DURHAM, N.H. - Sam Faber (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) and Kelly Paton (Woodstock, Ontario) both recorded a goal and an assist to propel the No. 1-ranked University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team to Wednesday night's 4-1 Hockey East victory against 10th-ranked Boston College at the Whittemore Center.
UNH, with its second win in as many weeks vs. BC to improve to 38-2-2 lifetime against the Eagles, won its seventh consecutive game to improve to 8-1-0 overall and 6-0-0 in Hockey East. Boston College is now 5-3-1, 2-3-0.
In addition to Faber and Paton, Courtney Birchard (Mississauga, Ontario) and Sadie Wright-Ward (Durham, N.H.) the reigning TPS Hockey Player of the Week in Hockey East, had multiple-point performances with two assists apiece.
UNH goaltender Kayley Herman (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) was credited with 11 saves, whereas BC netminder Molly Schaus finished with double-digit saves in each period (13-10-11) to finish with 34.
Following a scoreless first period in which UNH recorded a 13-3 shot advantage, Paton, who extended her point-scoring streak to six games, gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead at 17:22 of the second stanza when she snapped a wrist shot from the slot into the upper-right corner of the net. Birchard, with the back pass off the boards to Paton on the right wing, and Faber were credited with assists.
Faber and Jennifer Hitchcock (LaSalle, Ontario) netted goals 1:37 apart early in the final frame - at 2:24 and 4:01, respectively - to give the 'Cats a commanding 3-0 lead. Faber, with the assistance of Paton, struck when she maneuvered out of the left corner to the slot. Hitchcock scored off a rebound in front on the power play. Steph Holmes (Rye, N.Y.), with the initial shot from the top-left of the crease, and Wright-Ward set up that tally.
UNH did not capitalize on a 5x3 skater advantage that lasted 1:25, but Micaela Long (South Boston, Mass.) did score on the back end of that power play sequence to build a 4-0 advantage at 11:47. Wright-Ward and Birchard were credited with assists.
BC avoided being shut out with a power-play goal at 15:12. Herman stopped Colleen Harris' initital shot from the slot, but Maggie Taverna collected the puck off the rebound on the right side to score. Kelli Stack initiated the play with a pass from the high slot.
The Eagles' power-play goal ended a streak of 33 consecutive kills by the Wildcats; that streak started Oct. 6 at St. Lawrence. UNH netted multiple power-play goals for the fourth consecutive game by going 2-for-7 with the extra skater.
New Hampshire continues its eight-game homestand - and concludes a stretch of seven consecutive Hockey East league games - Nov. 10 (2 p.m.) vs. eight-ranked University of Connecticut. The Wildcats also play host to Princeton University (Nov. 11; 2 p.m.) this weekend. Tickets are available online at www.unhwildcats.com or by calling 866-WILDCAT.