Weekly Honorees: Val Caldwell, Jada Habisch and Loryn Porter
Women's Weekly Release: UConn Sweeps Merrimack, Maine Splits With No. 7/7 Providence
Vermont and New Hampshire Split as Catamounts Open Season

HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES

Vermont began its 2020-21 campaign with a 4-2 win over New Hampshire at Gutterson Fieldhouse on Saturday night. Senior Val Caldwell (Glenview, Ill.) had the game-winning goal and two assists for the Catamounts. The Wildcats earned a weekend split the next night behind a 30-save shutout from Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)

Maine earned a weekend road split with No. 7/7 Providence, thanks in part to senior backstop Loryn Porter (North Bay, Ont.) Porter saved 33 of 34 shots she faced Saturday night during the Black Bears 2-1 upset and kicked out a total of 70 shots on the weekend. Providence netminder Sandra Abstreiter (Freising, Germany) kicked out all 23 shots she faced from Maine on Friday in a 4-0 Friars win, her second shutout of the year.

UConn swept Merrimack by a total score of 9-0 over the weekend, led by five points from Viki Harkness (Berwick, Ont.) and four from rookie Jada Habisch (Buffalo, Minn.) including the freshman’s first career hat trick in a 4-0 win on Friday while Friars senior Annelise Rice (Excelsior, Minn.) netted two goals, including the game-winning strike.


HOCKEY EAST WOMEN'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK

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Val Caldwell - Vermont

Val Caldwell (Glenview, Ill.) had the game-winning goal and two assists in Vermont’s season opening 4-2 win over New Hampshire at Gutterson Fieldhouse on Saturday night. The outing marked the second time in the senior’s career with three points or more in a single contest for the Catamounts.


PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

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Jada Habisch - UConn

On Friday afternoon, rookie Jada Habisch (Buffalo, Minn.) scored her first career hat trick, including the game-winning goal, in a 4-0 win over Merrimack. She followed that up with an assist in Saturday’s 5-0 victory, to lead all league skaters in goals, power-play points, and plus-minus with a plus-four rating.


HOCKEY EAST WOMEN'S DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

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Loryn Porter - Maine

Loryn Porter (North Bay, Ont.) saved 33 of 34 shots she faced Saturday night during the Black Bears 2-1 upset of #7 Providence on the road. Her weekend total was 70 stops in a split road series against the nationally ranked Friars.


HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS

Viki Harkness, UConn (Jr., F; Berwick, Ont.) Led all league skaters with four assists and five points last weekend, helping UConn to a weekend sweep of Merrimack by a combined score of 9-0. She set up three goals in Friday’s 4-0 win, including the game-winning assist, and added a goal and assist in Saturday’s 5-0 win.

Tia Chan, UConn (Fr., G; Hamilton, Ont.) Made 25 saves to earn her first career shutout on Saturday in a 5-0 win over Merrimack.

Ally Johnson, ME (Jr., F; Milwaukee, Wis.) Scored two goals in Saturday night’s upset of No. 7 Providence. Both goals were even strength, and the victory came in Rhode Island.

Lauren Martin, UNH (Jr., F; Cambridge, Ont.) Scored a goal in both games at Vermont to help UNH earn a series split against the Catamounts. Her goal in Sunday’s 2-0 win was the second of two tallies 60 seconds apart early in the third period and she finished the weekend with 11 shots on net.

Nicole Kelly, UNH (Fr., F; Brantford, Ont.) Registered an assist in both games at Vermont to help UNH earn a series split and increase her team-leading total to six assists this season. Kelly recorded the primary assist on UNH’s second goal of the 2-0 win Sunday night and fired 12 shots on net in the two games.

Ava Boutilier, UNH (Jr., G; Charlottetown, P.E.I.) Boutilier recorded her first shutout of the season with a 30-save effort in Sunday night’s 2-0 victory at Vermont. The win gave UNH a series split with the Catamounts. Boutilier finished the series with a .942 save percentage on 65 saves and a 2.04 GAA. She made a season-high 35 saves in Saturday’s 4-2 loss.

Annelise Rice, PC (Sr., F; Excelsior, Minn.) Netted two goals, including the game-winning strike, in Providence’s 4-0 win over Maine on Friday afternoon. It was Rice’s third decisive tally of the season and she now has five goals on the year.

Brooke Becker, PC (Fr., D; Orchard Park, N.Y.) Scored a goal and added an assist in the Friar’s shutout victory over Maine on Friday.

Sandra Abstreiter, PC (Sr., G; Freising, Germany) Kicked out all 23 shots she faced from Maine on Friday in a 4-0 Friars win, posting her second blank sheet of the year. On the weekend, she stopped 52 of 53 shots she faced from the Black Bears in a 1-1-0 series split.

Natálie Mlynková, UVM (Fr., F; Zlin, Czech Republic) Had a goal and an assist in her collegiate debut Saturday night in a 4-2 win over New Hampshire. On Sunday she led the team with three blocked shots.