On Oct. 9, 2011, the Boston College Eagles played the second game of a two-game series against the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. The Bulldogs jumped out to a two-goal lead heading into the second intermission. Minutes into the third period, a young first-year player named Alex Carpenter was credited with the secondary assist on a goal by Emily Field. This was Carpenter’s first collegiate point. She later assisted on another goal by Emily Pfalzer before scoring the game-winning goal with one second left in regulation.
History, in its cyclical nature, was awaiting the now senior Carpenter as she took the ice for Monday’s matchup against the St. Lawrence Saints. Carpenter, having tabulated five points to her name the afternoon preceding, was sitting on 199 career points going into Monday’s game.
In typical Carpenterian fashion, the reigning Patty Kazmaier Award winner placed herself into the history books in the most productive way possible, tabulating three goals and one assist. Carpenter’s output powered the No. 2 Eagles over the St. Lawrence Saints, 7-3, to complete the weekend sweep.
“She’s just a tremendous player,” said BC coach Katie Crowley. “It’s hard to come up with different ways to describe her because she works extremely hard out there, she’s fun to watch, and no matter what the score is, she’s still going as hard as she can.”
Carpenter did not waste much time, as just two-and-a-half minutes into the contest, she redirected a Grace Bizal shot past Grace Harrison for her 200th career point. From that point on, the game result was never in doubt. The Saints, who had played a competitive game Sunday afternoon against the Eagles, never quite got their footing on the ice, with the only real offensive chance in the first period coming off a Kali Flanagan turnover.
In the second period, the Saints drew within two after Kailee Heidersbach sent a Lydia Grauer rebound past Gabri Switaj. However, Carpenter responded. During a chaotic play around the net during a BC power play, Haley Skarupa found the puck on her stick and slid the puck across the crease to Carpenter, who tipped it home to make the score 4-1.
“[Carpenter] is kind of the driving force of our team, and she has shown that in the beginning of our season,” Skarupa said. “We kind of all feed off of her and she has really brought the energy.”
Meanwhile, the St. Lawrence offense continued to sputter. Despite the Heidersbach goal, the Saints were unable to establish continued second period pressure on Gabri Switaj like they had Sunday afternoon on Katie Burt. Five of six sporadic shots on goal in the second period were handled by Switaj, and the Saints did not get that second period push that they had received in the game Sunday afternoon.
In the third period, Carpenter completed the hat trick, her second of the season. As a couple of students tried to negotiate the protective netting around the back of the net to throw a customary hat onto the ice, the Eagles’ co-captain celebrated with her linemates. The goal served as an exclamation point on an already memorable day.
“[Carpenter’s] a special kid,” Crowley said.
