DURHAM, N.H. - Senior Marina Alvarez (Center Moriches, N.Y.) scored a goal but the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team was edged 2-1 by intrastate rival Dartmouth College at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex on Monday night.
Sophomore goaltender Sedona Blair (Eden Prairie, Minn.) made 13 of her 25 saves in the second period. DC counterpart Michaela Hesová was credited with 15 saves.
Sydney Vandenberg and Bridget Pringle scored the Big Green goals.
UNH moves to 10-9-1 overall and Dartmouth is now 1-14-0.
UP NEXT
- The Wildcats return to action Friday, Jan. 3 (6 p.m.) for a Buffalo Wild Wings Border Battle against the University of Maine.
- UNH women's hockey group opportunities and individual game tickets are available online at UNHWildcats.com/BuyTickets or by calling the ticket office at (603) 862-4000 or e-mailing unh.tickets@unh.edu.
FIRST PERIOD
- Maine recorded a 6-4 shot advantage in the opening 20 minutes.
- Vandenberg gave the Big Green a 1-0 lead at 6:52 when she gained possession in the defensive zone and chipped the puck off the boards to spring herself for a breakaway down the right wing. She fended off a defender in the slot and sent a high shot into the cage.
SECOND PERIOD
- The visitors generated a 14-5 shot advantage and scored the only goal in the second stanza.
- Pringle was stopped twice at the top of the crease by Blair, but she scored on the third attempt to extend DC's lead to 2-0 at 13:49.
THIRD PERIOD
- Both teams recorded seven shots in the final frame.
- UNH converted its third power play of the game into a goal to trim the deficit to 2-1 at 5:38. Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario) gained possession in the left circle and moved the puck to Shea Verrier (Reading, Mass.) at the point. Verrier slipped a pass to Alvarez in the left circle, who advanced to the faceoff dot and wristed a shot through traffic into the upper-right corner.
- The Wildcats were whistled for interference with 2:16 remaining, but were able to pull Blair for an extra skater with 69 seconds to play.
- Juodikis was denied by Hesová with 37 seconds on the clock and that stoppage of play led to a UNH timeout.
- Alvarez snapped a shot wide of the cage with 17 seconds to go and the 'Cats returned to full strength, but Dartmouth gained possession in the waning seconds and sent the puck the length of the ice to secure the win.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Alvarez, Juodikis and Verrier all joined Chavonne Truter (Uxbridge, Ontario) atop the UNH leaderboard in points with 11.
- Juodikis and Verrier also climbed into a tie for third in assists (six).
- Andi Calderone (Kirkland, Quebec) led all skaters with five blocks.
- Alvarez was credited with three blocks.
- Verrier and Truter tied for the team lead with seven faceoff wins.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- Dartmouth finished with the edge in both shots (27-16) and faceoff wins (29-20).
- The Wildcats went 1-for-3 on the power play and held the Big Green scoreless on their three power plays.
- UNH was credited with 17 blocks and DC blocked 12 shots attempts.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has a 38-20-4 lifetime record against Dartmouth, but the Big Green have won each of the past three meetings.
- The Wildcats have a 22-7-3 edge on home ice that includes 12-7-3 at the Whitt.
