DURHAM, N.H. Junior Nicky Harnett (Plymouth, Minn.) made a career-high 37 saves and three Wildcats recorded two points apiece to propel the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team to Saturday afternoon's 3-1 victory against Providence College at the Whittemore Center.
Harnett made 15 saves in the first period, followed by nine in the second and 13 in the third.
Freshman Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario) and sophomore Nicole Kelly (Brantford, Ontario) both finished with a goal and an assist, and sophomore Brianna Brooks (Whitby, Ontario) tallied two assists. Senior captain Lauren Martin (Cambridge, Ontario) scored UNH's other goal.
PC goalie Sandra Abstreiter stopped 33 shots, including 16 in the first period. Kalley Sato scored the Friars' goal, which capped the scoring late in the second period.
UNH improves to 8-12-2 overall and 6-8-1 in Hockey East. PC moves to 8-7-5, 5-6-2.
UP NEXT
- UNH returns to action Jan. 14 (6 p.m.) at No. 3 Northeastern University.
- The Wildcats' next home game is Jan. 15 (3 p.m.) against those Huskies. Click here to buy tickets.
FIRST PERIOD
- PC generated a 15-7 shot advantage in the scoreless opening 20 minutes.
- The Friars went on the first power play of the game at 12:52 but Harnett stopped all three shots to keep the game scoreless.
- Providence started another power play with 1:58 on the clock and Harnett made three more saves.
SECOND PERIOD
- All four goals were scored in the second stanza - in a span of less than six minutes - as UNH generated a 19-10 shot advantage.
- Juodikis gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead at 11:41 when she deposited a loose puck into the open right side of the net from the right doorstep. Kelly, whose initial shot was stopped by Abstreiter, and Brooks were credited with assists.
- Juodikis initated the second goal with a pass from the right corner to Brooks. Her shot was stopped but Kelly buried the rebound for a 2-0 lead at 13:33.
- UNH scored another power-play goal at 16:23 to mark the Wildcats' third goal in 5 minutes, 42 seconds and give the 'Cats a 3-0 lead. Martin, with the assistance of sophomore Chavonne Truter (Uxbridge, Ontario) and junior Tamara Thiérus (Saint-Jerome, Quebec), extended the advantage to three goals.
- Sato responded with a goal 66 seconds later to lift Providence within 3-1 at 17:29.
THIRD PERIOD
- PC recorded a 13-10 shot advantage in the scoreless final frame.
- Abstreiter was pulled in favor of an extra skater with 2:03 remaining.
- The Friars pressured immediately and fired a pair of shots wide of the cage before Hunter Barnett was denied by Harnett at 18:14.
- PC called time out at 18:32. Harnett then denied Sara Hjalmarsson at 18:51 and Isabelle Hardy at 19:09 to preserve UNH's two-goal advantage.
- Harnett made one more save with 18 seconds remaining.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- PC finished with a 38-36 shot advantage.
- UNH matched its season high of two power-play goals and finished 2-for-4 with the skater advantage. Providence was scoreless on two power plays.
- The Wildcats had a 36-26 edge in the faceoff circle. They won all three defensive zone faceoffs in the final two minutes when PC had the extra skater on the ice.
- UNH blocked 16 shot attempts and PC had 13.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Brooks recorded a career-high two assists to match her personal best of two points.
- She has six multiple-point games this season and seven career.
- Brooks leads New Hampshire in both assists (11) and points (17).
- Juodikis has four multiple-point efforts this season (and career).
- She has a team-high 10 goals and is tied with Thiérus for second in points (16).
- Kelly has two mutli-point games this season and four career.
- Harnett surpassed her previous best of 32 saves established Jan. 11, 2020 vs. UConn.
- Seniors Emily Rickwood (Brantford, Ontario) and Maddie Truax (Gardner, Mass.) led UNH in blocked shots with four and three, respectively.
- Brooks had a team-high 10 wins in the faceoff circle; junior Annie Berry (Milton, Mass.) won 7 of 10 for a team-high .700 winning percentage and Martin was 9-for-14 (64.3%).
- Truter finished with a team-high six shots.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has an 87-62-15 lifetime record against Providence that includes 35-19-9 at home.
- New Hampshire won the season series, 2-1-0; the home team won all three matchups.
