STORRS, Conn. - Freshman goaltender Sedona Blair (Eden Prairie, Minn.) made 27 saves to record her first career shutout in Friday night's 2-0 win at UConn at Toscano Family Ice Forum.
Blair stopped 11 shots in the first period, then six in the second and 10 in the final frame, including one in the final minute when UConn had an extra attacker on the ice.
Junior forward Brooke Hammer (Commerce Township, Mich.) and captain Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario), another junior forward, scored in the second period to account for all the goals.
UConn goalie Tia Chan was credited with 15 saves.
UNH improves to 4-2-1 overall and 2-0-1 in Hockey East, as well as 3-0-0 on the road. UConn is now 1-3-1, 0-3-0.
UP NEXT
- New Hampshire and UConn conclude the two-game series Oct. 21 at the Toscano Family Ice Forum.
- The Wildcats' next home game is Saturday, Nov. 4 (7 p.m.) against Providence College.
- Purchase tickets online at unhwildcats.com, by calling (603) 862-4000 or by visiting the Whittemore Center ticket office.
FIRST PERIOD
- Blair was under pressure early and made four saves in the opening minute of the game. She finished the scoreless opening stanza with 11 saves.
SECOND PERIOD
- Hammer, from behind the right post, lifted the puck toward the front of the net. It hit Chan's back and ricocheted into the goal for a 1-0 lead at 2:03. Tamara Thiérus (Saint-Jérôme, Quebec), whose initial shot from the right doorstep was stopped by Chan, and Chavonne Truter (Uxbridge, Ontario) were credited with the assists.
- In the ninth minute, Blair preserved the one-goal advantage by stopping Ashley Allard's initial shot as well as the chance off the rebound.
- UConn was sent to the penalty box for cross checking at 12:04 and the Wildcats netted a power-play goal 26 seconds later to build a 2-0 advantage. Annie Berry (Milton, Mass.) moved the puck from the left corner to the point, where Marina Alvarez (Center Moriches, N.Y.) blasted a slap shot wide of the left post. The rebound caromed off the end boards to the post, where Juodikis jammed the puck into the net.
- Blair made three more saves the rest of the middle stanza to keep UConn scoreless.
THIRD PERIOD
- UConn recorded a 10-7 shot advantage in the scoreless third period.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- The Huskies finished with a 27-17 shot advantage and a 24-21 edge in the faceoff circle.
- New Hampshire went 1-for-4 on the power play and the Wildcats' penalty kill was a perfect 2-for-2.
- UNH recorded 14 blocked shots and UConn was credited with 10 blocks.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Hammer scored her first goal of the season and sixth career.
- Juodikis is UNH's leader in both goals (five) and points (seven).
- Alvarez has a team-high five assists and is tied for second in points (six).
- Berry extended her assist and point streaks to three games; she has four points (one goal, three assists) in that span.
- Charli Kettyle (Perth, Ontario) led all skaters with three blocked shots.
- Rae Breton (Brighton, Ontario), the two-time Hockey East Army ROTC Defender of the Week who entered the game as the national leader in blocks, was credited with two.
- Sydney Leonard (St. Bonifacius, Minn.) won 9 of 14 faceoffs and Truter led all skaters with 10 faceoff wins (on 19 draws).
- UNH's power play is now 6-for-23 (26.1%) this season.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has a 51-23-5 lifetime record against UConn.
- The 'Cats have won three of the last four games with a 9-1 scoring edge and three shutouts in that span.
- Twelve of the last 13 meetings between these teams (dating back to October 2019) have ended with one team shutting out the other.
