MANCHESTER, N.H. – Senior forward Nicole Kelly (Brantford, Ontario) scored three goals to record her first career hat trick and lift the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team to Saturday's 6-1 victory against Saint Anselm College at Sullivan Arena.
Junior right wing and captain Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario) was the other Wildcat who recorded multiple points with two goals. Tamara Thiérus (Saint-Jérôme, Quebec) scored UNH's other goal.
Freshman Sedona Blair (Eden Prairie, Minn.) recorded 18 saves to earn the win in her collegiate debut.
Courtney Stagman made double-digit saves all three periods, including a high of 18 in the second stanza, and finished with 40 saves. Brinna Martin was the Hawks' goal scorer.
UNH is 1-0-0 and Saint Anselm is 0-2-0.
UP NEXT
UNH returns to action Oct. 1 (2 p.m.) for its home opener against St. Michael's.
FIRST PERIOD
- Juodikis, with the assistance of Marina Alvarez (Center Moriches, N.Y.) and Kyla Bent (Halifax, Nova Scotia), scored UNH's first goal of the season at 7:07.
- Saint Anselm convert its first power play of the game into Martin's game-tying goal at 13:37.
SECOND PERIOD
- New Hampshire recorded a 22-2 shot advantage and scored four goals in the second period.
- Kelly netted her first of the game at 4:51 with assists going to Rae Breton (Brighton, Ontario) and Shea Verrier (Reading, Mass).
- Thiérus scored a power-play goal at 13:40 to extend UNH's lead to 3-1. Charli Kettyle (Perth, Ontario) and Alyson Hush (Toronto, Ontario) were credited with assists.
- Kelly struck again, this time off a pass from Jada Christian (Caledon East, Ontario), to give the 'Cats a 4-1 lead at 16:27.
- Juodikis netted her second goal of the game with 39.8 seconds on the clock to push the margin to 5-1. Brianna Legros (New Liskeard, Ontario) and Sydney Leonard (St. Bonifacius, Minn.) set up the tally.
THIRD PERIOD
- Kelly completed the hat trick with an unassisted goal at 7:25.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- UNH finished with a 46-19 shot advantage.
- Both teams went 1-for-3 on the power play.
- The Wildcats won 38 of 53 faceoffs (72%).
- Saint Anselm blocked 13 shots attempts while UNH recorded six blocks.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Kelly matched her career high of three points, which she previously recorded Dec. 3, 2021 against the University of Vermont.
- Kelly has five career multiple-goal games and 10 career multiple-point games.
- Juodikis leads all current 'Cats with seven career multiple-goal games. She has 12 multiple-point games.
- With an assist, Leonard recorded her first career point in her first collegiate game.
- Leonard won 17 of 20 faceoffs (85%).
- A total of 12 Wildcats recorded a point. Nine 'Cats tallied one assist.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- New Hampshire has won both lifetime meetings against Saint Anselm.
