DURHAM, N.H. -- Meghan Agosta recorded a goal and an assist and Laura Hosier made 30 saves to lead the third-ranked Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team to Saturday night’s 2-1 victory against second-ranked University of New Hampshire in the finale of the UNH Tournament at the Whittemore Center.
UNH, which had its 32-game (28-0-4) home unbeaten streak come to an end, is now 13-2-1 overall; the Wildcats hadn’t lost at home since Jan. 5, 2005. Mercyhurst, which also defeated ninth-ranked Boston College (4-0) on Friday night to win the tourney, is now 12-1-1.
In Saturday’s first game, Boston College (10-2-1) defeated Wayne State University (5-9-0) to claim third place. WSU finished the tourney 0-2-0 with its losses to BC and UNH (7-1).
Following a scoreless first period in which the ‘Cats recorded a 10-5 shot advantage, the Lakers took a 1-0 lead at 19:20 of the middle stanza. The initial shot by Agosta, who was named UNH Tournament MVP for her four-point effort (2g, 2a), from the right point was stopped by Melissa Bourdon (Ile Bizard, Quebec). Bourdon also denied Valerie Chouinard from the low slot but the rebound went to the right post, where Julia Colizza was unmarked and scored into the open side.
Mercyhurst extended its lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal at 6:04 of the third period. Ashley Pendleton’s shot from the left point hit Bourdon in the chest but Agosta, standing at the top of the crease, swatted the puck out of mid-air into the net.
The Wildcats went on the power play just 29 seconds later, however, and needed only 12 seconds to trim the deficit to 2-1 at 6:45. Jennifer Hitchcock (LaSalle, Ontario) scored her team-leading 11th goal of the season when she redirected the shot from the left point by Martine Garland (Toronto, Ontario) into the net. Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.) extended her point-scoring streak to seven games with an assist on the tally.
UNH threatened in the closing minutes. With 1:30 remaining, MC goalie Laura Hosier stopped Hitchcock’s shot from the slot and Sadie Wright-Ward (Durham, N.H.) fired a shot wide left off the rebound. The ‘Cats pulled Bourdon in favor of an extra skater with 53 seconds to play and called time out with :47 on the clock.
New Hampshire generated pressure in the waning seconds, as a shot by Sam Faber (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) was blocked and another by Bellamy went wide before Hitchcock’s tip at the left post was stopped by Hosier with two seconds remaining.
Bourdon finished with 19 saves and Hosier stopped 30 shots. Hosier and Chouinard were named to the All-Tournament Team, as were UNH’s Hitchcock and Maggie Joyce (Norfolk, Mass.), who had a goal and three assists vs. WSU; BC’s Kelli Stack and WSU’s Lindsay DiPietro completed the All-Tournament Team.
In the early game, BC took a 2-0 first-period lead on power-play goals by Deborah Spillane and Allie Thunstrom 1:20 apart, at 9:53 and 11:13, respectively. WSU pulled even when DiPietro (goal, three assists) and Sam Poyton (two goals) scored in a span of 2:24 at 13:16 and 15:30. Spillane struck again at 19:38 to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead at the first intermission.
BC’s Lauren Wiedmeier scored at 5:46 of the middle stanza to extend the advantage to 4-2 but Poyton scored a power-play goal 69 seconds later to pull the Warriors within 4-3. Erin Blood struck at 12:41 of the final frame to once again reestablish a two-goal lead, then Chelsea Burnett put the puck in the net at 17:49 to close the game scoring. Stack finished with three assists and Anna McDonald had two.
New Hampshire returns to action Dec. 2 at home vs. Vermont. Game time at the Whittemore Center is 7 p.m.