday night with the Terriers.

“The league really has evolved where it’s a tough battle every time out,” Durocher said.

Nothing bears that out more than the Terriers’ record, which now stands at 6-4-6.

“It’s kind of frustrating, but you know you’re competing hard every night,” Boucher said. “Maine played hard tonight.” 

Boucher received appluase from both sides of the rink when she was introduced as a starter on the blue line.

Neither team scored in the opening frame, though Maine had the better opportunities early. BU keeper Melissa Haber stopped several first-chance shots in the opening half of the period, and the defense did the rest.

The Terriers only got their first shot on net after more than seven minutes had elapsed, but they poured it on later in the frame thanks to a pair of late power play chances. Maine goalie Brittany Ott turned aside each of BU’s eight shots.

BU broke the ice just over the five-minute mark of the second period. Melissa Anderson won a draw to Ott’s left cleanly back to Jill Cardella, who let a wrister rip through traffic. The shot found its way into the back of the cage to put the visitors ahead 1-0.

The lead didn’t last long — just 3:06. That’s when Maine’s Dominique Goutsis beat Haber with a wrister to even things up at a goal apiece.

The teams traded minor penalties through the middle of the second, with each squad getting a go atr a 5-on-3. Neither found the back of the net.

Boucher had a chance to end the game with less than five seconds left  when she snuck in from the point for a back-door opportunity at the left post, but the puck bounced over her stick.

“That would have been nice,” Boucher admitted. “It was fun to come back here, though.”

University of Maine’s Myriam Croussette passes the puck past Boston University’s Kasey Boucher in the first half of their game Tuesday at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

BU’s Laurel Koller attempts to hook Elyce Thomas away from the puck in the first period of their game Tuesday at the Colisee.

BU’s Melissa Anderson tries to stop Jenna Ouellette’s forward progress in the first period of their game Tuesday at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

BU’s Lauren Cherwyk slashes at University of Maine’s Taryn Peacock during the first period of their game Tuesday in Lewiston.

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