Game Notes: Women's Lax Welcomes No. 20 UConn to Cowell Stadium (Feb. 27; 1 pm)

GAME 4
No. 20 Connecticut (2-0) at New Hampshire (1-2)
Saturday, February 27 • Cowell Stadium • 1 p.m.
Video – Stats

THE MATCHUP
UNH has a 6-6 lifetime record against UConn that includes 4-1 at home; the home team has won each of the last three matchups, including the Huskies' 17-8 victory last year in Storrs, Conn. and New Hampshire's 11-7 triumph at Bremner Field in 2014.

Last year, UNH scored three straight goals to take a 4-3 lead 12 minutes into the game, but UConn responded with 12 consecutive goals spanning the first and second halves – the Huskies led 10-4 at halftime – to build a 15-4 lead with 16 minutes remaining in the second half. The Huskies tallied the edge in shots (34-23), ground balls (21-10) and draw controls (16-11).

In the most recent matchup in Durham (March 5, 2014), the 'Cats utilized a 5-0 spurt to take a 6-2 lead into halftime. New Hampshire scored the initial three goals of the second half to extend the cushion to 9-2 and UNH kept the Huskies at arm's length the rest of the way.

These programs first met in 1997 but did not play again until 2003. They met annually from 2003-09 and the series resumed in 2012. UConn has won three of the last four meetings.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
UNH has a 1-2 overall record that includes 1-0 at home. The Wildcats opened the 2016 season Feb. 13 with a 14-8 win vs. Hofstra University at Cowell Stadium. UNH enters Saturday's game on a two-game losing streak following Tuesday's 11-10 setback at Dartmouth College.

New Hampshire is averaging 9.33 goals per game while allowing 11.67 gpg. The Wildcats scored a season high of 14 in the opener vs. Hofstra and a low of four at UMass.

UNH has scored the game's first goal all three games this season. The Wildcats also netted the next goal vs. Hofstra en route to a 4-0 lead; that mark of four consecutive goals is the longest by New Hampshire this season.

In comparing UNH vs. opponents, the numbers are nearly equal in both turnovers (UNH 46, Opponents 47) and ground balls (36-44) but the opposition has a distinct advantage in shots (87-57) draw controls (46-22). Opponents have recorded more ground balls and draw controls all three games

'CAT NIPS
Sophomore attack Carly Wooters (White Plains, N.Y.) scored a career-high four goals to record a personal best of four points Feb. 23 at Dartmouth College. Wooters is one of two Wildcats who has recorded a point all three games and is the only 'Cat to tally multiple points every game. She leads the team in goals (seven), points (eight) and shots (11).

Sophomore goalkeeper Kate Clancy (Barrington, R.I.) matched her career high of 12 saves for the second time in four days Feb. 23 at Dartmouth – she recorded 10 of those saves in the first half; Clancy was also credited with a game-high five ground balls. One game earlier at UMass, Clancy also stopped 12 shots. Clancy recorded 12 saves twice last year as a freshman.

Clancy ranks No. 8 in the nation – and first in America East – in saves with 32. She is 11^th in saves per game (10.67), which is second in the conference.

Senior attack Laura McHoul is the other 'Cat who has recorded a point all three games this season. McHoul recorded two goals and an assist in both the season opener vs. Hofstra and this past Tuesday at Dartmouth. She tallied one assist at UMass. McHoul is tied for the team lead in assists (three), ranks second in points (seven) and is tied for second in both goals (four) and shots (eight).

Senior attack Nicole Grote was credited with two assists at Dartmouth to mark the second multiple-assist performance by a Wildcat this season. Catherine Sexton finished with two assists in the opener vs. Hofstra.

Junior defender Hope Kissick corralled a team-high three draw controls at Dartmouth and that is the single-game high by a 'Cat this season.

SHOOT TO SCORE
New Hampshire has scored on 28 of 57 shots for an impressive .491 shooting percentage. Also of note, 45 of the 57 shots have been on goal; that's a .789 percentage. In comparison, the opponents have a .402 shooting percentage (35 goals/87 shots) and .770 shot on goal percentage.

105 AND COUNTING
Senior attacker Laura McHoul entered the 2016 season as UNH's record holder for career assists with 102; she supplanted Karen Geromini, who tallied 101 assists, as the record holder last season. McHoul has one assist each of the first three games to increase that total to 105.

McHoul broke New Hampshire's single-season assist record with 39 in the 2014 season. She also holds No. 3 with 33 in 2013 and No. 5 with 30 in 2015.

CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME POINTS LIST
Laura McHoul enters Saturday's game vs. UConn with 68 goals and 105 assists for 173 points in 52 career games; those calculate to averages of 1.31 gpg, 2.02 apg and 3.33 ppg.

McHoul is currently No. 9 on the program's all-time points leaderboard. Ahead of her are No. 8 Pauline Collins (178) and No. 7 Liz Brickley (179); also on the horizon in No. 6 Shaunna Kaplan (187).

WILDCATS' COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AT DARTMOUTH
New Hampshire outscored the host Dartmouth College Big Green 3-1 the last 12 minutes of the game, but the Wildcats' comeback fell short in an 11-10 loss Tuesday at Scully-Fahey Field (Hanover, N.H.).

Laura McHoul and Carly Wooters scored goals 83 seconds apart – at 5:41 and 4:18, respectively – to lift the 'Cats within 11-10. UNH won the ensuing draw control, but then lost the ball with 2:15 remaining and Dartmouth utilized a spread offense the rest of the way to maintain possession and secure the victory.

In the first half, the teams exchanged two-goal spurts as the Wildcats took a 4-2 lead with 3:40 remaining. UNH took a 5-4 lead into halftime. Both teams scored two goals early in the second half to push the score to 7-6 in favor of the 'Cats. The Big Green rattled off four consecutive goals to take their first lead of the game, 10-7, with 14:31 on the clock.

LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
Sophomore goalkeeper Kate Clancy returns to reprise her role as starting goalkeeper. Through three games, she has stopped 32 of 55 shots on goal for an 11.67 GAA and .478 save percentage. As previously noted, she has matched her career high of 12 saves each of the past two games (at Dartmouth; at UMass).

Clancy started all 16 games last season and played 895:51 of a possible 966:00 minutes (90.0%) finished with an 11.50 GAA and .380 save percentage. She recorded double-digit saves three times, including 12 in back-to-back games against Drexel and Denver.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
The University of Connecticut, ranked 20^th in this week's national poll, come into the game with UNH at 2-0 on the season. The last time out, the Huskies took down James Madison University at home by a score of 12-10. Jacqueline Jordan and Katherine Finkelston led the team with four goals apiece. In the Huskies' first game of the season, they took down Quinnipiac, 21-0.

Finkelston leads the team with 10 goals and 12 points. Grace Nolan, who scored seven goals in the first game of the season, is second on the team with eight goals and nine points. Jordan is third on the team in goals (five) and tied for first in assists (four).

UConn goalie Shannon Nee is fifth in the country in save percentage at .600. She has started both games and is 2-0 with a 5.51 GAA, which ranks ninth nationally.

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