DURHAM, N.H. - Junior Brianna Brooks (Whitby, Ontario), senior Jada Christian (Caledon East, Ontario), and senior Rae Breton (Brighton, Ontario) each scored a goal to lead the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team to Friday night's 3-0 victory against Merrimack College at the Whittemore Arena.
Graduate student Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) was credited with 18 saves to record her first shutout of the season and 14th of her career.
MC goalie Emma Gorski made 14 of her 28 saves in the first period.
UNH improves to 5-9-0 overall and 4-7-0 in Hockey East while the Warriors fall to 4-8-1, 3-7-1.
UP NEXT
- UNH returns to action Nov. 12 (2 p.m.) against Merrimack College away at Lawler Rink.
- The Wildcats' next home game is Nov. 19 (2 p.m.) against Boston College. Purchase tickets inline at unhwildcats.com, by calling (603) 862-4000 or by visiting the Whittemore Center Ticket Office.
FIRST PERIOD
- Neither team was able to score in the first period.
- Boutilier made eight saves for the Wildcats while Gorski made 14 for the Warriors.
SECOND PERIOD
- Brooks scored at 7:13 on a power play with a pass from behind the net by sophomore Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario), smashing it into the upper right corner. Grad student Emily Pinto (Mulmur, Ontario) was credited with the secondary assist.
- The Wildcats had a 6-4 shot advantage.
- Boutilier made four saves while Gorski made five.
- UNH scored on its only power play chance of the period.
THIRD PERIOD
- Christian scored on a delayed penalty at 15:09 by tapping it in the bottom left corner on assists by graduate student Gabby Jones (Westfield, Mass.) and junior Brianna Legros (New Liskeard, Ontario).
- Breton blasted the puck in from the defensive end into an empty net at 19:28.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- UNH had an overall 31-18 shot advantage.
- The Wildcats went 1-2 on power plays while the Warriors went 0-1.
- UNH led in faceoff wins, 21-15.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Christian's goal was her first of the season.
- Brooks and Pinto remain tied atop UNH's point leaderboard with nine. Brooks has two goals and seven assists while Pinto has one goal and a team-high eight assists.
- With her 14th career shutout, Boutilier is now tied at No. 5 on UNH's all-time leaderboard with Kayley Herman (2008-11) and Dina Solimini (1994-96).
- Legros recorded her first point of the season with her third-period assist.
- Jones recorded her first assist as a Wildcat and she also led the Wildcats with eight faceoff wins.
- Breton, Legros, and graduate student Emily Rickwood (Brantford, Ontario) led all skaters with two blocks each.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has a 15-5-2 lifetime record against Merrimack College.
