HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES

The 2023 Hockey East Tournament continues on Wednesday with semifinals on ESPN+. The title game airs nationally on ESPNU Saturday at 12:00pm.

Northeastern’s Alina Mueller became the all-time points leader in Hockey East Tournament history with a five-point (3g, 2a) outing in a 5-1 win on Saturday over Merrimack, lifting the Huskies back into the semifinals in the process. She tied Kendall Coyne with her 249th career point as a Husky while Chloe Aurard scored her 200th career point in the outing.

Vermont captain, reigning Hockey East Player of the Year, and finalist for the 2023 Cammi Granato Award Theresa Schafzahl scored the overtime dagger to lift the Catamounts into the semifinals for the second straight year. Natalie Mlynkova’s power-play goal tied the game 8:06 into the first and Jessie McPherson kicked out 29 saves.

Providence has reached the semifinals for the third time in five years with a 5-2 victory over Maine. Brooke Becker dished out four assists for the Friars, tying a quarterfinal-game record in the Hockey East Tournament. Caroline Peterson scored two goals and added an assist while Hope Walinksi made 30 saves in just her second NCAA start.

Boston College returns to the semifinals for the first time since 2019, toppling playoff foe UConn, 4-3, in overtime. Katie Pyne played hero, tying the game with just 3:49 remaining and netted the overtime winner 2:39 into the extra frame to deliver the Eagles a win. Abigail Levy made 33 saves, after becoming first goaltender in Hockey East history to finish a full conference schedule with a save percentage above .945 and a goals against average below 1.75 while making at least 30 saves per game.

HOCKEY EAST CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Katie Pyne - Boston College
Alina Mueller - Northeastern

Katie Pyne (So., F; Cohasset, Mass.) was the quarterfinal hero for Boston College as the sophomore scored two goals, tying the game with just 3:49 remaining and netted the overtime winner 2:39 into the extra frame to deliver the Eagles a win. She recorded four shots on goal and a plus-three rating en route to lifting the Eagles into the semifinals for the first time since 2019.

Alina Mueller (Gr., F; Winterthur, Switzerland) posted a five-point (3g, 2a) performance, factoring on all five Northeastern goals in a 5-1 Hockey East Quarterfinal victory over Merrimack. Mueller had the 10th-ever hat trick in Hockey East playoff history and tied the record for most points scored in a single game. Mueller now holds the record for most career points scored in the league playoffs (30) and tied Kendall Coyne Schofield’s program record with 249 career points. Mueller tallied the game-winning goal against Merrimack, her NCAA-leading ninth of the season.

PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Hope Walinski - Providence

Hope Walinski (So., G; Lincoln, R.I.) n just her second career NCAA start, kicked out 30 saves in a 5-2 Hockey East Quarterfinal victory over Maine.

ARMY ROTC DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Brooke Becker - Providence

Brooke Becker (Jr., D; Orchard Park, N.Y. ) recorded four assists on five Providence goals in Saturday’s 5-2 quarterfinal win over Maine. The four points in a single game marks a new career-high for Becker as well as tying the record for most assists in a single Hockey East Tournament game.

STOP IT GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Jessie McPherson - Vermont

Jessie McPherson (Jr., G; Chatham, Ont.) became the second Catamount in program history to win a playoff overtime game making 29 saves in the Hockey East Quarterfinals. Saturday’s 2-1 win was her 21st of the season, a UVM single season record.

HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS

Cayla Barnes, BC (Sr., D; Eastvale, Calif.) Recorded two assists, three blocked shots, three shots on goal and a plus-four rating in BC’s 4-3 overtime win over UConn.

Brooke Campbell, UConn (Fr., F; Essex, Ont.) Finished with two goals in a 4-3 overtime loss to Boston College in the Hockey East Quarterfinals.

Emma Gorski, MC (Sr., G; Wallaceburg, Ont.) Stopped 56 shots in a quarterfinal setback at Northeastern, the sixth-most stops in a single game in Hockey East Tournament history. She made 41 saves in an Opening Round win at Boston Uni- versity for a total of 97 saves in the Hockey East Tournament.

Natalie Nemes, MC (Jr., D; Kingston, Mass.) Scored two goals, her first of the season, and added an assist for a three-point night to help lift Merriamck to a 5-4 overtime win over Boston University in the Hockey East Opening Round. Prior to Wednesday, Nemes had just one goal and five assist in her 74 career games.

Alexa Pongo, MC (So., F; Midhurst, Ont.) Sent Merrimack past Boston University with an overtime goal on Wednesday during an Opening Round game.

Emily Pinto, UNH (Gr., F; Mullmur, Ont.) Recorded two goals and an assist for a total of three points in two playoff games last week. Her other stats included two shots, a plus-two rating and a blocked shot. Pinto matched her career highs of two assists and three points in UNH’s 6-3 opening-round win vs. Holy Cross. She tied the score, 3-3, with 15 seconds left in the third period and scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at 8:29 of the third period. Pinto’s assist was on the second-period goal that gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.

Marina Alvarez, UNH (So., D; Center Moriches, N.Y.) Recorded a goal and two assists for a total of three points in two playoff games last week; her other stats included a plus-three rating and one blocked shot. She recorded all three points in the Opening Round to lead UNH to a 6-3 victory against Holy Cross. With UNH trailing 3-2, she recorded a point on three consecutive goals to ignite the comeback. She set up the game-tying goal with 15 seconds left in the second period, then also assisted on the next goal that gave the Wildcats a 4-3 lead and proved to be game-winning goal. Alvarez scored at 13:07 of the third period to extend the advantage to 5-3. She was credited with one block and had an even rating in the 2-1 overtime loss to UVM in the quarterfinals. The two assists and three points both marked career highs.

Ava Boutilier, UNH (Gr., G; Charlottetown, P.E.I.) Stopped 42 of 47 shots in a 1-1 playoff week. She made 30 saves, including five in overtime, of UNH’s 2-1 quarterfinal loss at 11th-ranked and second-seeded Vermont. Twenty-eight seconds into that game, Boutilier became the program leader for career minutes played and she ended the game, and her career, with a total of 7465:26. Boutlier also finished her UNH career with an all-time record of 3,492 saves.

Jules Constantinople, NU (Fr., D; East Haven, Conn.) Recorded an assist in a 5-1 Hockey East Quarterfinal victory over Merrimack. Constantinople’s assist marked her first career playoff point. Constantinople was plus one on the game and helped the huskies hold MC to just 18 shots.

Maude Poulin-Labelle, NU (Gr., D; Sherbrooke, Que.) Posted an assist on the game-winning goal in Northeastern’s 5-1 Hockey East Quarterfinal victory over Merrimack. Poulin-Labelle was plus one on the game and helped the huskies hold MC to just 18 shots.

Gwyneth Philips, NU (Sr., G; Athens, Ohio) Tallied 17 saves in the Huskies 5-1 victory over Merrimack in the Hockey East Quarterfinals. Philips’ victory was her NCAA-leading 31st of the season and marked her first career playoff victory. Philips leads the nation in goals against average (0.83) and save percentage (.959).

Theresa Schafzahl, UVM (Gr., F; Weiz, Austria) Sent Vermont into the semifinals for the second straight year with an overtime goal over New Hampshire in Saturday’s Quarterfinal.