WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- No. 2 New Hampshire and Providence College will meet for a two-game set this
weekend, beginning on Saturday afternoon at Schneider Arena. On Friday
night, Boston University kicks off its key weekend series with arch rival
Boston College at Walter Brown Arena, while Northeastern will play its
series opener with Vermont on Friday at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
The Wildcats (26-3-1, 16-0-1 WHEA) enter the weekend with a 34-game
unbeaten streak (31-0-3) in league play. UNH can clinch the regular-season
title outright with a win or a tie on Saturday or a loss or tie by UConn in
its series with Maine. The ‘Cats are in the midst of a eight-game unbeaten
streak vs. PC (6-0-2). The two teams have met in the Hockey East Championship
in three of the five years of the league’s existence, with Providence
winning the first two meetings. In the first meeting of the season between
the two teams, PC and UNH skated to a 1-1 tie at the Whittemore Center
on January 19. The Friars need a three-point weekend to clinch the third
playoff spot or they can gain points as BU and BC face each other. Senior
blueliner Kathleen Smith (Waterloo, Ont.) leads all Hockey East defensemen
with 14 points (7g,7a) in league play. Her 0.93 points per game ranks tied for third nationally among defensemen.
The Terriers (12-15-3, 8-8-1 WHEA) and Eagles (12-12-6, 7-8-2 WHEA) are separated by one point in the league
standings. BU is currently in fourth place with 17 points. Boston University won both previous meetings this season,
a 3-2 overtime win on December 6 and a 3-1 triumph in the opening round of the Beanpot on February 5. BC’s Kelli
Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio) has tallied 24 points (13g,11a) in league play this season, ranking her fourth among
Hockey East skaters.
No. 8 Connecticut (20-5-5, 11-3-3 WHEA) will host Maine for a two-game match up beginning on Saturday afternoon
at Freitas Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn. The Huskies are 9-1-4 in their last 14 games with their only loss during that
stretch coming on February 10 to Providence. UConn won the previous meeting in the season series on November 16,
4-2. The Black Bears have won two of their last three games heading into the weekend. Most recently, Maine lost a
hard fought game in overtime, 2-1, to BC on February 17 in Orono. Junior goalie Genevieve Turgeon (Lac Beauport,
Que.) has amassed 116 saves in her last three starts in net for the Black Bears. Turgeon has been named Pure Hockey
Defensive Player of the Week a league-high six times this season.
The Catamounts and Huskies will close out their season series this weekend, after NU edged out a 2-1 win at
Matthews Arena on December 1 in Boston. Freshman Leah Sulyma (Inuvik, N.W.T.) has amassed 119 saves in her last
three starts, averaging 39.6 saves per start during that span. UVM senior forward Kate Lesniak (Buffalo, N.Y.) has
not missed a game in her four-year career. Her 130 games played as a Catamount ranks her sixth on the school’s
all-time list.
Hockey East Weekly Notes: BC’s
Molly Schaus and Kelli Stack, as well as
UNH’s Kacey Bellamy and Sam Faber
were named to the 2008 U.S. Women’s
National Team Preliminary Roster.
Hockey East alumni Chanda Gunn
(NU) and Karen Thatcher (PC) have
also been named to the roster. Providence
alum Jackie Barto will serve as
head coach of Team USA. Team USA
will hold a tryout in Colorado Springs,
Colo., from March 24-31, with the final
20-player roster to be announced on
March 28. Those players will go on to
represent the U.S. in the 2008 International
Ice Hockey Federation World
Women’s Championship from April 4-
12, in Harbin, China.
