DURHAM, N.H. - Senior goaltender and captain Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) made 21 saves but the University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team was defeated 3-0 by Penn State University at the Whittemore Center on Thursday night.
Boutilier stopped nine shots in the first period, seven in the next, and five in the third period. Penn State goalie Josie Bothun made 23 saves for the shutout.
Lyndie Lobdell, Natalie Heising, and Mya Vaslet all recorded a goal. Heising and Lobdell also had an assist to finish with two points.
UNH falls to 6-10-2 overall while Penn State is now 9-6-2.
UP NEXT
- New Hampshire returns to action Friday, Dec. 10 (3 p.m.) at home for the two-game series finale against Penn State.
- The Wildcats are then on holiday break until Sunday, Jan. 2 (2 p.m.) at Dartmouth College.
FIRST PERIOD
- Penn State recorded a 10-8 shot advantage as they skated to a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes of play.
- UNH's best scoring chance in the opening frame came at 8:52, when junior Jada Christian (East Caledon, Ontario) was alone in the slot and quickly shoveled a centering pass toward the cage but Bothun was in position to envelope the puck.
- Moments later at the other end of the ice, Heising cut across the top of the crease but Boutilier shadowed her to make the save in front.
- The Nittany Lions scored late in the first period (13:48) when Lobdell's centering pass from deep in the right circle deflected off a UNH skater into the cage.
- With 1:33 on the clock, UNH junior Annie Berry (Milton, Mass.) jammed the puck into the net off a rebound at the left post. The play was reviewed, however, and the call on the ice was reversed to no goal and PSU continued to hold a 1-0 lead.
SECOND PERIOD
- Neither team recorded a shot advantage with seven shots apiece in the scoreless second period.
- Boutilier made a big stick save to deny Lexi Bedier charging down the slot at 5:22.
- UNH went on the first power play of the game at 18:03 of the second stanza. Berry and freshman Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario) fired back-to-back shot attempts wide of the cage, and then senior defenseman Emily Rickwood (Brantford, Ontario) was turned aside by Bothun.
THIRD PERIOD
- UNH recorded an 8-7 shot advantage in the final frame, but Penn State struck early to extend the advantage to 2-0 and added an empty-net goal with 2:38 remaining to secure the win.
- Thirty seconds into the third period, Juodikis stole the puck at the top of the left circle and advanced to the slot, where she ripped a shot that rang off the post.
- The Wildcats continued to pressure and sophomore Nicole Kelly (Branford, Ontario) was denied on a turnaround shot off the right doorstep.
- PSU took a 2-0 lead when Lobdell's shot from the left point was redirected in front by Vaslet. Izzy Heminger, with the pass across the blue line to Lobdell, was credited with the secondary assist.
- Six minutes into the stanza, Juodikis skated onto a loose puck in the slot and her backhander from close range was stopped by Bothun.
- Penn State capitalized on an empty net when Heising completed a 2-on-1 rush with a shot into the cage at 17:22 to give the Nittany Lions a 3-0 lead. Kiara Zanone led the odd-man rush that was set up by Anna Promersberger's outlet pass from the defensive zone.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- Penn State had a 24-23 shot advantage.
- UNH was 0-for-2 on the power play and the Wildcats were not whistled for a penalty.
- Penn State had the faceoff advantage, winning 24-18 in the circle.
- The Wildcats blocked 13 shots and Penn State had four blocked shots.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Senior captain Maddie Truax (Gardner, Mass.), junior Rae Breton (Brighton, Ontario), and Berry tied for the team high with two blocks.
- Truax leads Hockey East with 52 blocks this season.
- Berry also had a team high eight faceoff wins and followed by sophomore Brianna Brooks (Whitby, Ontario) with six wins.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has a 4-3-0 lifetime record against Penn State that includes 1-2-0 at the Whittemore Center.
