BOSTON -- Jenn Wakefield (Pickering, Ontario), who was named Mission Rookie of the Month earlier in the day, scored two goals to lead the second-ranked University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team to Thursday night's 4-1 Hockey East victory against Boston University at Walter Brown Arena.
UNH, now 14-0-0 lifetime against BU, won its fifth consecutive game to improve to 6-1-0 overall and 4-0-0 in Hockey East. BU, which played its sixth consecutive game against a nationally-ranked team, is now 0-5-2, 0-2-0.
Following a scoreless first period, UNH scored goals 30 seconds apart in the opening 1:22 of the middle stanza to quickly build a 2-0 lead. The 'Cats struck first at 52 seconds on a power-play opportunity that carried over from the first period. Sam Faber (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) carried the puck in the right circle and moved it back to the right point for Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.), whose shot caromed to Kelly Paton (Woodstock, Ontario; two assists) in the low slot. BU goaltender Allyse Wilcox thwarted Paton's bid, but Wakefield jammed the loose puck into the net. Sadie Wright-Ward (Durham, N.H.) struck 30 seconds later at 1:22 when Leah Craig (Seaforth, Ontario), standing at the right post, passed the puck across the crease to an unmarked Wright-Ward. Courtney Birchard (Mississauga, Ontario) was credited with an assist on the tally, which also marked Craig's 50th career assist and 98th career point.
Faber, off a feed from Wakefield behind the net, was stoned at the top of the crease at 8:30 of the second period. UNH went on back-to-back power plays late in the stanza. On the first one, the trio of Faber, Wakefield and Michaela Long (South Boston, Mass.) generated heavy pressure down low but could not get a shot past Wilcox. On the next extra-skater advantage, Wilcox denied strong scoring chances by Craig and Jennifer Hitchcock (LaSalle, Ontario).
Early in the third period, UNH goalie Kayley Herman (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) made her top save of the night when she made a quick glove save to deny Lauren Cherewyk off a rebound at the top of the crease.
Wakefield netted her second power-play goal of the night -- her seventh overall this season -- to give the 'Cats a 3-0 lead at 9:56. She carried the puck behind the net, Paton gathered a loose puck in the right corner and returned the puck to Wakefield, who cut in deep along the right circle to score.
BU scored at 16:54 when Nicki Wiart's shot from the top of the left circle bounced in-and-out of Herman's glove and then crossed the goal line before the sprawling goalie could turn around to cover the puck.
The Terriers pulled Wilcox in favor of an extra skater but Hithcock skated along the left boards and fired a shot from the point into the net to extend UNH's advantage to 4-1 at 18:16. Julia Marty (Nussbaumen, Switzerland) recorded her first career point with an assist on the outlet pass to Hitchcock.
Herman finished with 14 saves, seven of which came in the third period. Wilcox stopped 33 shots, including 17 in the middle stanza.
The Wildcats recorded a 6-4 shot advantage in the scoreless first period despite killing three penalties, including a 5x3 stretch of 1:50 in the latter stages of the stanza. BU generated the first dangerous scoring opportunity when Melissa Anderson swept in from the left circle to the top of the crease, where she was stopped by Herman.UNH went on a power play at 12:36 and generated a dangerous sequence in which Bellamy was denied from the right circle and Martine Garland (Toronto, Ontario) was stymied on a screened shot from the high slot.