DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team opened up their home and conference schedules hosting the University of Connecticut Huskies on Friday evening. A total of four goals were seen in the first period, but the Wildcats would take the lead in the second and never look back.
After scoring just one goal in their opening weekend, the Wildcats started off the Hockey East schedule strong with a 5-3 victory over the Huskies. The 'Cats were led by Nicole Dunbar (Coto de Caza, Calif.) who tallied an even strength goal to give UNH its first lead, and then the empty netter to seal the victory.
Sophomore Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) allowed three goals, two of them extra-attacker goals, but made 34 saves on the evening to notch her first win of the season. Through three games she has 99 saves on the season.
The Wildcats handed the Huskies their first loss of the 2018-19 season, and for the first time since the 2010-2011 season, they begin the season 1-0-0 in Hockey East.
GAME INFORMATION:
Date: October 12, 2018
Location: Whittemore Center Arena - Durham, N.H.
Attendance: 249
Score: UNH 5 (1-1-1, 1-0-0 WHEA), UCONN 3 (3-1-0, 1-1-0 WHEA).
Goals:
UNH (5) - Nicole Dunbar (2), Tori Howran, Taylor Wenczkowski, Carlee Turner (GW)
UConn (3) - Emily Reid, Briana Colangelo, Rebecca Linblad
Assists:
UNH (8) - Grace Middleton (2), Lauren Martin (2), Carlee Turner, Emily Rickwood (2), Devan Taylor
UConn (5) - Rebecca Lindblad, Tristyn Svetek, Jaime Fox, Taylor Wabick, Briana Colangelo
Goaltenders:
UNH - Ava Boutilier - 9-14-11 - 34 (3 GA) {60:00} (W)
UConn - Morgan Fisher - 5-10-5 - 20 (5 GA) {58:14} (L)
GAME RECAP
- A total of four goals came in just the first period, as both teams had a lead before the first intermission.
- The 'Cats struck first by way of Nicole Dunbar (Coto De Caza, Calif.) scoring her first of the season; she got a feed from Grace Middleton (Midland, Mich.) in the middle of the offensive zone and ripped one past Fisher.
- UConn responded back just under two minutes later on a delayed penalty. With six skaters, the Huskies tied the game off the stick of Emily Reid.
- On the ensuing 4-on-4, UConn took their first lead of the game at 14:26.
- UNH answered back late in the first on a power play of their own; Tori Howran (Bancroft, Ontario) had a highlight dangle through the offensive zone and backhanded the puck into the net off the crossbar to equalize the game once again.
- In the second, UNH came out firing and nine minutes into the period Taylor Wenczkowski (Rochester, N.H.) tallied a power play goal to give UNH their second lead of the game.
- The Wildcats weren't done as Carlee Turner (Scottsdale, Ariz.) started the third period off with a goal 42 seconds into the period that tapped off the right post and in; she was able to tip it past fisher and it ricocheted softly off the post. The feed came from Devan Taylor (Billerica, Mass.) who made the pass into the crease while being taken down by a Husky.
- The score would remain 4-2 until 18:32 into the third period as another extra-attacker goal for UConn cut UNH's lead to one.
- The Wildcats had two opportunities at an empty-netter, both by Dunbar. The first was blocked by UConn, but the second was a solid effort by Middleton to stop the play in the neutral zone, and allowed Lauren Martin (Cambridge, Ontario) to tip the puck forward to a wide-open Dunbar to seal the game at 5-3 with just under 30 seconds left.
PENALTIES
UNH: 3-6 UConn: 7-14
POWER PLAYS
UNH: 2-7 UConn: 0-3
NEW HAMPSHIRE LEADERS:
Points (2): Four players
Goals (2): Nicole Dunbar
Assists (2): Three players
Shots (5): Taylor Wenczkowski
Blocked Shots (3): Marie-Jo Pelletier
Faceoffs (11): Carlee Turner
CONNECTICUT LEADERS:
Points (2): Rebecca Lindblad, Briana Colangelo
Goals (1): Three players
Assists (1): Five players
Shots (9): Natalie Snodgrass
Blocked Shots (2): Tristyn Svetek
Faceoffs (11): Briana Colangelo