DURHAM, N.H. - Freshman forward Julia Cabral (Lee, N.H.) scored in the top half of the seventh round of the shootout and freshman goalie Sedona Blair (Eden Prairie, Minn.) turned aside BC's shot in the bottom half to lift the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team to a 1-0 shootout win against 13th ranked Boston College on Saturday afternoon at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex. The game officially ended in a 2-2 tie through 60 minutes of regulation and a five-minute overtime session.
Blair had 31 stops throughout the game and that included 16 stops in the third period and two more in OT. Although not credited as saves, she also turned aside all seven shootout attempts.
Alyson Hush (Toronto, Ontario) scored her first collegiate goal to give the Wildcats the 2-1 lead in the second period after Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario) had tied the game 1-1.
BC goalie Grace Campbell made 28 saves. Sammy Smigliani and Sammy Taber scored the Eagles' goals.
UNH moves to 10-10-2 overall and 7-6-2 in Hockey East. BC is now 12-7-3, 11-3-3.
UP NEXT
- UNH travels to Boston on Friday, Jan. 19 (7 p.m.) for a matchup against Northeastern University.
- The Wildcats return home Sunday, Jan. 21 (12 p.m.) to celebrate Community Hero Day against UConn.
FIRST PERIOD
- Smigliani scored 13 seconds into the game on a shot into the upper-right corner to make the score 1-0.
- UNH quickly tied up the game on Juodikis' goal, assisted by Charli Kettyle (Perth, Ontario) and Shea Verrier (Reading, Mass.) at 1:27. Verrier won the faceoff in the left circle to Juodikis, who moved the puck back to the left point. Kettyle settled the puck and her slapshot was redirected int by Juodikis.
- At 6:02, Hush carried the puck the length of the ice on the right wing and slid the puck through traffic to scored her first collegiate goal and give UNH a 2-1 lead.
- Blair stopped BC from tying the game up at 6:46 with a huge breakaway save that denied Kate Ham.
- The Wildcats outshot the Eagles 13-10 in the opening 20 minutes.
SECOND PERIOD
- New Hampshire received a power play 27 seconds into the period when BC was penalized for tripping but Campbell stopped the only shot on target to keep the visitors within a goal.
- With 3:39 left in the period, both teams received a minor penalty, resulting in a 4v4, and both teams recorded one shot in that two-minute span.
- The Wildcats, again, outshot the Eagles 10-4 in the scoreless second stanza.
- UNH also recorded more face off wins by having 14 compared to BC's six.
THIRD PERIOD
- BC earned a power play when UNH was called for slashing at 8:09 but the Wildcats' penalty kill did not allow a shot.
- At 13:49, Blair saved a shot from the Eagles' Taber and made a kick save by Smigliani off the rebound.
- BC tied the game2-2, when Taber jammed the puck into the net at 3:40 from a scramble in the front of the net.
- During this period, the Eagles outshot New Hampshire 17-5.
OVERTIME
- The visitors received a penalty for interference at 2:55 but did not allow a shot on goal.
- BC had a breakaway with 16 seconds left but Blair came up with a big save to turn aside Jade Arnone and preserved the 2-2 tie.
SHOOTOUT
- UNH shot first in the shootout.
- Neither team scored in the best-of-3 series to extend the shootout to single-round elimination.
- Both goalies remained perfect through three more rounds.
- Cabral scored in the seventh round when she deked in the slot and pulled the puck to the right and slid a low shot between Campbell and the right post to give UNH a 1-0 lead.
- On the ensuing BC shootout, Blair's poke check denied Caroline Goffredo a shot attempt to secure UNH's additional point in the Hockey East standings.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- Boston College finished the game with a 33-30 shot advantage.
- UNH had a 32-27 edge in the faceoff circle.
- Both teams blocked 14 shot attempts and had perfect penalty kills.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Hush scored her first career goal.
- Juodikis increased her team-leading numbers to nine goals and 17 points.
- Blair recorded 30+ saves for the seventh time this season.
- Kettyle tallied an assist for the second consecutive game.
- Kyla Bent (Halifax, Nova Scotia) led all skaters with five blocks.
- Verrier, in addition to an assist, won 11 faceoffs and blocked three shots.
- Nicole Kelly (Brantford, Ontario) had a game-high 12 faceoff wins.
- New Hampshire's penalty kill has been perfect each of the last eight games and has successfully killed off 26 consecutive opponent power plays dating back to Nov. 11.
- UNH is 0-2-2 in overtime and 2-0 in shootouts.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has a 51-32-7 lifetime record against Boston College.
- UNH will play BC again for the final two games of the regular season Feb. 23-24.
