DURHAM, N.H. - Brittany Dougherty recorded a goal and an assist to lead the University of Maine women's ice hockey team to Friday night's 3-0 victory against the University of New Hampshire in Hockey East action at the Whittemore Center.
UNH dropped to 4-9-2 overall and 0-5-1 in Hockey East with its fifth consecutive loss. Maine extended its unbeaten streak to six games (3-0-3) to improve to 9-5-4, 4-3-1.
In her first career start - following a relief appearance each of the previous three games - UNH freshman goaltender Moe Bradley (Swampscott, Mass.) made 18 saves, including eight in the first period.
Maine goaltender Brittany Ott recorded double-digit saves all three periods with 10 in both the first and third as well as 12 in the second to finish with 32 overall. It was Ott's second shutout of the season and marked the fourth time this year the Black Bears shut out an opponent.
UNH went on the power play just 1:06 into the game, but the visitors were the ones who netted an early goal to take a 1-0 lead. Dougherty blocked a pass high in Maine's defensive zone and skated along the right dashers into the offensive zone, where her shot from the top of the circle sailed into the upper-right corner of the net at 1:28.
The Wildcats had a breakaway opportunity in the sixth minute when Arielle O'Neill (St. Catharines, Ontario) threaded a pass through the neutral zone to Kristina Lavoie (Fonthill, Ontario) at the opposite blue line. Lavoie maneuvered down the slot and shifted to the right, but her lifted backhanded shot was snared by Ott.
New Hampshire, which entered the game ranked 11th in the country on the power play, went on its third power-play opportunity of the game at 15:40 of the opening stanza. Once again it was Maine, ranked second-to-last nationally in penalty kill, that scored to build a 2-0 lead. Myriam Croussette collected Dougherty's pass in the left circle and charged the net. Bradley stopped that point-blank shot, but the puck carried into the crease and ricocheted off Croussette's skate into the open net at 16:19.
UNH gained a two-skater advantage for 56 seconds at 16:45, but Ott turned aside shots by O'Neill and Maggie Hunt (Naperville, Ill.) to preserve the Black Bears' two-goal advantage and Maine's defense did not allow a shot through the remainder of the Wildcats' extended power play that ended at 18:45.
The 'Cats controlled play early in the second period. Emma Clark (East Barre, Vt.) led a rush down the right wing and saucered a centering pass to Jess Ryan (Cloquet, Minn.), whose wrister was stopped by Ott.
In the third minute, Kristine Horn (Utica, Mich.) advanced down the slot and lifted a shot from the hashmarks off the crossbar. She corralled the rebound at the left post and circled back through the slot before firing a high backhander towards the upper-right corner that Ott caught with her glove.
One minute later, Kayla Mork (Victoria, Minn.) was positioned at the top of the crease and denied twice by Ott.
With 1:30 remaining in the second period, Horn won a battle for the puck in front of the Maine bench and chipped a pass forward to Lavoie. She carried the puck into the top of the left circle and backhanded a pass to the slot, where Caroline Broderick (Marblehead, Mass.) snapped a hard shot wide right of the cage.
Maine quickly counterattacked and Tori Pasquariello converted Missy Denk's pass into a goal - and 3-0 lead for the visitors - at 19:00.
Dougherty nearly extended the advantage to four goals at 8:20 of the third period when a low shot from the high slot beat Bradley but caromed off the left post.
UNH's best scoring opportunity of the final frame occurred during a power play with 6:45 remaining in the game. Jenna Lascelle (Cornwall, Ontario) fired a shot from close range that was mishandled by Ott, who then covered up the shot that was chipped towards the net by Heather Kashman (Edmonton, Alberta) at the top of the crease.
The Wildcats finished the game with a 32-21 shot advantage and 0-for-6 on the power play with two shorthanded goals against. Maine did not score on three power-play chances.
New Hampshire continues its four-game homestand Nov. 26 (2:05 p.m.) against Princeton University. The game will be broadcast live on WBIN-TV. The Wildcats conclude a stretch of three games in five days Nov. 29 (7 p.m.) against Union College.