BOSTON - Sophomore goaltender Noemi Martinez (Glen Ridge, N.J.) recorded a career-high 30 saves to backstop the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team to Saturday afternoon's 2-0 victory against Northeastern University at Matthews Arena.
Martinez, in only her second career start and third career appearance, made 11 saves in the second period and 14 more in the third, including one in the final 2:56 of the game when the Huskies pulled goaltender Paige Taborski in favor of an extra skater, to earn her first shutout.
Senior assistant captain Shea Verrier (Reading, Mass.) and grad student Sara Boucher (Burlington, Ontario) both netted second-period goals for the Wildcats.
NU goalie Paige Taborski was credited with 17 saves.
UNH improves to 5-4-1 overall and 2-4-0 in Hockey East while Northeastern is 5-5-1, 3-3-1.
UP NEXT
- UNH returns to action Nov. 8 (6 p.m.) against Providence College at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex.
- 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
- UNH had a 7-5 shot advantage in the scoreless opening 20 minutes.
- The Wildcats went on the first power play of the game at 9:41 and Taborski stopped all four shots to keep the game scoreless.
- NU had its first power-play chance at 14:01 but UNH's penalty kill did not allow a shot get through to Martinez.
SECOND PERIOD
- The home team pressured early in the second stanza but Martinez turned aside four shots in the opening 2:30.
- UNH converted its next power play into Verrier's goal and 1-0 lead at 4:56. Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario) and Andi Calderone (Kirkland, Quebec) were credited with assists.
- The Huskies went back on the power play at 9:09 but New Hampshire had another successful penalty kill and Boucher scored an unassisted goal 13 seconds later to give UNH a 2-0 lead at 11:22.
- NU closed the final 1 minute, 47 seconds of the second period on another power play, but Martinez made two saves to preserve the two-goal lead.
THIRD PERIOD
- In the opening minute of the third period - moments after the Huskies' power play expired - Martinez denied Eloise Caron and then Holly Abela off the rebound to once again keep the 2-0 lead intact.
- Jules Constantinople's shot rang off the pipe - the fourth hit pipe of the game for the Huskies - at 13:04.
- Martinez then denied Constantinople's initial shot and rebound attempt in the 17th minute.
- NU pulled Taborksi with 2:56 remaining and called time out 30 seconds later.
- Martinez denied Skyler Irving with 1:23 on the clock and the 'Cats blocked two more shot attempts the rest of the way to preserve the win and shutout.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Martinez has a 1-0-1 record with a 0.79 GAA and .972 save percentage.
- Chavonne Truter (Uxbridge, Ontario) had a team-high 10 faceoff wins.
- Sydney Leonard (St. Bonifacius, Minn.) was also strong in the faceoff circle by winning 6 of 8.
- Leonard and Calderone tied for the team lead with three blocks.
- Calderone recorded her first assist as a Wildcat; she has also scored three goals this season.
- Boucher also has four points (two goals, two assists) in her first year as a Wildcat.
- UNH's penalty kill is now 26 of 28 (92.9%) for the season.
- New Hampshire has three shutouts in 10 games.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- NU finished with a 30-19 shot advantage.
- UNH went 1-for-3 on the power play and the Huskies were 0-for-4.
- The Wildcats had a 24-23 edge in the faceoff circle.
- UNH blocked 20 shot attempts while NU was credited with four blocks.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has an 80-71-10 lifetime record against Northeastern.
