DURHAM, N.H. - Isabel Menard recorded a goal and four assists to lift the Boston University women's ice hockey team to Saturday afternoon's 5-1 victory against the University of New Hampshire at the Whittemore Center.
UNH, which had won four consecutive home games that included a 4-2 victory Jan. 19 against BU, is now 10-16-3 overall and 4-10-2 in Hockey East. Boston U. improved to 16-12-1, 10-7-1 with its fifth consecutive victory.
UNH goaltender Lindsey Minton (Richardson, Texas) made 17 saves, including eight in the first period and seven in the second. Fellow senior Emma Clark (East Barre, Vt.) netted the Wildcats' goal.
In addition to Menard, Jenn Wakefield (one goal, two assists) and Tara Watchorn (one goal, one assist) finished with multiple points for the Terriers, who netted two power-play goals and a shorthanded goal. Kerrin Sperry stopped 22 shots - 11 in the second stanza - and was also credited with an assist.
Menard gave the visitors an early 1-0 lead on a wraparound goal at the right post 75 seconds into the game.
New Hampshire tied the score, 1-1, at 16:20 of the opening stanza. Caroline Broderick (Marblehead, Mass.) carried the puck into the right circle and slipped a pass to the slot, where Clark one-time a shot into the cage.
BU regained the lead, 2-1, on Watchorn's power-play tally at 3:12 of the second period. Watchorn's initial shot from the high slot was blocked by Jenna Lascelle (Cornwall, Ontario), but Watchorn corralled the puck and wristed a screened shot past Minton.
One minute later, the 'Cats sustained offensive pressure that resulted in Clark's redirection at the top of the crease that Sperry kicked aside. Midway through the frame, Nicole Gifford (Ennismore, Ontario) advanced through the right circle and her close-range shot was stopped by Sperry. UNH retained possession, however, and Kristina Lavoie (Fonthill, Ontario) saucered a pass from the left corner to Gifford at the left post, where she was denied by Sperry.
UNH, on the power play in the 13th minute, generated a 3-on-2 rush led by Arielle O'Neill (St. Catharines, Ontario) down the left wing. Her centering pass found Gifford and she redirected the puck to the right circle, just ahead of the charging Lavoie.
The Terriers extended the advantage to 3-1 1ith 1:15 remaining in the second period when Menard carried the puck into the left circle and slipped a pass to the slot, where Kayla Tutino one-timed a shot into the goal.
BU scored a shorthanded goal at 4:40 of the final frame. Menard led the 2-on-1 rush on the left wing and she saucered a pass across the slot to Louise Warren, who wristed a shot into the open right side.
With the teams skating 4-on-4 at 5:30, Giffords' shot from the left doorstep caromed off the left post.
Midway through the third period, Warren's shot from the left circle ricocheted off the near post. At the other end of the ice, Lavoie led a rush down the left wing. She spun towards the slot to gain a shooting angle and lifted a backhander that was blocked aside by Sperry.
Wakefield closed the scoring with a power-play goal at 12:38. Sperry advanced the puck forward to Menard and she advanced into the left circle before slipping a pass across the slot to Wakefield, who redirected the puck into the open right side of the net.
UNH recorded the shot advantage in the second (11-9) and third (7-4) periods, but was outscored in both. The Wildcats finished the game 0-for-4 on the power play while BU went 2 of 8.
New Hampshire returns to action Feb. 5 (2 p.m.) at the University of Connecticut. The Wildcats return home next weekend (Feb. 11-12) for a two-game series against Providence College. Both games begin at 2 p.m. and Feb. 12 is Senior Day.