NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - Senior forward and captain Kira Juodikis (LaSalle, Ontario) scored three goals to propel the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team to Frida night's 5-3 victory against Merrimack College at Lawler Arena.
Junior forward Alyson Hush (Scarborough, Ontario) and grad student defender Maddie Crowley-Cahill (Haverhill, Mass.) scored UNH's other goals and six Wildcats tallied one assist.
Sophomore goaltender Sedona Blair (Eden Prairie, Minn.) made 14 of her 30 saves in the third period.
MC goalie Calli Hogarth was credited with 25 saves. Payton Evans, Maria Lindberg and Sophie McKinley scored the Warriors' goals.
UNH improves to 11-11-1 overall and 7-9-0 in Hockey East while MC is now 6-15-1, 3-11-1.
UP NEXT
- UNH return to action Saturday, Jan. 18 (1 p.m.) against Boston University. Come to the Whitt to celebrate Alumni Day and stay for a postgame autograph session with the current 'Cats.
- 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
- UNH recorded a 13-8 shot advantage to build a 3-1 lead through 20 minutes.
- The Wildcats scored goals 31 seconds apart by Hush at 7:05 and Juodikis at 7:36 to quickly take a 2-0 lead.
- Hush scored a power-play goal on a screened shot from the slot. Marina Alvarez (Center Moriches, N.Y.), with the centering pass from the right circle, and Andi Calderone (Kirkland, Quebec) were credited with assists.
- Juodikis extended the advantage to two goals when she charged to the top of the crease and jammed the puck into the net. Kelly Harty (Billerica, Mass,.) chipped the puck to the front of the net to set up the tally.
- Evans' power-play goal at 10:53 lifted MC within 2-1.
- Juodikis responded with a goal 16 seconds later to reestablish a two-goal lead, 3-1. Juodikis collected a centering pass from Sara Boucher (Burlington, Ontario) at the blue line to break in alone down the slot. The captain faked a shot, pulled the puck out to her forehand and lifted a shot inside the right post at 11:09, Julia Cabral (Lee, N.H.) had the secondary assist.
SECOND PERIOD
- Merrimack recorded a 10-7 shot advantage in the second stanza but the 'Cats outscored the home team 2-1 to extend the lead to 5-2.
- Lindberg scored the Warriors' second power-play goal of the game at 6:35 to once again make it a one-goal margin, 3-2.
- UNH netted a pair of late goals to push the advantage to three goals.
- Verrier chipped the puck off the left dashers through the neutral zone and won possession at the left point. She sent a pass across to Crowley-Cahill, who snapped a wrist shot into the upper-right corner for a 4-2 lead at 18:15.
- UNH's first shorthanded goal of the season gave the Wildcats a 5-2 lead with 48 seconds on the clock. Juodikis completed her hat trick when she cleared the puck out of the defensive zone, stole the puck on the right half-boards, advanced to the front of the net and tucked a backhander into left side.
THIRD PERIOD
- MC scored the only goal in the final frame with a 15-10 shot advantage.
- McKinley's goal lifted the Warriors within 5-3 at 13:38.
- Merrimack pulled Hogarth in favor of an extra skater with one minute remaining.
- Blair made four saves the rest of the way to protect the lead.
UNH NOTEBOOK
- Juodikis recorded her second career hat trick with a season-high three goals; the three points also marked a season high. She scored four goals Feb. 5, 2025 at Holy Cross.
- The last time a Wildcat recorded a hat trick was Sept. 30, 2023 - Nicole Kelly at Saint Anslem.
- Juodikis is the team leader in both goals (nine) and points (12).
- Alvarez has a team-high nine assists.
- Alvarez, Calderone and Sadie Makokis (St. Albert, Alberta) tied for the team lead with two blocks apiece,
- Juodikis and Verrier led the 'Cats with six faceoff wins.
- Boucher has 147 career points.
GAME NOTEBOOK
- Merrimack recorded the edge in shots (33-30) and faceoffs (34-16).
- UNH went 1-for-4 on the power play and the Warriors were 2-for-3.
- The 'Cats were credited with 13 blocks and MC had 11.
SERIES NOTEBOOK
- UNH has an 18-7-4 lifetime record against Merrimack that includes 9-4-2 at Lawler Arena.
- The previous five games were either decided by one goal (three time) or ended in a tied (twice); four of those five games went into overtime.
