Senior forward Audra Richards scored a hat trick for the Black Bears

Prd	Time	Team	Score	Type	Scored By	Assists
1st	11:38	MNE	1-0	EV GW	Audra Richards (1)	Anna Wright/1
1st	17:33	MNE	2-0	PP	Audra Richards (2)	Emilie Brigham/1, Mikayla Rogers/1
3rd	10:43	MNE	3-0	EV	Brooke Stacey (1)	Nicole Arnold/1
3rd	18:13	MNE	4-0	EV EN	Audra Richards (3)	-

Scoring	1st	2nd	3rd	Final
Maine	2	0	2	4
New Hampshire	0	0	0	0

Shots on Goal	1st	2nd	3rd	SOG
Maine	6	12	3	21
New Hampshire	9	5	15	29

Team Stats and Records	PP	PIM	SHGF
Maine (1-0-0)	1/4	4/8	0
New Hampshire (0-1-0)	0/4	4/8	0

Maine Goaltending	MIN	GA	1	2	3	Saves
Meghann Treacy (W, 1-0-0)	60:00	0	9	5	15	29

New Hampshire Goaltending	MIN	GA	1	2	3	Saves
Hilary Cashin (L, 0-1-0)	58:27	3	4	12	1	17
Empty Net	1:33	1

View full box score

DURHAM, N.H. - University of New Hampshire freshman goaltender Hilary Cashin (Fredericton, New Brunswick) made 17 saves in her collegiate debut but Audra Richards recorded a hat trick to lift the University of Maine women's ice hockey team to Friday night's 4-0 victory at the Whittemore Center. It was the both the season and Hockey East league opener for both teams. The Black Bears went 1-for-4 with three shots on the power play while UNH was 0-for-4 on four shots. Maine goalie Meghan Treacy recorded 29 saves, including 15 in the third period, to shut out the Wildcats. Brooke Stacey recorded a goal and an assist.

UNH carried play in the opening minutes of the game and, in the seventh minute, Jonna Curtis (Elk River, Minn.) snapped a shot from deep in the right circle into Treacy. Jenna Rheault (Deering, N.H.) corralled the rebound in the slot and fired a shot wide left of the cage. One minute later at the other end of the ice, Maine recorded its first shot when Cassidy Herman wristed a shot from the top of the left circle, but Cashin easily redirected it away. Maine took a 1-0 lead at 11:38 when Richards' shot from the right circle caromed off a defender to the low slot and then ricocheted off a second Wildcat into the net. Anna Wright was credited with an assist.

Richards' power-play goal gave the visitors a two-goal advantage at 17:33. Mikayla Rogers initiated the scoring sequence with a pass to the slot and Stacey executed a backdoor pass to Richards alone at the left post. Curtis generated another dangerous scoring chance in the closing minute of the opening stanza on a wrister from the right faceoff dot, but Treacy was in position to envelop the puck with her torso. UNH trailed 2-0 at the first intermission despite recording a 9-6 shot advantage. Ninety seconds into the second period, Carlee Toews (Grand Prairie, Alberta) lifted a one-time from between the hashmarks in the slot but Treacy snared the puck with her glove. In the seventh minute, UNH's Amy Boucher (Edmonton, Alberta) battled her way past a pair of Black Bears down the left wing into the corner before sending a pass to the near post, where Cassandra Vilgrain (Calgary, Alberta) attempted to jam the puck into the net but was thwarted by Treacy.

Moments later, Cashin kept the 'Cats within two goals when she turned aside Emilie Brigham's shot from the left circle as well as Alyson Matteau's bid from the right wing off the rebound. Midway through the period, UM's Kelsey MacSorley blasted a slap shot from the left circle that was blocked in the slot by a 'Cat. Eve Boissoneault collected the loose puck, however, and fired a shot that Cashin kicked away with her right leg pad. UNH went on its second power play of the game at 16:24 and Curtis generated the best scoring opportunity when she snapped a shot from the slot that Treacy blocked aside. The puck cycled back to Curtis in the slot and this time she slapped a shot wide left. Maine recorded a 12-5 shot advantage in the scoreless second period for an overall margin of 18-13. With the Wildcats on the power play in the third minute of the final frame, Nicoline Jensen (Rodovre, Denmark) curled from behind the net to the left post before lifted a shot into Treacy. Play continued, however, and a blast from the slot off the stick of Amy Schlagel (Blaine, Minn.) hit Treacy and trickled wide of the right post.

Stacey gave Maine a 3-0 lead at 10:43 of the third period. Her initial shot from the high slot hit teammate Nicole Arnold in front, but Arnold nudged the puck to the charging Stacey and she wristed a shot inside the right post. Matteau, who initially made the centering pass from the left boards to Stacey, was also credited with an assist. With a faceoff in their offensive zone, the 'Cats pulled Cashin in favor of an extra skater with 3:20 remaining. Maine called time out before play resumed. UNH immediately gained possession off the faceoff and Boucher's shot attempt was blocked. The Wildcats kept the puck in the zone but Treacy preserved the shutout by denying Devan Taylor (North Billerica, Mass.) at the right doorstep. The puck trickled out to the left circle, where Richards sent a shot the length of the ice into the open net to give Maine a 4-0 lead at 18:13. Cashin reentered the game at that point and remained in net the rest of the way. Neither team recorded a shot the final 1:47. New Hampshire returns to action Oct. 9 (5 p.m.) vs. Lindenwood. The Wildcats then play host to Syracuse on Oct. 10 (2 p.m.).