ORONO, Maine - Jenn Wakefield (Pickering, Ontario) matched her career highs in goals (two), assists (two) and points (four) to propel the fifth-ranked University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team to Friday night's 7-1 victory against the University of Maine in Hockey East action at Alfond Arena.
UNH, which had been idle since a 4-1 victory against the University of Vermont on Nov. 1, extended its unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1) to improve to 7-1-3 overall and 3-1-2 in Hockey East. Maine lost its fifth consecutive game to move to 2-9-0, 0-5-0.
New Hampshire scored five special teams goals, including four power-play tallies, to finish with a season-high seven goals and 12 of 14 skaters recorded a point.
Julie Allen (Brampton, Ontario), Kacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.) and Courtney Birchard (Mississauga, Ontario) also recorded multiple points with two assists each. The single-goal scorers were Sarah Cuthbert (East Falmouth, Mass.), Sam Faber (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.), Maggie Joyce (Hudson, Ohio) and Kelly Paton (Woodstock, Ontario), while Courtney Sheary (Melrose, Mass) and Angela Taylor (Paisley, Scotland) each had one assist.
Kayley Herman (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) stopped five of six shots in two periods to earn the victory. Lindsey Minton (Richardson, Texas) shut out the Black Bears in the third period with two saves. UM counterpart Genevieve Turgeon was credited with 26 saves.
The Wildcats potted three power-play goals in a span of 83 seconds to quickly build a 3-0 lead and they took a 4-0 lead into the first intermission. UM was whistled for penalties at 8:44 and 9:13 to give the 'Cats a two-skater advantage. Off the ensuing faceoff, Bellamy swung the puck from the high slot to the left circle, where Wakefield quickly centered a pass down low that Faber redirected into the net at 9:21.
Another Black Bear went to the penalty box at 9:45 to give New Hampshire another 5-on-3 power play and UNH scored 15 seconds later to take a 2-0 lead. Bellamy initiated the sequence with a pass from the right wing to Birchard, whose shot from the high slot was redirected into the cage by Wakefield at the top of the crease. The goal extended Wakefield's goal-scoring streak to eight games, and she has at least one point in all nine games played this season.
UNH improved to 3-for-3 on the power play when Joyce scored her first goal of the season - sixth of her career - at 10:54 from the front doorstep. Taylor, who extended her assist streak to six games, and Long were credited with assists.
Sisk continued the scoring barrage at 12:33 to extend the advantage to 4-0. Allen skated down the slot and shifted across the crease to the right side. The puck slid off her stick, but Sisk, who was also charging the net, corralled the loose puck and lifted a shot under the crossbar.
Maine pulled within 4-1 at 3:51 of the second stanza when Jennie Gallo potted a 4-on-3 power-play goal by lifting a loose puck past an outstretched Herman into the net at the right doorstep.
Cuthbert's first career goal and point reestablished a four-goal cushion for the 'Cats at 15:45. She controlled the puck off Sheary's rebound and began to skate behind the net at the left post, but she stopped and banked a shot off Turgeon into the net.
New Hampshire led 5-1 and held a 27-6 shot advantage through two periods.
The lead grew to 6-1 on a power-play goal at 6:32. Wakefield's initial shot from the low slot was blocked by Turgeon, but Paton was positioned at the right post and deposited the rebound into the open net. Paton now has a point in all 11 games this season.
Wakefield capped the scoring with a shorthanded tally at 10:43. She intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and skated in alone from mid-ice down the slot, shifted to the left and roofed a shot into the goal.
UNH has a 28-1-3 lifetime record vs. the Black Bears. The 'Cats have won nine straight in the series and have an unbeaten streak of 23 games (20-0-3).
New Hampshire returns to action Nov. 21-22 for a two-game series against the University of Wisconsin at the Skatium in Fort Myers, Fla. The Wildcats' next home game is Nov. 26 (5 p.m.) against Northeastern University.