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University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
Boston U.
#5 WOMEN'S HOCKEY OUSTED FROM HOCKEY EAST TOURNEY WITH 4-0 LOSS TO BOSTON U.
3/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
PROVIDENCE, R.I.
– Melissa Anderson scored two goals to propel the Boston
University women's ice hockey team to Saturday
afternoon's 4-0 victory against fifth-ranked University of
New Hampshire in the semifinals of the 8th Annual Hockey East
Championship at Schneider Arena.
UNH, which had won the previous four league tournament titles, is
now 19-8-5 and awaits the announcement of the NCAA Tournament
selection show on March 7 (7:30 pm.). BU improved to 16-8-12 and
will be making its first appearance in the Hockey East championship
game.
BU goaltender Melissa Haber made 17 saves to record the shutout
– the first of the Wildcats this season. UNH goalie
Lindsey Minton (Richardson, Texas) also stopped 17
shots.
New Hampshire generated a 7-3 shot advantage in the scoreless first
period. In the second minute, the line of Kelly
Paton (Woodstock, Ontario), Micaela Long
(South Boston, Mass.) and Kristina Lavoie
(Fonthill, Ontario) generated a couple of dangerous scoring
chances. From the left circle, Long maneuvered to the low slot and
fired a shot that Haber couldn't control, but she covered up
the loose puck in traffic. Moments later, the rebound off
Paton's shot from the right doorstep was once again free
momentarily before Haber covered it with her glove.
UNH's penalty kill did not surrender a shot on BU power-play
opportunities at 3:10 and 6:57, then Brittany
Skudder (Plainview, N.Y.) floated a dangerous backhand
from the slot that Haber snared with her glove.
The Wildcats opened the second period with 1:07 remaining on the
power play. Paton, from the right circle, swung the puck low to
Long. She centered the puck to Lavoie, who stickhandled to the
right to create a shooting lane and shoveled a shot wide of the
near post.
Moments later, BU's Laurel Koller carried the puck into the
offensive zone and her shot from the right point sailed into the
cage to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead 58 seconds into the middle
frame.
In the seventh minute, Long, Paton and Lavoie – as well as
Kailey Chappell (Pickering, Ontario) –
generated a flurry in front of the net, but Haber turned aside both
shots on net.
UNH was also pressuring midway through the second stanza when
Raylen Dziengelewski (Southwick, Mass.) skated in
from the right point and wristed a shot from the faceoff dot that
deflected high off Haber's stick and landed on the netting
behind the right post.
With 3:30 to play in the second, Long led a rush down the right
wing and centered the puck to Lavoie. She swung the puck to the
right wing, but the pass did not connect with the charging
Paton.
Julie Allen (Brampton, Ontario) had a pair of
dangerous bids in the last two minutes. On her first rush, Allen
blasted a shot from the right faceoff circle that caromed off
Haber's facemask. Moments later on another rush down the
right wing, she maneuvered around a defender towards the slot and a
shot from the front doorstop was stopped by Haber.
BU opened the third period with a flurry and Minton denied Anderson
in the low slot to keep the Wildcats within 1-0. The Wildcats
immediately counterattacked with Paton attacking down the right
wing. She centered to Long, whose backhander beat Haber but
ricocheted off the right post.
UNH went on its second power play of the game at 7:47, and the line
of Allen, Skudder and Shannon Sisk (Pipersville,
Pa.) kept the puck in the offensive zone for 90 seconds but
generated just one shot on goal.
With 7:30 remaining, Allen carried the puck into the right circle
and centered the puck to the slot, where the puck deflected off
Skudder's stick wide of the left post.
The Terriers quickly extended the lead to 3-0 with goals at 13:44
and 16:11. Minton stopped Jenelle Kohanchuk's initial shot,
but Brittany Hergesheimer's point-blank shot off the rebound
deflected into the air and trickled across the goal line. Anderson
then increased the advantage to three goals when she cut from the
right side across the crease and tucked a shot inside the open left
post. Lauren Cherewyk, with the pass from the left point, set up
the tally.
UNH went on another power play with 1:26 remaining and pulled
Minton in favor of an extra skater. BU kept the 'Cats to the
perimeter and cleared the puck to the neutral zone with one minute
to play. Anderson then won the battle for the puck at the right
point, advanced to the open net and scored at 19:28.
