University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
6-16-1, 4-9-0WHEA
University of Connecticut
6-13-6, 2-7-3WHEA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Connecticut | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Vaattovaara's 28 Saves Backbones Women's Ice Hockey to 3-1 Win at UConn
1/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
STORRS, Conn. -- Vilma Vaattovaara (Veikkola, Finland) stopped 28 of 29 shots to backbone the University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team to Sunday afternoon's 3-1 victory against the University of Connecticut at Freitas Ice Forum.
UNH, which skated to a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday against the Huskies, improves to 6-16-1 overall and 4-9-0 in Hockey East with the weekend sweep of UConn, which is now 6-13-6, 2-7-3.
Vaattovaara made 13 saves in the second period and stopped all 11 shots in the final frame, including the only one she faced in a two-minute span during which the home team had a two-skater advantage.
Amy Boucher (Edmonton, Alberta) scored a goal for the second time in as many days when she gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead with an unassisted tally at 15:50 of the first period. Hannah Armstrong (Keswick, Ontario) broke the 1-1 tie at 9:05 of the third period and Nicoline Jensen (Rodovre, Denmark) potted an empty-net goal with 50 seconds remaining in regulation to secure the victory. Those goals marked the third point of the weekend series for both Armstrong and Jensen.
UConn goaltender Annie Belanger recorded double-digit saves all three periods (13-10-16) to finish with 39. Emily Snodgrass scored the Huskies' goal – a power-play tally – with one second on the clock in the middle stanza.
Connecticut generated a 4-1 shot advantage – and Rachel Farrel hit the pipe – in the opening five minutes of the game but did not record a shot the rest of the first period.
UNH began to gain wrest away momentum but Belanger turned aside all five shots the next four minutes to keep the game scoreless, and then the UConn goalie benefitted from the framework of the cage when Cassandra Vilgrain (Calgary, Alberta) hit the pipe.
The Wildcats continued to pressure but Belanger denied both Amy Schlagel (Edmonton, Alberta) and Kayla Mork (Victoria, Minn.) midway through the period. The 'Cats peppered Belanger with three more shots the next three minutes, but she stopped all three bids to keep the game deadlocked.
Boucher finally got a shot past the UConn netminder for a 1-0 lead at 15:50. The Wildcats went on the first power play of the game at 19:45 of the first period but registered just one shot on Belanger.
UConn began to regain momentum, but Vaattovaara made stops against Sarah MacDonnell, Leah Lum and Kayla Campero in a three-minute span to keep UNH's 1-0 lead intact. In the eighth minute, Vaattovaara also turned aside Snodgrass and Lum.
Play leveled out the remainder of the second period. The Huskies went on a power play with 11 seconds left in the stanza and scored 10 seconds later to level the score, 1-1, heading into the second intermission. MacDonneel and Campero assisted on Snodgrass' goal.
The home team was sent to the penalty box for interference 29 seconds into the third period and recorded four shots with the skater advantage, including two by Jonna Curtis (Elk River, Minn.), but Belanger blocked aside every bid to keep the score tied.
The Huskies went on another power play at 5:49. Vaattovaara denied Farrel and then also stoned both Justine Fredette and Theresa Knutson immediately after the power play expired.
Armstrong, with the assistance of Vilgrain and Julia Fedeski (Algonquin Highlands, Ontario), put UNH back on top 2-1 at 9:05.
UConn responded with pressure, but Vaattovarra made two saves against MacDonnell. One minute later at the other end of the ice, Belanger kept the margin at one goal by denying Schlagel twice. Moments later, she also denied by Curtis and Kate Haslett (Rothesay, New Brunswick).
UNH was called for a cross checking infraction at 16:56 and UConn also pulled Belanger in favor of an extra skater to create a two-skater advantage. Vaattovaara made a save against Knutson and Curtis nearly scored a shorthanded goal when her shot caromed off the post.
Jensen returned from the penalty box at with 64 seconds to play and scored into the empty net 14 seconds later to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead. Curtis was credited with an assist.
UConn did not record a shot the rest of the way.
New Hampshire returns to action with the first game of a six-game homestand Jan. 23 (7 p.m.) against Penn State University.
