DURHAM, N.H. - Grad student forward Sara Boucher (Burlington, Ontario) scored at 1:16 of overtime to lift the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team to Saturday afternoon's 3-2 victory against the University of Vermont at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex.
UNH held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 on goals by assistant captains Chavonne Truter (Uxbridge, Ontario) and Shea Verrier (Reading, Mass.), respectively. Boucher and Truter both had an assist to finish with two points.
Sophomore Sedona Blair (Prairie View, Minn.), the reigning Stop it Goaltending Goaltender of the Week in Hockey East, made 27 saves; she did not face a shot in the extra session.
Jane Gervais was credited with 20 saves, including one in OT. Evelyne Blais-Savoie and Hailey Eikos scored the Catamounts' goals.
UNH improved to 4-3-1 overall and 1-3-0 in Hockey East while UVM is now 2-6-0, 1-3-0.
Saturday was the 8th annual Stick it to Stigma game. The UNH women's hockey program partners with The Benny Fund and Connor's Climb to promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention. The Wildcats wore special-edition jerseys that were auctioned and given to the winners at the end of the game.
UP NEXT
- UNH returns to action Friday, Nov. 1 (6 p.m.) against Northeastern University at the Whitt. Purchase tickets online at tinyurl.com/WHOCtix110124.
- UNH women's hockey season ticket memberships, group opportunities and individual game tickets are available at UNHWildcats.com/BuyTickets or by calling the ticket office at (603) 862-4000 or e-mailing unh.tickets@unh.edu.
FIRST PERIOD
- For the second consecutive game, Truter struck first to give UNH a 1-0 lead when she skated down the slot and chipped the Brooke Hammer (Commerce Township, Mich.) centering pass from the right faceoff dot into the cage at 4:21. Boucher, with the pass to Hammer, was credited with the secondary assist.
- UVM went on the first power play of the game 35 seconds later, but Blair stopped the only shot she faced to preserve the newfound one-goal lead.
SECOND PERIOD
- UNH pressured in the opening minute of the second stanza, but Gervais turned aside shots by both Verrier and Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario).
- UVM went back on the power play at 5:12. Moments later, Josie Hemp hit the pipe and then Blair turned aside shots by Blais-Savoie and Natalie Zarcone.
- Blais-Savoie netted a power-play goal at 8:26 to level the score, 1-1.
- Verrier scored 75 seconds later to put UNH back in front, 2-1. Her diagonal pass from the left corner found Callista Printz (Buffalo, N.Y.) at the right point. Printz snapped a wrister from the top of the circle that Verrier redirected from the top of the crease into the goal at 9:41.
- With the Catamounts on another power play, Blair made a series of three saves in the 13th minute to keep UNH in front.
THIRD PERIOD
- Blair made four saves in the opening 3:30 of the final frame to preserve UNH's 2-1 lead.
- Blair made an outstanding reaction save at 7:14 when Lara Beecher shoveled a redirection onto the cage from the slot.
- Vermont scored its second power-play goal of the game on Eikos' tally at 8:38.
- The Wildcats went on their fourth power play at 16:43, but Gervais backstopped UVM to a successful penalty kill with a pair of saves.
OVERTIME
- UNH ended the game at 1:16 of the extra session when Sadie Makokis' (St. Albert, Alberta) shot from the left point hit Boucher at the top of the crease and went into the net. Truter, with the pass from the left corner out to Makokis, earned the secondary assist.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Boucher's game-winning goal was her first tally as a Wildcat; she netted 68 goals in 126 games at Mercyhurst.
- Printz recorded her first career point with the assist on Verrier's goal.
- Truter recorded her second multiple-point game of the season and ninth career.
- Truter led UNH with 13 faceoff wins and a .591 win percentage.
- Lucie Legro (Brentwood, N.H.) had a team-high three blocks.
- Boucher was one of four 'Cats with two blocks.
- New Hampshire's penalty kill entered Saturday a perfect 16-for-16 but allowed two power-play goals on five opportunities.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- UVM recorded a 29-23 shot advantage but the Wildcats recorded the only two shots in overtime.
- UNH had a 28-26 edge in the faceoff circle.
- The Wildcats were 0-for-4 on the power play while UVM went 2-for-5.
- UNH was credited with 14 blocks and the Catamounts blocked 10 shot attempts.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has a 40-21-8 lifetime record against Vermont that includes 21-6-2 at the Whitt.
