Senior defenseman Tori Howran posted three assists for the Wildcats
New Hampshire Topples Boston College, 5-1
Senior defenseman Tori Howran posted three assists for the Wildcats

DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team defeated the Boston College Eagles by a score of 5-1 on Saturday afternoon at the Whittemore Center Arena. The Wildcats' final home game of the 2019-2020 season served as senior day for eight student-athletes, playing their final home game in Durham.

The seniors responded with eight of the teams 14 points on the afternoon, as UNH went up early and never looked back. Three goals were tallied by seniors Abby Chapman (Beverly Hills, Mich.), Meghara McManus (Milton, Mass.) and Nicole Dunbar (Coto de Caza, Calif.), while the other two came from sophomore Emily Rickwood (Brantford, Ontario) and freshman Jada Christian (Caledon East, Ontario).

In net, redshirt sophomore Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) was a force in net stopping 30 of BC's 31 shots in the contest for her 11th win of the season.


GAME INFORMATION:

Date: Feb. 22, 2020 - 2:10 P.M.
Location: Whittemore Center Arena - Durham, N.H.
Attendance: 684
Score: UNH 5 (16-14-3, 12-12-3 HE), BC 1 (16-14-4, 14-11-2 HE)

Goals:

UNH (5) - Abby Chapman, Emily Rickwood (PP, GW), Meghara McManus, Nicole Dunbar (PP), Jada Christian (PP)

BC (1) - Kelly Browne

Assists:

UNH (9) - Meghara McManus, Tori Howran (3), Carlee Turner (2), Taylor Wenczkowski, Tamara Thiérus, Lauren Martin

BC (2) - Caroline FiFiore, Hannah Bilka

Goaltenders:

UNH -Ava Boutilier - 9-9-12 - 30 (1 GA) {60:00} (W)

BC - Kelly Pickreign - 11-11-5 - 27 (5 GA) {59:51} (L)


GAME RECAP

- New Hampshire set the tone early with a goal just 3:01 into the game as a rush up ice by Meghara McManus opened up a passing late across the ice to Abby Chapman. McManus hit Chapman in the high slot and she slid to the left-side faceoff dot where she fired a shot that hit off the near-side post and bounced into the net for the 1-0 lead.

- The Wildcats tallied their first power play goal of the afternoon 11:10 into the first when a pass around the umbrella from senior Taylor Wenczkowski (Rochester, N.H.) found fellow senior Carlee Turner (Scottsdale, Ariz.) who kept the pass going on to Emily Rickwood at the top of the near-side faceoff circle. Rickwood settled the puck and fired a wrist shot that snuck through the five-hole of Pickreign for the 2-0 lead.

- BC answered back 14:34 into the period on an offensive rush of its own; Kelly Browne got the puck just outside the crease and fired a shot that was saved by Ava Boutilier, but the defense couldn't clean up the scrum and Browne poked the puck in to cut UNH's lead to just one goal.

- The Wildcats tacked on two more in the second period by way of an even strength one-on-one and a power play tally midway through the period.

- Carlee Turner stole the puck just inside her own blue line and quickly passed up-ice to a waiting Meghara McManus, who had snuck behind the defense in the neutral zone. McManus sped into the offensive zone for a one-on-one with Pickreign, gave a quick forehand-backhand, and snuck the puck past Pickreign on the stick side to extend UNH's lead to 3-1 just over five minutes into the second period.

- The 'Cats went up 4-1 on another power play goal 10:52 into the period on a re-entrance to the zone. Howran passed the puck up-ice to Tamara Thiérus (Saint-Jérôme, Quebec) in the offensive zone who dropped it back to Nicole Dunbar. Dunbar skated into the slot and fired a wrister that bounced off the stick-side post and in.

- New Hampshire's final goal came 6:53 into the third period on the power play; Tori Howran picked up her third assist of the afternoon as her shot was tipped on its way to the net by Jada Christian for the 5-1 lead.


BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

- The win is UNH's largest margin of victory over BC since December 8, 2009, when the Wildcats defeated the Eagles 4-0 at Conte Forum.

- New Hampshire will finish the 2019-2020 season with a .500 conference record (12-12-3), which is the first .500 or better conference finish since the 2016-17 season (11-11-2).

- UNH also finishes the 2019-2020 campaign with a 9-8-1 record at the Whittemore Center.

- This is the second time this season UNH has tallied three or more power play goals in a game. (2-0-0 in those contests.)

- Three assists in a game is a new career-high for Tori Howran, who now leads the team with 19 assists, beating her previous best season of 15 assists.

- Meghara McManus now leads the team with 17 goals; her previous season-high in goals was 12, set last season.


PENALTIES

UNH: 5-10 BC: 7-14


POWER PLAYS:

UNH: 3-6 BC: 0-4


NEW HAMPSHIRE LEADERS:

Points (3): Tori Howran
Goals (1): Five players
Assists (3): Tori Howran
Shots (4): Nicole Dunbar, Meghara McManus
Blocked Shots (2): Maddie Truax, Abby Chapman
Faceoffs (11): Carlee Turner


BOSTON COLLEGE LEADERS:

Points (1): Three players
Goals (1): Kelly Browne
Assists (1): Caroline DiFiore, Hannah Bilka
Shots (4): Four players
Blocked Shots (23): Cayla Barnes
Faceoffs (16): Kelly Browne

Game Summary

Saturday, February 22, 2020

1
5
Game statistics
31 Shots 32
0 / 4 Power Plays 3 / 6
7 / 14 PIM 5 / 10
16-14-3 Records 16-14-4
GOAL SCORERS
Boston College New Hampshire
Abby Chapman (1)
1st/3:01
Emily Rickwood (6)
1st/11:10 PP GW
Kelly Browne (13)
1st/14:34
Meghara McManus (17)
2nd/5:39
Nicole Dunbar (6)
2nd/10:52 PP
Jada Christian (9)
3rd/6:53 PP
GOALTENDERS
Boston College New Hampshire
Kelly Pickreign
59:51, 27 Saves, 5 GA
(L, 5-4-0)

Empty Net
0:09, 0 GA
Ava Boutilier
60:00, 30 Saves, 1 GA
(W, 11-9-2)