FOUR GOALS IN THIRD PERIOD GIVE NORTHEASTERN 4-0 WIN AT NEW HAMPSHIRE
Sophomore forward Rachel Llanes nets two goals for Huskies

Sophomore forward Rachel Llanes scored two goals for the Huskies

DURHAM, N.H. - Rachel Llanes scored twice, Alyssa Wohlfeiler recorded two assists and Florence Schelling stopped all 22 shots she faced to lead the 10th-ranked Northeastern University women's ice hockey team to Wednesday night's 4-0 Hockey East victory against the University of New Hampshire at the Whittemore Center.

UNH is now 8-8-0 overall and 2-6-0 in Hockey East. Northeastern, which had been winless (0-26-1) vs. the Wildcats dating back to the 2002 postseason, improved to 10-3-4, 3-2-3.

Following two scoreless periods of play in which UNH generated an 18-15 shot advantage, the Huskies broke the game open early in the final frame with three goals in a span of 2 minutes, 29 seconds, the last two of which were 11 seconds apart.

Llanes opened the scoring at 3:18 when she was positioned in the slot to redirect Casie Fields' shot from the left point past New Hampshire goaltender Lindsey Minton (Richardson, Texas; 25 saves). Casey Pickett was also credited with an assist.

Julia Marty, with the assistance of Wohlfeiler, gave the Huskies a 2-0 lead at 5:36 and then Katie MacSorley struck at 5:47 to quickly extend the advantage to three goals. Maggie DiMasi set up MacSorley's team-leading 11th goal of the season.

Northeastern pushed the lead to 4-0 at 11:47. Wohlfeiler's initial shot from the right side of the slot sailed wide of the near post and the rebound off the end boards went to the left post, where an unmarked Llanes deposited the puck into the open net.

NU finished the third period with a 14-4 shot advantage for a total edge of 29-22. The Huskies were scoreless - and held without a shot - on two power-play opportunities. UNH was also scoreless on two man advantages, though the 'Cats did record four shots during those opportunities.

The visitors had a couple of dangerous scoring chances in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Siena Falino's one-timer from the low slot with 14 minutes on the clock was stopped by Minton, who also denied Pickett at the left doorstep midway through the first period.

Moments later, the Wildcats tested Schelling when a shot from the right point by Raylen Dziengelewski (Southwick, Mass.) was redirected by Maggie Hunt (Naperville, Ill.) in front of the net. UNH closed the first period on the power play and generated pressure in the closing seconds, but Schelling turned aside both Kristina Lavoie (Fonthill, Ontario) and Arielle O'Neill (St Catharines, Ontario).

In the opening minutes of the second stanza, Schelling was forced to make an acrobatic save with her right leg pad when the centering pass from the left circle by Courtney Sheary (Melrose, Mass.) ricocheted off the shin of Brittany Skudder (Plainview, N.Y.) towards the left post.

Midway through the game, NU generated a 3-on-1 rush in which Kristi Kehoe's one-timer from the inner left circle was blocked aside by Minton, who slid across the crease to make the save.

Less than two minutes later, Nicole Gifford (Peterborough, Ontario) corralled a loose puck from a scrum in front of the NU net and fired a shot that Schelling stopped.

New Hampshire returns to action Dec. 4 (1 p.m.) at 10th-ranked Providence College. UNH closes the month of December with home games against regional rivals Harvard University (Dec. 9; 7 pm.) and Dartmouth College (Dec. 11; 2 p.m.).