STORRS, Conn.  – Shaunna Kaplan (Framingham, Mass.) recorded three points and Ashley Milley (Sudbury, Mass.) made a season-high nine saves for the University of New Hampshire women's lacrosse team, but 19^th-ranked University of Connecticut utilized a 10-1 first-half spurt en route to Tuesday afternoon’s 17-9 non-conference victory at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex.

UNH falls to 6-7 overall and 0-3 vs. nationally-ranked teams. UConn is now 8-5.

The Wildcats scored the first three goals of the game to take a 3-0 lead. Bailley Mazur (Longmeadow, Mass.) won the opening draw control, quickly advanced the ball down the right side and made a centering pass to Kaplan (2g, 1a), who shot and scored to give the ‘Cats a lead 15 seconds into the game.

Kellen Millard (Ipswich, Mass.) recorded her first career point with a free-position goal at 27:38 when she drove from the left wing and fired a low shot inside the far post. Ashley Durepo  (Concord, N.H.) extended UNH’s advantage to 3-0 at 24:43 when Christine Carbone (Nashua, N.H.) drove in the right wing and centered the ball to Durepo, who executed a quick catch-and-shoot.

The Huskies scored four consecutive goals to take their first lead of the game and spark a 10-1 run that gave the home team a 10-4 advantage in the closing minute of the first half. Shannon Burke (4g, 3a) began the run at 19:20, then goals by Janet
Wiliams at 17:59 and 13:13 sandwiched a strike by Laura Trzasko to put UConn in front.

UNH called time out at that point and  tied the game, 4-4, on an unassisted tally by Beth Sabiston (Bay Shore, N.Y.) on a cut through the right side at 10:54.

UConn then scored four goals in 92 seconds to quickly turn a tie game into a four-goal lead. Burke potted goals at 9:25 and 8:55 to put the Huskies back in front, then Katy Ryan struck at 8:25 and Kristin Link did so at 7:53 to create the 8-4 lead.

Ryan netted her second goal of the game at 4:06 and Link followed with her second of the game with 21 seconds remaining in the half to push the advantage to 10-4.

New Hampshire’s Kaplan won the ensuing draw control and raced down the left side before making a crossing pass to Alexa Webster (Aurora, Colo.), who scored into the open right side of the net with eight seconds to play.

UConn scored the initial three goals of the second half to build a 13-5 lead and UNH did not get closer than seven goals the rest of the way.

Michaela Hardy (Reading, Mass.) and Moira Talbot (Marblehead, Mass.) tallied unassisted goals at 19:52 and 16:15 respectively to advance the score to 14-7. Talbot, from behind the net, found  Sarah Von Bargen (East Setauket, N.Y.) down low and she converted the pass into a goal at 14:00. Neither team then scored for nearly 11 minutes before Katie Devaney struck at 3:15 to make the score 16-8.

Kaplan again won the ensuing draw control and raced down the left side to score her second goal of the game at 3:05. UConn’s Kim McGinty closed the scoring at 1:51.

Milley, in her first start of the season, exited the game at halftime but reentered at 17:26 of the second half and played the remainder of the game. She was credited with six saves in the first half and three in the second for a total of nine. Natalie Jones (Penn Yan, N..Y.), who had started the previous 12 games, made three saves and surrendered four goals in 12:34 of relief action.

UConn starting goalkeeper Jenna Moulton made eight saves and was replaced by Amanda Wilson for the last 8:31 of the game. Wilson stopped one shot and allowed one goal.

In addition to her three points, Kaplan recorded three caused turnovers and four draw controls. Carbone finished with two caused turnovers and a game-high four ground balls.

New Hampshire returns to action April 21 at home against Boston University. The Senior Day game begins at 1 p.m.