Schlagel's Overtime Goal Lifts Women's Hockey to 2-1 Win at Merrimack

Saturday, December 5

North Andover, Mass.

4 PM

University of New Hampshire

6-13-1, 5-8-0HEA

Merrimack College

2-15-1, 1-8-1HEA

OT 1

New Hampshire

Merrimack

Schlagel's Overtime Goal Lifts Women's Hockey to 2-1 Win at Merrimack

12/5/2015 6:26:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Amy Schlagel (Blaine, Minn.) scored at 2:04 of overtime to lift the University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team to Saturday afternoon's 2-1 victory against Merrimack College at Lawler Rink.

UNH, which recorded a 57-24 shot advantage, completed the weekend sweep of the Warriors to extend its winning streak to three games and unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1). The Wildcats improve to 6-13-1 overall and 5-8-0 in Hockey East. Merrimack is now 2-15-1, 1-8-1.

New Hampshire returns to action Dec. 8 (7p.m.) against intrastate rival Dartmouth College; tickets for that game and all other UNH women's ice hockey home games are available by calling 603-862-4000, ext. 5 or visiting www.unhwildcats.com.

Cassandra Vilgrain (Calgary, Alberta) scored the Wildcats' other goal and four skaters – Amy Boucher (Edmonton, Alberta), Haley Breedlove (Plano, Texas), Jonna Curtis (Elk River, Minn.) and Marie-Jo Pelletier (Dalhousie, New Brunswick) – tallied one assist.

Kyra Smith (Littleton, Colo.) made 23 saves, including nine in both the first and second periods and one in OT. Merrimack counterpart Samantha Ridgewell recorded double-digit saves all three periods of regulation (15-16-22) and two in the extra session for a total of 55. Paige Sorenson netted MC's goal.

Merrimack opened overtime with the first shot on goal by Jessica Bonfe, but Smith made the save to extend the game. At the other end of the ice, Jenna Rheault (Deering, N.H.) and Pelletier were denied by Ridgewell.

Schlagel, with the assistance of Curtis and Boucher, put the puck into the net at 2:04 of OT to end the game.

Smith made three saves in the first two minutes of the game to keep the Warriors off the board. The Wildcats began to seize control of the game in the third minute, when Schlagel was denied twice by Ridgewell. Pelletier and Margo Lund (St. Paul, Minn.) also recorded shots on goal before Smith was tested by Allison Sexton in the seventh minute.

Action continued at the other end of the ice, where Devan Taylor (North Billerica, Mass.) and Vilgrain fired shots on Ridgewell. Merrimack advanced into its attack zone, where Jackie Pieper was turned aside twice by Smith, who also denied Emily Volpe.

The Warriors went on the first power play at 8:38, but the 'Cats generated a pair of shorthanded scoring opportunities off the sticks of Sara Carlson (Hutchinson, Minn.) and Boucher.

UNH had sustained pressure on its power play that started at 12:17 of the opening stanza. Nicoline Jensen (Rodovre, Denmark) snapped a shot on goal, then the Wildcats recorded one shot wide and four blocked before Boucher got another shot through to Ridgewell – all in the first minute of the skater advantage.

On that same power play, Vilgrain scored at 14:11 with the assistance of Breedlove and Pelletier to give New Hampshire a 1-0 lead.

UNH ended the first period with a 16-9 shot advantage and one-goal lead.

The Wildcats continued to carry play early in the second stanza, when Boucher, Lund and Jenna Rheault (Deering, N.H.) were all turned away by Ridgewell. Then in the third minute, Ridgewell made stops against Curtis and Julia Fedeski (Algonquin Highlands, Ontario).

Merrimack finally broke through with some pressure in the eighth minute, when Smith denied Jessica Bonfe three times. Midway through the period, Smith preserved the 1-0 lead with stops against Katelyn Rae and Paige Voight.

UNH went back on the power play at 16:39, but Ridgewell kept the Warriors within one goal by denying both Carlee Toews (Grand Prairie, Alberta) and Breedlove.

Sorenson scored 18 seconds into the third period to tie the score, 1-1. Rae set up the tally.

UNH had power plays at 2:38 and 4:48 and recorded a total of nine shots on goal, but could not break the deadlock.

MC went on the power play shortly thereafter at 6:52, but Smith stopped the only shot she faced – off Voight's stick -- in that two-minute span.

UNH began to reassert itself in the 10^th minute, when Ridgewell was tested by Curtis and Schlagel. One minute later, Lund sent a shot on goal. Then in a two-minute span, Ridgewell made six more saves to keep the game tied at 1-1.

The Warriors closed the last two minutes with some offensive pressure. Volpe was turned aside by Smith. UNH blocked three of the next four shot attempts – the other was sent wide – before Rae was denied by Smith in the waning seconds of regulation.

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