MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Jen Schoullis recorded six points to lead the second-ranked University of Minnesota women's ice hockey team to Saturday afternoon's 6-1 non-conference victory against the University of New Hampshire at Ridder Arena.
UNH lost its fourth consecutive game to fall to 4-8-2 overall while UMN, which outscored the Wildcats by an 11-0 margin Friday night, improved to 12-2-0.
New Hampshire starting goaltender Jenn Gilligan (Maple Ridge, British Columbia) exited the game at the end of the first period with 17 saves and three goals against. Moe Bradley (Swampscott, Mass.), making a relief appearance for the third consecutive game, made 11 second-period saves and 18 in the third for a career-high 29 saves. Maggie Hunt (Naperville, Ill.) scored UNH's goal.
UMN goalie Nora Raty made half of her 10 saves in the first period. Schoullis (one goal, five assists) and Amanda Kessel (three goals) led the offense.
Schoullis factored in all three first-period goals to propel the Golden Gophers to a 3-0 lead. She set up Kessel's goal at 3:15, the Golden Gophers continued to pressure and forced Gilligan to make four saves in the next 90 seconds and three more spanning 30 seconds before Schoullis potted a goal at 5:55.
Megan Bozek, with the assistance of Schoullis and Baylee Gillanders, scored her second goal in as many games to make the score 3-0 at 14:12. UMN went on its second power play of the opening stanza 30 seconds later, but Gilligan kept the 'Cats within three goals by turning aside three shots while UNH was shorthanded.
Minnesota took that three-goal lead and 20-5 shot advantage into the first intermission.
The Golden Gophers carried play early in the second period, but Bradley kept the home squad at bay by turning aside three shots in the opening 2:30.
UNH went on an abbreviated power play lasting 28 seconds at 5:31, but Raty denied Kristine Horn (Utica, Mich.) to keep the 'Cats scoreless. UMN's fourth power-play of the game began at 11:07, but the Golden Gophers were once again whistled for a minor penalty during a skater advantage to end the power play at 11:53. New Hampshire's 46-second power-play opportunity started at 13:07 and Hunt scored her second goal of the season to lift the Wildcats within 3-1 on a power-play tally at 13:49. Arielle O'Neill (St. Catharines, Ontario) was credited with an assist.
Minnesota reestablished a three-goal lead, 4-1, when Schoullis set up Mira Jalosuo's goal at 16:34 and Kessel netted a power-play goal at 18:29 - just 10 seconds after UNH was whistled for a holding infraction - to give the Golden Gophers a four-goal advantage.
UMN generated a 13-3 shot advantage in the second stanza for a 33-8 edge through 40 minutes.
Kessel scored her third goal of the game - seventh of the two-game series vs. UNH - to give the Golden Gophers a 6-1 lead at 1:48 of the third period.
In the 14th minute, both Kristina Lavoie (Fonthill, Ontario) and Jess Ryan (Cloquet, Minn.) had shots turned aside by Raty. The 'Cats did not record another shot the rest of the game.
The Golden Gophers tallied a 52-11 shot advantage. UNH went 1-for-3 on the power play and 6 of 7 on the penalty kill.
New Hampshire returns to action with the start of a four-game homestand against the University of Maine on Nov. 25 (7 p.m.) and the Wildcats play host to Princeton University on Nov. 26 (2 p.m.).