NEW HAMPSHIRE SHUTS OUT MAINE, 5-0
Kelly Paton records two goals and two assists for Wildcats

Kelly Paton had two goals and two assists for UNH

DURHAM, N.H. - Kelly Paton (Woodstock, Ontario) recorded four points, Raylen Dziengelewski (Southwick, Mass.) and Micaela Long (South Boston, Mass.) tallied three points apiece and Kayley Herman (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) stopped all 12 shots she faced to lead the fourth-ranked University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team to Sunday afternoon's 5-0 victory against the University of Maine at the Whittemore Center.

UNH is now 7-0-1 at home this season as well as 7-1-2 overall and 3-0-0-0 in Hockey East. The Wildcats have won 12 consecutive games against Maine and have a 26-game unbeaten streak (23-0-3) in the series. Maine is now 2-7-1 overall and 0-3-1-0 in Hockey East.

Paton, who has recorded a point in all 10 games, tallied two goals and two assists to match her career high of four points. Dziengelewski finished with three assists while Long tallied a goal and two assists. Kelly Cahill (Farmington Hills, Mich.) also finished with multiple points; she scored the game-winning goal when she gave the 'Cats a 1-0 lead at 11:15 of the first period and also had an assist.

Herman made six of her 12 saves in the third period. It marked her second shutout of the season and 13th of her career.

Maine starting goaltender Candice Currier stopped 30 of 32 shots she faced through two periods to keep the Black Bears within striking distance (2-0 deficit), but then surrendered three goals in the opening 8:37 of the final frame. She exited the game at that point with 33 saves. Brittany Ott played the last 11:23 and stopped all four shots she faced.

UNH took a 1-0 lead on Cahill's power-play goal. Dziengelewski initiated the scoring sequence with a tape-to-tape pass from center ice that sent Kristine Horn (Utica, Mich.) into the offensive zone at the high slot. Horn slid a pass to the right circle, where Cahill fired a shot into the net.

The Wildcats continued to generate offensive pressure and recorded 13 first-period shots, but Currier limited the 'Cats to just the power-play goal in the opening 20 minutes.

New Hampshire continued to control possession and cycle the puck in the middle stanza to generate a 19-3 shot advantage and score one more goal. Currier stopped Dziengelewski's initial shot from the right point, but Paton corralled the rebound at the right doorstep and roofed a shot into the near corner to give the 'Cats a 2-0 advantage at 13:22. Kailey Chappell (Pickering, Ontario) was credited with her first career assist.

Maine, which didn't generate many dangerous scoring chances in the opening 40 minutes, tested Herman early in the third while on the power play. Elyce Thomas, from behind the net, threw the puck in front of the net, where Amy Stech one-timed a shot that was turned aside by Herman's acrobatic effort.

Minutes later, UNH netted goals 28 seconds apart - at 4:46 and 5:14 - to put the game out of reach. Cahill's indirect pass from the defensive zone sprung Paton along the right dashers. Paton carried the puck into the right circle and saucered a pass across the slot to Long, who redirected a shot into the open left side of the net to extend the Wildcats' advantage to 3-0.

Bryanna Farris (Carleton Place, Ontario) netted her first collegiate goal with a shot from the high slot that sailed through traffic and eluded Currier. Long, with a pass from the right point to Farris, and Paton were credited with assists.

Paton, with the assistance of Dziengelewski and Long, closed the scoring at 8:37.

New Hampshire returns to action Nov. 6 (7 p.m.) at Boston University. The Wildcats' next home game is Nov. 7 vs. BU. The game, which is part of a weekend-long Wildcat Food Drive, begins at 7 p.m.