CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Redshirt sophomore goaltender Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) had herself an afternoon with 45 saves and an assist as the University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team defeated the #9-ranked Harvard Crimson by a score of 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Boutilier allowed just one goal on 46 shots faced, and had a primary assist on UNH's final goal of the game, the first by a UNH goaltender since the 2010-11 season. Her 45 saves tied her career-high set earlier this season at Northeastern, and her record on the season is now 7-6-1.
UNH's first two goals came from senior captain Taylor Wenczkowski (Rochester, N.H.) and freshman Tamara Thiérus (Saint-Jérôme, Quebec) who tallied the eventual game-winner. The final goal came 45 seconds into the third from junior Grace Middleton (Midland, Mich.) for her first tally of the season.
The Wildcats will take a weekend off and travel to Merrimack College on December 6 for the start of a home-and-home series between the Wildcats and the Warriors. That game takes place at 6 P.M. while the following game on December 7 will begin at 3 P.M. at the Whittemore Center. For tickets, visit UNHWildcats.com/tickets or call (603) 862-4000.
GAME INFORMATION:
Date: November 23, 2019 - 2 P.M.
Location: Bright-Landry Center - Cambridge, Mass.
Attendance: 343
Score: UNH 3 (7-7-2, 5-6-1 Hockey East) Harvard 1 (5-2-0, 5-0-0 ECAC)
Goals:
UNH (3) - Taylor Wenczkowski (EX), Tamara Thiérus (GW), Grace Middleton
HARV (1) - Anne Bioomer
Assists:
UNH (4) - Meghara McManus, Talli Warren, Annie Berry, Ava Boutilier
HARV (0) -
Goaltenders:
UNH - Ava Boutilier - 10-17-18 - 45 (1 GA) {59:52} (W)
HARV - Lindsay Reed - 12-12-8 - 32 (3 GA) {57:25} (L)
GAME RECAP
- New Hampshire struck first 18 minutes into the first period on a delayed penalty on Harvard. With an extra skater, the Wildcats got the puck behind the net to senior Meghara McManus (Milton, Mass.) who wrapped it around into the crease; the puck bounced off the stick of Reed and Taylor Wenczkowski charged the loose puck and flipped it over the glove-side shoulder of Reed for the 1-0 lead.
- UNH extended its lead 8:28 into the second as Tamara Thiérus entered the offensive zone with line-mate Annie Berry (Milton, Mass.). Thiérus backhanded a pass to Berry who gave it right back to Thiérus on the 2-on-2 rush. Thiérus attempted a backhand shot that went through the pads of Reed for the 2-0 lead.
- Harvard cut into the lead 15 minutes into that same frame as Anne Bioomer took the puck short-handed all the way down the ice and fired a shot that went five-hole; UNH would lead 2-1 going into the second intermission.
- The Wildcats would add the insurance goal just 45 seconds into the final frame as a save from Boutilier went to Grace Middleton who skated up ice on the five-on-three. Middleton took the shot herself and got a bounce off the stick of a defender and it went low into the net for the third Wildcat goal of the afternoon.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Boutilier's assist marks the second straight season a UNH netminder has tallied a point.
- Kyra Smith '19 tallied a secondary assist on the game-winning goal at Yale last season (4-3, January 8, 2019)
- Boutilier's assist is the first primary assist by a UNH netminder since Lindsey Minton in the 2010-11 season. Minton was the lone assist on a goal by Arielle O'Neill on October 16, 2010 at Union. It was the Wildcats' fourth goal in a 4-1 victory.
- Tamara Thiérus' goal was her first career game-winning goal.
- The win was UNH's second win over a ranked team this season; the Wildcats defeated #10 BU on October 12. It was also UNH's second win of the season while being outshot by the opponent.
PENALTIES
UNH: 0-0 HARV: 3-6
POWER PLAYS
UNH: 0-3 HARV: 0-0
NEW HAMPSHIRE LEADERS:
Points (1): Seven players
Goals (1): Three players
Assists (1): Four players
Shots (10): Meghara McManus
Blocked Shots (3): Meghara McManus, Emily Rickwoodf
Faceoffs (10): Carlee Turner
HARVARD LEADERS:
Points (1): Annie Bioomer
Goals (1): Annie Bioomer
Assists (0):
Shots (9): Dominique Petrie
Blocked Shots (3): Ali Peper
Faceoffs (20): Kristi Delle Rovere
