DURHAM, N.H. - Kayley Herman (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) recorded 13 saves for her 12th career shutout - and also had an assist - and Kelly Cahill (Farmington Hills, Mich.) tallied a goal and an assist to propel the fifth-ranked University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team to Sunday afternoon's 4-0 non-conference victory against Quinnipiac University at the Whittemore Center.
UNH, which has won all seven meetings in this series, is now 2-0-0 this season. Quinnipiac fell to 1-1-0.
The Wildcats quickly took a 1-0 lead at 1:58 of the first period when Cahill scored her second goal in as many days. Molly Morrison (South Burlington, Vt.) initiated the play when she corralled the loose puck in the left circle and, from the corner, found Cahill off the left post. Cahill, in turn, wristed a high shot into the net.
New Hampshire carried that one-goal lead and a 14-4 shot advantage into the first intermission, and scored 33 seconds into the middle stanza to push the lead to 2-0. Micaela Long (South Boston, Mass.), from deep on the left side, centered the puck in front and Kristine Horn (Utica, Mich.) shoveled it high inside the right post. Kelly Paton (Woodstock, Ontario) was also credited with an assist on what was Horn's first career goal and point.
Three minutes later, Herman received one of her tougher tests of the game when a UNH turnover in the neutral zone led to a breakaway opportunity for Heather Hughes. She skated down the slot and pulled the puck to the left post on her forehand, but Herman was in position to stuff the low shot with her right leg pad.
The 'Cats struck 91 seconds apart - at 7:11 and 8:42 - to quickly build a 4-0 advantage. Herman began the sequence on the third goal when she charged from the crease and played an outlet pass to the right dashers, where Julie Allen (Brampton, Ontario) collected the puck at the opposite blue line. Allen found Brittany Skudder (Plainview, N.Y.) down low and she beat QU goaltender Victoria Vigilanti from close range.
Courtney Birchard (Mississauga, Ontario) struck at 8:42 when her shot from the slot caromed off a defenseman into the net. Bryanna Farris (Carleton Place, Ontario), with the outlet pass through the neutral zone, and Cahill, who moved the puck from the left point to Birchard, set up the tally.
The Bobcats had a 5-x3 power play for 77 seconds early in the third period. They generated immediate pressure with three screened shots by Regan Boulton from the high slot, but Herman turned aside each threat.
QU's Vigilanti finished with 33 saves, including 13 in the first period and 11 in the second.
Morrison's assist marked her first point as a UNH Wildcat. She tallied 13 goals and 14 assists the previous two years at Vermont.
Skudder, who tallied an assist Saturday, scored her first collegiate goal with her second-period tally.
New Hampshire continues its six-game homestand next weekend against Colgate University (Oct. 9; 7p.m.) and Syracuse University (Oct. 10; 5 p.m.).
Tickets for all women's ice hockey home games are available at the Whittemore Center Box Office, online by clicking here, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Season tickets are available by calling 603-862-4000, ext. 5.