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Freshman forward Shea Verrier had a goal and an assist for the Wildcats
New Hampshire Earns Weekend Sweep With 5-2 Win At Holy Cross
Shea Verrier, Avery Myers and Annie Berry each had a goal and an assist for the Wildcats

Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. - Annie Berry (Milton, Mass.), Avery Myers (Fargo, N.D.) and Shea Verrier (Reading, Mass.) all recorded a goal and an assist to lead the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team to Saturday night's 5-2 victory against College of the Holy Cross at Hart Center Rink.

Verrier scored her first career goal to give UNH a 1-0 lead it would not relinquish. Emily Rickwood (Brantford, Ontario) also recorded two points with a pair of assists. Brianna Brooks (Whitby, Ontario) and Brooke Hammer (Commerce Township, Mich.) also scored for the Wildcats.

UNH goaltender Nicky Harnett (Plymouth, Minn.) was credited with 23 saves. HC counterpart Jada Brenon stopped 19 shots.

UNH, which held three two-goal leads, completed the weekend and season sweep to improve to 11-17-2 overall and 9-13-1 in Hockey East. HC is now 3-27-0, 1-24-0.


UP NEXT

- New Hampshire returns to action Feb. 15 against fifth-ranked Northeastern University in the Wildcats' last regular-season home game.

- The 'Cats close the season Feb. 18-19 at the University of Maine.


FIRST PERIOD

- UNH skated to a 2-1 lead with a 9-8 shot advantage in the opening 20 minutes.

- Sophomore Nicole Kelly (Brantford, Ontario) led a rush down the left wing. Her saucer pass was collected by classmate Brianna Brooks (Whitby, Ontario), who lifted a close-range shot that was knocked down by Brenon at 8:40.

- Verrier gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead at 9:24 of the first period when she redirected Rickwood's initial shot from the left point. Ciara Wall (Hampton, N.H.), who carried the puck across the high slot and dropped the puck for Rickwood, was credited with the secondary assist.

- Myers scored 68 seconds later to extend the advantage to 2-0 at 10:28. Rickwood carried the puck along the right boards and Berry corralled the puck behind the goal line. Berry fed the puck to the low slot and Myers buried the one-timer.

- UNH was sent to the penalty box at 16:23 and 17:21, and Kailey Langefels netted a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 18:07 to lift the Crusaders within 2-1.


SECOND PERIOD

- Both teams scored a goal in the second stanza with HC generating a 10-7 shot advantage.

- Brooks scored off a rebound from a scrum in front of the net to reestablish a two-goal lead of 3-1 at 8:26. Brenon stopped Kelly's initial shot from the right doorstep and then the second attempt by Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario), but Brooks swept the puck between Brenon's legs for the goal.

- Holy Cross scored one minute later, however, on a goal by Darci Johal to trim the deficit to 3-2.


THIRD PERIOD

- UNH scored the only two goals of the final frame on an 8-7 shot advantage.

- Hammer tipped Verrier's shot from the high slot into the cage for a 4-2 lead at 2:57. Myers earned a secondary assist by winning the puck in the left corner to Verrier, who circled out to the high slot before releasing the tipped-in shot.

- Tamara Thiérus (Saint-Jérôme, Quebec) led a rush into the right circle and found Berry cutting down the slot. Berry shifted toward the left post to evade Brenon's poke check and then backhanded the puck into the open net for a 5-2 lead at 12:21. Kyla Bent (Halifax, Nova Scotia) earned the secondary assist.


GAME NOTEBOOK

- Holy Cross recorded a 25-24 shot advantage and went 1-for-5 on the power play.

- UNH had a 34-16 edge in the faceoff circle and was 0-for-1 on the power play.

- The Crusaders blocked 15 shot attempts and the 'Cats recorded 13 blocks.


UNH NOTEBOOK

- Verrier scored her first goal and recorded her first career multiple-point game with the two points.

- Berry's season-high two points matched her career high established Jan. 25, 2020 at Holy Cross.

- Myers' two points were also a season high that equaled her career high done twice previously (most recently Feb. 6, 2021 at Providence).

- Rickwood's two assists matched her career high (four previous times; most recently Jan. 23, 2021 vs. Merrimack).

- Berry and Rickwood tied for the team - and game - high with four blocked shots.

- Brooks was dominant in the faceoff circle with 14 wins in 17 draws (82.4%).

- Wall's assist was her second helper and point of the season.

- Juodikis has a team-high 20 points this season and is followed by Brooks and Thiérus with 19.


SERIES NOTEBOOK

- UNH has a 12-1-0 lifetime record against Holy Cross.

- The Wildcats swept the 2021-22 season series; the 'Cats skated to a 4-2 home win Oct. 31, 2021 and prevailed 4-2 at the Whittemore Center on Friday night.