AROUND HOCKEY EAST: Northeastern and New Hampshire played a two-game league series last weekend. Despite the Huskies outshooting the Wildcats 30-18 on Friday, UNH took the victory off an overtime winner from sophomore forward Devan Taylor (North Billerica, Mass.). Northeastern bounched back Saturday, as junior forward McKenna Brand (Nevis, Minn.) scored her 18th and 19th goals of the season to take the NCAA goal-scoring lead and fellow junior forward Denisa Krizova (Horni Cerekev, Czech Republic) netted her 12th of the season, assisted by Brand, as NU blanked UNH, 3-0. NU sophomore goaltender Brittany Buglaski (Boynton Beach, Fla.) stopped all 30 shots she faced and got her 13th win and league leading fourth shutout of the season … Providence hit the road to take on Cornell in a two-game set. The Friars took the first game, 2-0, off the sticks freshman forward Kathleen McHugh (Billerica, Mass.) and junior forward Brooke Boquist (Thunder Bay, Ont.) as freshman goaltender Clare Minnerath (Sartell, Minnesota) stopped all 26 shots faced for her first career shutout in her first career start. The Friars fell, 5-1, the next night ... In its only game of the weekend, No. 6 Boston College hosted Boston University skated to a 1-1 stalemate. For the Terriers it was junior forward Nina Rodgers (Minnetonka, Minn.) who potted her sixth of the season to give BU a 1-0 lead. The Eagles responded off the stick of senior forward Kristyn Capizzano (Oakville, Ont.), her fourth goal in two games, to knot it at 1-1. In net, BU senior Victoria Hanson (Stoughton, Mass.) made a career-high 45 saves on 46 shots faced. On the other end BC junior goaltender Katie Burt (Lynn, Mass.) made 28 saves on 29 Terrier chances … Merrimack and UConn split a weekend series, each team taking a 3-2 win. UConn freshman forward Briana Colangelo (Whitby, Ont.) broke a 2-2 tie Friday with her sixth goal of the season midway through the third, while Merrimack freshman forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis (Brampton, Ont.) found the back of the net with under four seconds remaining in regulation to lift Merrimack to a 3-2 win the next night … Maine freshman forward Tereza Vanisova (Strakonice, Czech Republic) started off the scoring with her 13th goal of the season to put the Black Bears up 1-0 at Vermont, the Catamounts responded with four unanwered goals to take a 4-1 victory. Senior forward Bridget Baker (Los Gatos, Calif.) potted the game winner in the second period, her eighth decisive tally of the season. Sunday was much the same story, as Maine junior forward Catherine Tufts (Church Point, N.S.) got Maine out to an early 1-0 lead, but UVM stormed back as Baker again netted the game winner.
KRISTYN CAPIZZANO - BOSTON COLLEGE
McKenna Brand (Nevis, Minn.) racked up five points (2g ,3a) in three outings, including a game-winner and setting up another decisive tally. Her threepoint game on Jan. 7 lofted her into the national scoring lead with 19 goals.
Kristyn Capizzano (Oakville, Ont.) had four goals in two games, including her first career hat trick against Syracuse. She then netted the third-period, game-tying goal against BU in a 1-1 tie.
Clare Minnerath (Sartell, Minn.), in her first collegiate start for the Friars, posted a 26-save shutout in a 2-0 win over Cornell. Minnerath also backstopped six penalty kills for the Friars in the contest, holding the Big Red scoreless.
Victoria Hanson (Stoughton, Mass.) matched a career high with 45 saves in a 1-1 stalemate with No. 6 Boston College on Saturday for the Terriers. Her total included nine overtime saves, including three on an Eagles power play chance. Hanson allowed no even strength goals in the contest.
HOCKEY EAST WEEKLY TOP PERFORMERS
Katie Burt, BC (Jr., G; Lynn, Mass.) Went 1-0-1 with 1.92 GAA and 53 saves, 28 of those saves coming in a 1-1 tie against BU
Rebecca Lindblad, UConn (So., F; Winnetka, Ill.) Assisted on both game tying goals for the Huskies in the series against Merrimack, also netting one goal to tie the game in the third period on Sunday.
Kayla Mee, UConn (So., D; Stonewall, Mani.) Had an assist in a 4-2 loss to NU, then scored both opening goals in the two game series against Merrimack. Currently Mee is on a six game point streak.
Briana Colangelo, UConn (Fr., F; Whitby, Ont.) Had two goals on the week for the Huskies, including the game winner on 1/6 in a 3-2 win over Merrimack.
Mikyla Grant-Mentis, MC (Fr., F; Brampton, Ont.) Scored two goals for the Warriors this weekend, including an unassisted game winner with under four seconds left against UConn.
Madison Morey, MC (So., F; Fairbanks, Alaska) Netted her first two goals of the season for the Warriors over the weekend, including the OT winner again Vermont in a 2-1 OT win.
Samantha Ridgewell, MC (So., G; Outlook, Sask.) Went 2-0 in net this weekend with a 1.50 GAA and a .945 save percentage with 52 saves. Backstopped the first win against UConn in program history.
Brittany Bugalski, NU (So., G; Boynton Beach, Fla.) Posted 1.65 GAA and a .921 save percentage with 58 stops on 63 shots faced in all three games last week. Had a shutout in a 30 save performance against UNH, her fourth shutout of the season.
Brooke Boquist, PC (Jr., F; Thunder Bay, Ont.) Was part of every goal against Cornell over the weekend, notching one goal and two helpers to bring her current point streak to three games.
Bridget Baker, UVM (Sr., F; Los Gatos, Calif.) Had both game winning goals as UVM swept Maine over the weekend, also assisted on the game-tying goal on Sunday.
Eve-Audrey Picard, UVM (Fr., F; Longueuil, Que.) Netted the game tying goal against Merrimack on 1/3
Madison Litchfield, UVM (Sr., G; Williston, Vt.) Stopped 26 of 27 faced on Sunday in a 3-1 win over Maine