LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Emily Johnson scored five times for New England Division Champion/No. 11-ranked Boston University, but Player of the Game Grace Kellerman of Midwest Division Champion/No. 8 the University of Notre Dame scored four to join with Emily Shank and Rory Kilmer to register 10 goals as the Irish topped the Terriers, 14-9, in the seventh place of the 2023 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship.
Competing at the University of California-Los Angeles’ Spieker Aquatics Center, Notre Dame finishes in seventh as the team adds to a legacy which includes prior second (2009, 2015), fourth (2002), sixth (2001, 2010), seventh (2000, 2011), ninth (2006, 2013, 2014), 10th (2008, 2019, 2022), 11th (2007) and 12th (2012) place marks in the history of the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship..
Boston University posts its all-time best finish at the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship with an eighth place mark as the Terriers previously claimed 13th (2015) and a tie for 15th (2013).
Notre Dame jumped on the scoreboard first in the opening quarter as Shank stroked in chances at 3:35 and 3:07 to stake the Irish to a 2-0 lead. Johnson erased the lead with even-strength (2:48) and penalty shot (2:20) strikes before Kellerman pushed the Irish back in front at 3-2 by lining in a five-meter penalty shot at 2:20. Boston University refused to allow Notre Dame to pull away, however, as Jade Chismar swished an equalizer at 1:38 to balance the scoreboard at three-all through seven minutes.
The Terriers gained the lead at the 5:23 mark of the second quarter as Johnson juked her defender and arched in a man-up opportunity, but Kellerman delivered a response at 5:02 to once again level the score at four-all.
Notre Dame and Boston University continued to trade scoring shots as BU’s Sabrina Morata (4:49), Kilmer (4:15, man-up), Johnson (3:12, man-up) and Kellerman (2:52) punched and counter-punched to make it a six-all contest with slightly under three minutes left in the first half.
Notre Dame appeared to gain some momentum as Lauren Rodenberg (2:31) and Kilmer (1:38) cut loose even-strength strikes to allow the Irish to pull ahead 8-6. Leigh Ann Mallinger sliced a goal off the Terriers’ deficit prior to the halftime horn as she cashed in on a man-up opportunity at 1:19 to inch Boston University within 8-7 at the break.
Similar to the first half, a lead was not safe as Johnson drove in a tying score exactly two minutes into the third quarter (5:00) prior to Mallinger (4:04) returning the Terriers to the lead at 4:04.
However, the luck of the Irish began to overcome the tenacity of the Terriers as Kilmer (1:31), Abygail Dravis (46 seconds) and Shank (17 seconds) ticked off back-to-back-to-back tallies to erase another lead and provide Notre Dame an 11-9 margin heading into the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
The team led by 25th-year head coach Brian Coughlin put the contest away in the fourth quarter as Rodenberg (4:39), Kellerman (2:40) and Yajali Rodriguez (1:51, penalty shot) completed the scoring as Notre Dame racked up a 6-0 run over the final nine minutes of the contest to collar the Terriers.
For Boston University, Johnson (five) and Mallinger (two) combined for seven goals, while Chismar and Morata added single points. In cage, Melisa Sakalas (eight) and Ulrika Breameus (one) combined for nine saves.
Kellerman (four), Shank (three), Kilmer (three) and Rodenberg (two) inflicted the majority of the Irish’s offense as the quartet racked up a combined 12 goals. Dravis and Rodriguez put away single scores, while Olivia Sanders (nine) and Natalie Anderson (one) blocked away 10 scoring tries guarding the iron.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 11 Boston University |
3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | – | 9 |
| No. 8 University of Notre Dame | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | – | 14 |
| Notre Dame Goals: | Grace Kellerman (4); Emily Shank (3); Rory Kilmer (3); Lauren Rodenberg (2); Abygail Dravis; Yajali Rodriguez | |||||
| BU Goals: | Emily Johnson (5); Leigh Ann Mallinger (2); Jade Chismar; Sabrina Morata | |||||
| Saves: | Notre Dame – Olivia Sanders (9), Natalie Anderson (1) ; BU – Melisa Sakalas (8), Ulrika Brameus (1) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Notre Dame – 7 ; BU – 8 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Notre Dame – 3-for-8 ; BU – 3-for-7 | |||||
| Sprints: | Notre Dame – 3-for-4 (1st, 2nd, 3rd) ; BU – 1-for-4 (4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | Notre Dame – YC (Head coach Brian Coughlin, 4:56 left in 4th Q); BU – None | |||||
| Officials: | Laszlo Gyori, Aaron Springer | |||||
Boston University’s Abby Gualda (#2) attempts to get off a shot as the University of Notre Dame’s Abygail Dravis (#7) and goalkeeper Olivia Sanders (#1) defend
Boston University’s Jade Chismar (#4) shoots as Charlotte Welsh (#3) pursues
University of Notre Dame’s Emily Shank (#10)
