HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES

UConn controls its own destiny to claim the first regular season crown in program history, needing just one point to win the title and top seed in the Hockey East Tournament outright. The Huskies have a home-and-home with Boston University left on the schedule.

Northeastern took five of six points from Boston College to stay alive in the quest for its sixth consecutive Hockey East regular season title, taking a 3-2 overtime win on the road. Megan Carter tied the game with just 1:22 remaining in regulation before Peyton Anderson capped the win in overtime. Carter now has a goal in each of her last three games.

New Hampshire secured a bye out of the Opening Round with six points over Holy Cross. The Wildcats need just one point to clinch hosting duties in the quarterfinals on Saturday, March 2 for the first time since 2013.

Boston University earned six points in a sweep of Vermont and Merrimack to keep their chance of a bye into the quarterfinals alive. Clara Yuhn and Catherine Foulem each registered four points in the two games for the Terriers.

Vermont ended the Huskies’ 21-game unbeaten run in league play end on Saturday in Vermont, as senior Jessie McPherson stopped all 33 shots she faced on senior day to secure the victory. The first career goal from Brooke George held up as the game-winning strike for the Catamounts. The win preserved UVM’s chance for a bye into the quarterfinals.

HOCKEY EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Clara Yuhn - Boston University

Clara Yuhn (So., F; Bloomfield Heights, Mich.) poured in four points (2g, 2a) to help Boston University to six-point weekend in league play. Yuhn dished out two assists, including one on the game-winning goal, in Friday’s 4-1 win at Vermont. She followed up with a two-goal outing in Saturday’s 4-0 win at Merrimack, opening the scoring on the power play with the decisive tally before adding an insurance goal in the third.

PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Sedona Blair - New Hampshire

Sedona Blair (Fr., G; Eden Prairie, Minn.) stopped 55 of 58 shots she faced from Holy Cross in a weekend sweep for New Hampshire, posting a .948 save percentage and 1.50 GAA. The rookie netminder helped earn six points for the Wildcats, putting her team in a position to earn hosting duties in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East Tournament. Blair became only the fourth Wildcat goaltender and second freshman netminder to record 800 or more overall saves in a season.

ARMY ROTC DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Megan Carter - Northeastern

Megan Carter (Gr., D; Milton, Ont.) led all NCAA defenders with four points on two goals and two assists to help Northeastern sweep Boston College and remain in contention for its sixth-straight Hockey East regular season crown. She netted the game-tying, extra-attacker goal with 1:22 left in regulation on Friday to force OT and an eventual 3-2 win and then opened the scoring in Saturday’s 5-1 victory. She has now scored three goals in three games, her first tallies of the year. She blocked seven shots in the two wins and is riding a nine-game point streak (3g, 10a).

STOP IT CO-GOALTENDERS OF THE WEEK

Gwyneth Philips - Northeastern
Callie Shanahan - Boston University

Gwyneth Philips (Gr., G; Athens, Ohio) led all of Hockey East with 71 saves on 74 shots in a pair of victories over Boston College. She backboned the Huskies to five of six points and crucially has helped keep her team in contention for the regular season title. She stopped 44 of 45 shots in Saturday’s 5-1 win.

Callie Shanahan (Jr., G; Commerce, Mich.) was second in the nation with a .978 save percentage last weekend and led the NCAA among all goalies who earned at least one win by stopping 44 of 45 shots against Vermont and Merrimack. She posted a 19-save shutout on Saturday, helping lift the Terriers into sixth in the Army ROTC Standings and in position for an Opening Round bye.

HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS

Catherine Foulem, BU (Sr., F; Dieppe, N.B.) Racked up four points (1g, 3a) in a six-point weekend for Boston University. Her goal on Friday proved to be the game-winning strike in a 4-1 win at Vermont and came on a highlight-reel play, swatting the puck backhanded and waist-high into the net and was featured on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays. She then handed out two assists in a 4-0 win at Merrimack, including the primary assist on the game-winning goal.

Tamara Giaquinto, BU (Sr., D; Toronto, Ont.) Had the first multi-goal game of her career on Saturday as she scored a pair of power-play goals in a 4-0 win at Merrimack while helping to limit the Warriors to just 19 shots on goal in the shutout.

Jackson Kinsler, BU (Fr., F; Madison, Wis.) Scored her first career goal to cap the scoring in a 4-1 win at Vermont on Friday.

Christina Walker, UConn (So., F; Burlington, Ont.) Netted a power-play goal and the primary assist on the game-winning strike in Friday’s 5-1 win at Merrimack.

Tia Chan, UConn (Jr., G; Hamilton, Ont.) Finished with 23 saves while allowing just one goal in a win over Merrimack Friday.

Ainsley Svetek, UConn (Gr., D; Burlington, Ont.) Had a goal and two assists in a 5-1 win at Merrimack on Friday.

Alexia Moreau, HC (So., F; Louiseville, Que.) Scored late in the third period at UNH that cut the Wildcats lead in half.

Emily Crovo, HC (Fr., F; Melrose, Mass.) Assisted on both goals in Holy Cross’s 4-2 setback to UNH on Friday.

Lulu Rourke, HC (Fr., F; Wellesley, Mass.) Scored a goal and had an assist Friday against UNH.

Carmen Elliott, HC (Jr., D; Stephenville, N.L.) Had two blocks on Friday and assisted on a goal Saturday.

Jorden Mattison, ME (Sr., G; Fenwick, Ont.) Posted a 37-save, 2-1 overtime win over Providence on Friday. She currently sits fifth overall in Hockey East with a .921 save percentage and four overall wit a 1.90 GAA.

Brooke Hammer, UNH (Jr., F; Commerce, Mich.) Recorded a goal and two assists in UNH’s home-and-home sweep of Holy Cross. Her goal was a game-winning tally, and her other stats included a plus-two rating and four shots on net. Hammer has recorded a point in six of the last seven games.

Rae Breton, UNH (Gr., D; Brighton, Ont.) Blocked six shots, recorded two assists for two points and had a plus-three rating to lead UNH to a home-and-home sweep of Holy Cross. Breton finished Thursday’s 4-2 win with two assists, five blocks and a plus-three rating. Breton is atop the Hockey East leader board and is tied for second in the nation with 80 overall blocks.

Katy Knoll, NU (Gr., F; Amherst, N.Y.) Now has goals in seven of her last eight games after a two-goal, two-assist weekend in a sweep of Boston College. She scored Northeastern’s first goal, a power-play strike, in Friday’s 3-2 overtime win before assisting on the first two strikes, including the game-winning goal, in Saturday’s 5-1 win.

Jessie McPherson, UVM (Sr., G; Chatham, Ont) Stopped all 33 shots she faced on senior day to secure a 3-0 victory over UConn, handing the Huskies their first loss in league place since October 20.

Kaylee Lewis, UVM (Fr., F; McKinney, Texas) Earned points on two of Vermont’s three goals in their 3-0 win against #11 UConn. Lewis earned a primary assist on Vermont’s first score before adding a goal of her own later in the first period. On the weekend, Lewis skated to a plus-two rating for the Catamounts.

Krista Parkkonen, UVM (So., D; Lappeenranta, Finland) Tallied two points (1g, 1a) in Vermont’s 3-0 win over #11 UConn. With the goal, Parkkonen leads all Hockey East defensemen in goals (6) and is tied for first in points (21). Parkkonen added four blocked shots on the weekend as well.