Chuli's 45 Saves Help UConn Tie New Hampshire, 2-2
Junior goaltender Elaine Chuli makes 45 saves for Huskies

Junior goaltender Elaine Chuli made 45 saves for the Huskies
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
1st 6:49  UNH1-0 EV Kayla Mork (3)Jonna Curtis/7, Nicoline Jensen/6
1st 12:52  UNH2-0 EV Cassandra Vilgrain (2)Amy Boucher/4
2nd 5:15  CON1-2 EV Rebecca Fleming (5)Kelly Harris/6
2nd 18:25  CON2-2 EV GT Margaret Zimmer (6)Marisa Maccario/2, Leah Lum/11
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd OT Final
Connecticut  02002
New Hampshire  20002
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd OT SOG
Connecticut  796022
New Hampshire  18915547
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Connecticut (7-16-7)  0/3 6/12 0
New Hampshire (8-19-2)  0/6 4/8 0
Connecticut Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 OT Saves
Elaine Chuli (T, 4-10-5)65:002 16915545
New Hampshire Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 OT Saves
Vilma Vaattovaara (T, 7-16-2)65:002 776020

DURHAM, N.H. - Kayla Mork (Victoria, Minn.) and Cassandra Vilgrain (Calgary, Alberta) netted first-period goals to lead the University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team to Sunday afternoon's 2-2 tie against the University of Connecticut at the Whittemore Center.

UNH, which swept a two-game series (including a 3-2 overtime win) at UConn in mid-January, is now 8-19-2 overall and 5-11-1 in Hockey East. The Wildcats climbed into a fifth-place tie with Providence College in the league standings by earning the point vs. the Huskies. UConn moves to 7-16-7 overall, 3-10-4 in Hockey East and 0-2-7 in OT.

UNH goaltender Vilma Vaattovaara (Veikkola, Finland) recorded 20 saves. UConn counterpart Elaine Chuli finished with 45 saves; she stopped the last 38 shots she faced, including five in the five-minute overtime session, to allow the Huskies to overcome a two-goal deficit.

Rebecca Fleming and Margaret Zimmer scored for the visitors, who were 6 of 6 on the penalty kill. The Wildcats' penalty kill was also perfect in three shorthanded situations.

The 'Cats took a 1-0 lead at 6:49 of the first period. Curtis' initial shot from the slot was stopped by Chuli but Mork, positioned at the left doorstep, deposited the rebound into the cage. Nicoline Jensen (Rodovre, Denmark) was also credited with an assist.

With the teams skating 4-on-4, Vilgrain extended the advantage to 2-0 at 12:52 when she ripped a centering feed from Amy Boucher (Edmonton, Alberta) into the net.

That was the last puck to get past Chuli, however, as she turned aside nine more shots in the opening stanza as well as nine in the second and 15 in the third in addition to the aforementioned five in OT.

New Hampshire took that two-goal lead and an 18-7 shot advantage into the first intermission.

UConn generated a dangerous scoring opportunity in the opening minute of the second period. Theresa Knutson's blast from the slot was stopped by Vaattovaarra, who quickly slid to the right post to also deny Kelly Harris.

The Huskies trimmed the deficit to 2-1 at 5:15 when Rebecca Fleming led a rush down the right wing and fired a shot from the faceoff dot inside the far post. Harris set up the tally.

UConn leveled the score, 2-2, at 18:25. Leah Lum initiated the scoring sequence with a pass out of the defensive zone to Zimmer, who in turn advanced the puck to Reese Maccario. Maccario's shot from the right wing was stopped by Vaattovaara but Zimmer, falling to her knee at the right post, lifted a backhand into the open near side.

In the 12th minute of the third period, Jensen was turned aside twice by Chuli - first, on a wrister deep on the left wing and then off the rebound in a scrum in front of the net. One minute later, Margo Lund (St. Paul, Minn.) battled past a UConn defender on the right half-board and angled to the top of the crease, where she was stoned by Chuli. The rebound went back to the low slot and Heather Kashman (Edmonton, Alberta) chipped a shot that was blocked aside by forward Emily Snodgrass.

With 6:15 remaining in regulation, Knutson led a charge on the right wing and blasted a shot from the top of the circle that ricocheted off the near post.

UNH went on its fifth power play of the game at 14:01 and Chuli kept the game deadlocked when she stopped a screened shot off the stick of Jess Ryan (Cloquet, Minn.) from the left point as well as Boucher on the rebound at the left doorstep. The 'Cats sustained pressure and Amy Schlagel (Blaine, Minn.) snapped a pass in front that Kashman redirected, but Chuli once again made the save.

With just under three minutes left in the third period, Curtis' backhander from the slot fluttered toward the net, but Chuli swatted the puck over the cage with her glove. Curtis regained possession at the left post but once again was denied by Chuli.

In the closing seconds of regulation, Armstrong tipped a shot wide. The rebound quickly went off the end boards to the right post, but Vilgrain's attempt to jam the puck in was thwarted by Chuli.

In the opening minute of overtime, Curtis snaked her way from the right circle to the slot only to have a shot knocked aside by Chuli.

The Wildcats went on the power play at 3:39 when UConn was whistled for tripping. The 'Cats called time out and Armstrong won the ensuing faceoff to allow UNH to set up its attack. Schlagel, who netted the game-winning, power-play overtime goal at UConn on Jan. 17, ripped a slapshot from the slot wide right of the cage. The puck cycled back to her and this time Schlagel's blast was stopped by Chuli, who further kept the 'Cats at bay with saves against Curtis and Armstrong.

New Hampshire travels to the University of Vermont for a two-game series Feb. 13-14. The Wildcats' next home game is Senior Day vs. Northeastern University on Feb. 21 (2 p.m.).