DURHAM, N.H. - Freshman forward Sydney Leonard (St. Bonifacius, Minn.) scored two goals in regulation to lead the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team to Saturday night's 3-3 tie against Merrimack College at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex.
Leonard also scored the only goal in the Best of 3 shootout to give the Wildcats an extra point in the Hockey East standings.
Marina Alvarez (Center Moriches, N.Y.; three assists), Annie Berry (Milton, Mass.; goal, assist) and Kyla Bent (Halifax, Nova Scotia; two assists) also tallied multiple points for the 'Cats.
UNH goaltender Sedona Blair (Eden Prairie, Minn.) recorded 19 saves, including one in the five-minute overtime.
MC goalie Calli Hogarth was credited with 20 saves and also made one stop in OT. Hayley Chang led the Warriors' offense with a goal and two assists. Celine Tedenby finished with a goal and an assist.
Merrimack shot first in the Best of 3 shootout. In Round 1, Mary Edmonds was denied by Blair at the right post, then Leonard beat Hogarth 5-hole to give UNH a 1-0 lead. In Round 2, Blair turned aside Teghan Inglis at the right post, then Hogarth made a glove save against Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario) to keep the score 1-0. In Round 3, Tedenby's shot caromed off the outside of the right post to end the game.
UNH moves to 3-2-1 overall and 1-0-1 in Hockey East. Merrimack is now 4-2-1, 1-0-1.
UP NEXT
- New Hampshire returns to action Oct. 21-22 for a two-game series at UConn.
- The Wildcats' next home game is Saturday, Nov. 4 (7 p.m.) against Providence College.
- Purchase tickets online at unhwildcats.com, by calling (603) 862-4000 or by visiting the Whittemore Center ticket office.
FIRST PERIOD
- Berry's power-play goal gave UNH a 1-0 lead at 8:48. Bent initiated the scoring sequence with a pass from the right circle to Alvarez in the high slot. She slipped a pass deep on the left side and Berry's rising shot went into the net.
- Merrimack responded with Tedenby's power-play goal at 14:42.
- The Wildcats netted another power-play goal at 18:21 to go back in front, 2-1. Leonard received Bent's pass low on the right wing and snapped a shot into the net. Alvarez was credited with the secondary assist.
SECOND PERIOD
- The Warriors once again pulled even, 2-2, on Chang's even-strength goal at 13:38.
THIRD PERIOD
- UNH took its third one-goal lead of the game, 3-2, at 5:42 on another power-play goal when Alvarez's slapshot from the high slot was redirected in the slot by Leonard. Berry earned the secondary assist.
- Merrimack went on a five-minute power play at 9:30 and Maria Lindberg scored 13 seconds later to tie the game, 3-3.
- Blair stopped three shots the remainder of the power play to keep the score deadlocked.
OVERTIME
- MC went back on the power play 36 seconds into the extra session, but Blair stopped the only shot on target.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- UNH finished with a 23-22 shot advantage and 30-26 edge in the faceoff circle.
- The Wildcats were 3-for-5 on the power play while Merrimack was 2 of 8.
- The 'Cats were credited with 15 blocked shot attempts while MC had nine.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- The three assists marked a career high for Alvarez; the three points matched her personal best.
- It was Leonard's first multiple-goal game and also her first multiple-point game.
- Berry equaled her high of two points.
- Rae Breton (Brighton, Ontario), the reigning Hockey East Army ROTC Defender of the Week, and Brooke Hammer (Commerce Township, Mich.) tied for the team- and game-high three blocks.
- Shea Verrier (Reading, Mass.) led all skaters with 10 faceoff wins; she won 62.5 percent of her faceoffs (10 of 16).
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has a 16-7-2 lifetime record against Merrimack.
- Each of the last three meetings have gone to overtime. The final matchup of the 2022-23 season was also decided by a shootout, which MC won 2-0.
