Women's Hockey East Weekend Preview
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New Hampshire hosts Maine for a pair of games this weekend

No. 6 Boston College vs. Vermont/Merrimack - Fri. 1/20, Sat. 1/21 at UVM; Wed. 1/25 at BC

- The Vermont Catamounts (10-7-7/6-3-5 HEA) sit in third place in Hockey East as they welcome the Boston College Eagles (16-3-4/12-2-2 HEA) for the first two of three match ups. Last season, the Eagles swept the Catamounts, 3-0-0.

- The Eagles' are 7-0-1 in their last eight games, most recently sweeping Merrimack in a two-game series. In the last three outings, senior forward and BC scoring leader Andie Anastos (Farmington Hills, Mich.) has had two game-winning assists and one game-winning goal, which came in a 1-0 win over the Warriors. In that same game, junior goaltender Katie Burt (Lynn, Mass.) earned her 27th career shutout, which was also her 19th career HEA shutout, putting her in sole possession of the shutout record in Hockey East play. Burt also earned Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week for reaching the milestone.

- The Catamounts come off a stalemate weekend, earning a pair of ties against then-No. 10 Boston University. Vermont is backboned by senior goaltender Madison Litchfield (Williston, Vt.) who leads all HEA goaltenders in goals against average (1.30) and save percentage (.952).

- Vermont freshman forward Eve-Audrey Picard (Longueuil, Que.) leads UVM with nine goals this year.


Maine vs. New Hampshire - Fri. 1/20, Sat. 1/21 at UNH

- After a sweep of Northeastern at home last weekend, the Maine Black Bears (8-14-1/4-10-1 HEA) hit the road for a two-game set at the Whittemore Center against the UNH Wildcats (9-13-1/7-7-1 HEA). The last time the two squared off was a 2-2 tie on November 26.

- Maine got massive weekends out of reigning Warrior Hockey Player of the Week sophomore defenseman Alyson Matteau (Mirabel, Que.) and junior forward Brooke Stacey (Kahnawkae, Que.). Matteau scored both of the decisive weekend goals and added three assists in Saturday's 6-3 win, while Stacey netted a goal in each game and got credit for the assist on both of Matteau's game winners.

- After a weekend off, the Wildcats return to action and look to improve upon a 4-4-0 record at home. Freshman forward Meghara McManus (Milton, Mass.) scored the lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Dartmouth on January 10, her seventh of the season.


Northeastern vs. UConn - Fri. 1/20 at UConn; Sat. 1/21 at NU

- It's a Huskies vs. Huskies home-and-home as Northeastern (13-9-3/9-7-2 HEA) takes on UConn (11-10-3/6-7-1 HEA) for two games to wrap up the regular season series. Back on January 2, Northeastern doubled up UConn to grab a 4-2 win on the road.

- Saturday's 6-3 set back to Maine saw a two-goal performance from Denisa Krizova (Horni Cerekev, Czech Republic).

- The last time NU took on UConn, it was sophomore goaltender Brittany Bugalski (Boynton Beach, Fla.) in net stopping 13 shots the lowest shot total she has faced in a HEA game this season.

- UConn is also looking to recover from a sweep last weekend, as the Providence Friars took both games in a homeand- home. Junior forward Justine Fredette (Winnipeg, Man.) registered points in both games of the series, with a helper in game one and the lone UConn goal of game two. Sophomore defenseman Jamie Fox (Unionville, Ont.) also added her second goal of the season on Saturday.


Boston University vs. Providence - Sat. 1/21 at PC; Sun. 1/22 at BU

- The Boston University Terriers (12-8-4/7-7-3 HEA) finish off the regular season series with the Providence Friars (12- 11-1/7-6-1 HEA) in a home-and-home.

- The two teams led off the 2016-2017 Hockey East schedule all the way back on September 25, when BU took a 5-2 home win. In net that night for BU was senior goaltender Victoria Hanson (Stoughton, Mass.), who has since recorded a 8-5-3 record, and in her last five games is averaging just over 37 saves per game.

- Providence junior forward Brooke Boquist (Thunder Bay, Ont.) is currently on a five-game point streak (3g, 3a) and had the eventual game winner against UConn on Sunday.

- Friars freshman goaltender Clare Minnerath (Sartell, Minn.) got her second win in as many starts on Saturday against UConn. She is averaging 1.71 goals against and currently has a .922 save percentage.


Merrimack vs. No. 8 Quinnipiac/No. 6 Boston College - Fri. 1/20 at MC; Wed. 1/25 at BC

- Merrimack (8-16-2/4-13-0 HEA) plays host to No. 8 Quinnipiac in North Andover on Friday for its third consecutive game against a top-10 opponent. The Warriors and the Bobcats have already tangled once this season, with Merrimack advancing to the Nutmeg Classic final with a shootout victory over Quinnipiac.

- On January 13, Merrimack rookie netminder Lea-Kristine Demers (Repentigny, Que.) kicked out 37 shots from Boston College in a 1-0 setback.

- Sophomore forward Katelyn Rae (Courtice, Ont.) leads all Hockey East skaters in non-conference points with 12 in nine games this season.

- Merrimack's eight wins are split evenly in non-conference and league play, currently sitting at 4-3-2 and 4-13-0, respectively. The Warriors are the only Hockey East team without a conference tie this season.