NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES DEFEAT NEW HAMPSHIRE WILDCATS, 3-1
Sophomore forward Kendall Coyne nets two goals for Huskies

Sophomore forward Kendall Coyne had two goals for the Huskies

DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire women's hockey team fell to Northeastern University, 3-1, Thursday night. The loss puts the Wildcats at 10-12-2 on the year and to 6-5-1 in Hockey East play while the Huskies improve to 13-9-2 overall and to 7-6-1 in conference action.

NU's Kendall Coyne got the scoring started in the first period when she scored her 21st goal of the season. Casey Pickett played the puck to Rachel Llanes who in turn found Coyne near the goal. Coyne lifted a point-blank shot over the glove of New Hampshire netminder Jenn Gilligan (Maple Ridge, British Columbia) and into the goal. The Wildcats gained momentum in the period, outshooting the Huskies 9-5. After the first period, the Huskies held a 1-0 lead.

Brittney Redlick (Biggar, Saskatchewan) tallied her fifth goal of the year at 14:27 on the second period. Alexis Crossley (Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia) sent the puck off the boards to Redlick who then carried the puck up the ice, weaving her way in and out of traffic and into the Huskies' zone. She then sent a shot to the top corner of the net and past NU goalie Kelsey O'Sullivan.

Coyne netted her second goal of the game on a shorthanded, delayed penalty situation. Coyne intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and skated in to tally the second goal of the game. At 18:28, Brittany Esposito tallied the third and final goal of the game on a power play during a 5-on-3 situation. Maggie DiMasi and Pickett picked up assists on the play. The Wildcats kept the offensive pressure on during the period, ringing the post twice while on a power play. At the end of two periods, NU led 3-1.

New Hampshire's Katie Brock (Marblehead, Mass.) nearly notched another goal for the Wildcats in the third period when she ripped a shot from just inside the blueline that rung the post and bounced away. Gilligan made saves on all 10 shots she faced in the period. Through three periods of play, the Huskies held on to win, 3-1.

Gilligan got the loss in net for the 'Cats after making 21 saves on the 24 shots she faced. Her record falls to 7-2-1 on the year. O'Sullivan tallied her first win of the year for Northeastern after saving 27 of 28 shots the Wildcats sent her way.

The Wildcats went 0-for-3 on the power play while Northeastern was 1-for-4 with the advantage. New Hampshire outshot NU by a margin of 28-24.

New Hampshire will return to the ice as it hits the road to face fifth-ranked Boston University on Sunday, Jan. 27. Puck drop is slated for 3 p.m.