Wildcats Host Terriers for Senior Day

Saturday, February 17

DURHAM, N.H.

2 PM

University of New Hampshire

Boston University

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The five UNH seniors. (Photo by China Wong)

Photo by: China Wong

2/16/2018 12:38:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

UNH is looking for playoff home-ice for the first time since 2013.

2017-2018 New Hampshire Women's Ice Hockey
Saturday, Feb. 17 (2:00 P.M.) / Sunday, Feb. 18 (3:00 P.M.)
New Hampshire (14-11-7, 9-8-5 Hockey East) vs.
Boston University (11-15-6, 6-11-5 Hockey East) Whittemore Center Arena - Durham, N.H.
WATCH - SATURDAY | WATCH - SUNDAY | LIVE STATS - SATURDAY | LIVE STATS - SUNDAY | GAME NOTES | TICKETS

DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire women's ice hockey team enters the final weekend of the regular season one fighting for home-ice playoff advantage, as they take on the Boston University Terriers in a home-and-home series this Saturday, Feb. 17 and Sunday, Feb. 18. The Wildcats are coming off a big upset victory at #3 BC, while the Terriers are coming off a tough overtime Beanpot Championship loss to the Eagles.

The Matchup: BU vs. New Hampshire
This will be the 50th and 51st meetings of the two programs, with BU holding the slight all-time advantage 24-21-4. The Wildcats snapped the Terrier's 14-game win streak in the series with an away playoff victory to open up last season's Hockey East Quarterfinals, but the Terriers would go on to win the series two games to one. Earlier this season, the Wildcats took a point from BU with a 2-2 tie back in October.

The State of New Hampshire
• The Wildcats finished the first half of the season with a 9-6-5 overall record through 20 games; it was the teams' first winning record through 20 games since 2009-10, when the Wildcats had a .750 winning percentage, going 13-3-4.
• With 23 league points, the Wildcats sit in fourth place with a playoff berth clinched. If they remain in fourth place, it would mean hosting their first Hockey East playoff game since 2013.
• UNH has scored the first goal in 19 of 32 games this season; they are 11-3-5 in those games.
• New Hampshire has 10 skaters who have tallied at least 10 points on the season so far.
• The Wildcats are 9-2-0 when scoring three or more goals, and 5-9-7 when scoring less than three goals.
• UNH has 24 power play goals on a 16.6% power play efficiency. They have killed 111 of 131 penalties for a 84.7% penalty kill efficiency.
• The Wildcats average 4.5 power play chances per game give up 4.1 power play opportunities for their opponents per game.
• New Hampshire has outshot opponents by 39 shots in the third period (311-283). They lead in third period goals with 21 goals scored and 19 allowed in the third period.
• New Hampshire is 13-1-7 when holding opponents to less than three goals; only 11 times this season have opponents scored three or more goals (1-10-0 record in those games.)

Last Time Out
After a rough one-point weekend to open the month of February, the Wildcats travled to Chestnut Hill for a battle with the #3 Boston College Eagles. The Wildcats held the top-scoring offense in Hockey East (4.26 goals per game) to just one goal and took a one-goal victory away from Conte Forum. It was BC's second Hockey East loss all season, and the Wildcats' first victory over the Eagles since 2013. Sophomore Meghara McManus (Milton, Mass.) got the scoring going in the first with her team-leading 11th goal of the season, and fellow sophmore Carlee Turner (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had the game-winning tally in the second period. It was Turner's second game-winner of the season. Freshman goaltender Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) made 34 saves in the one-goal-allowed victory.

Players to Watch
• Senior defensemen Amy Schlagel (Blaine, Minn.) and Julia Fedeski (Algonquin Highlands, Ontario) were both drafted to NWHL teams this offseason, Schlagel going 18th overall to the Buffalo Beauts, and Fedeski going 20th overall to the Boston Pride. They're the first two Wildcats to be drafted to a NWHL team before graduating.
• Fedeski has the third most points on the team with 17 points on seven goals and 10 assists. Six of her seven goals this season have come on the power play; two of her goals were game winners.
• Schlagel tallied a team-leading 11 goals for 15 total points, including seven power play goals and two game-winning goals, before her season was cut short due to injury.
• Sophomore forward Meghara McManus has a team-high19 points with 11 goals and eight assists. She had her second mutli-goal game of her career against Northeastern. She had an assist on the game-winning, short-handed goal to take down #8 Providence, and tallied the first goal in the victory over #3 BC.
• Sophomore forward Taylor Wenczkowski (Rochester, N.H.) is at 18 points on the season. She has 11 assists, second-best on the team, and has tallied seven goals. Four of her seven goals were power play goals. Wenczkowski also leads the team in conference points with 13.
• Sophomore forward Carlee Turner is also now at 18 points after her game-winning tally at #3 BC; She has nine goals and nine assists on the season. Turner also has the team-lead in conference points at 13.
• Sophomore forward Nicole Dunbar (Coto de Caza, Calif.) has 15 points on the season with seven goals and eight assists. Dunbar had the game-winning goal against Holy Cross, and most recently in overtime against Northeastern. She also tallied goals against Yale and Boston College.
• Senior forward Carlee Toews (Grand Prairie, Alberta) had a multi-assist game against Quinnipiac, and a game-winning assist at #3 BC, and is now up to 15 points on 12 assists, tied for the highest assist total on the team. Of her three goals, two have been game winners, including a short-handed goal against #8 Providence.
• Sophomore defender Tori Howran (Bancroft, Ontario) has the team lead in assists with 12, adding in 1 goal for 13 points on the season. Howran scored her first career goal this season in a 9-1 victory over Holy Cross.

Boutilier Gets the Start
Freshman goaltender Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) has gotten the start in 28 of UNH's 32 games this season; she has an 12-9-7 record in her first 28 career starts, stopping 760 shots, putting her third all-time in UNH history for most saves in a single season. She has a .927 save percentage and a 2.15 GAA in her first career season. Boutilier got her first career shutout against #8 Providence, and made 34 saves in a 2-1 victory against offensive powerhouse #3 BC.

Return of Smith
Junior goaltender Kyra Smith (Littleton, Colo.) got her first action of the season in December, starting two games with a 2-0-0 record and earning two straight Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week awards. Smith is 2-2-0 on the season with 104 saves and nine goals allowed for a .920 save percentage and 2.48 GAA.

Four-Time Player of the Week
After her win at #3 BC, Ava Boutilier was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season on Feb. 12. This comes after being named the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the week on Jan. 29, the previous week.

Take It To Overtime
The Wildcats have played 10 overtime games this season; so far, they are undefeated in games that require an extra period, with a 3-0-7 record. They are outshooting opponents 27-23 in overtime.

Ranked Woes
UNH has a losing record (2-6-1) against ranked opponents this season; they are 12-5-6 against unranked opponents this season. The Wildcats got their first points of the season against a ranked opponent against #8 Providence, tying 2-2 and winning 1-0.

Scouting Boston University
The Terriers (Boston, Mass.) come into the weekend with a 4-4-2 record in the last 10 games, including a tough overtime loss to the BC Eagles in the Beanpot final. Despite their less than .500 record, the Terriers boast a dangerous 3.12 goals scored per game, outscoring opponents by 7 goals in the first period and +9 overall.
Leading the Terriers into the weekend is senior forward Victoria Bach, with a team-high 59 points and 35 goals, putting her at second in the nation in points per game with 2.11. Senior forward Rebecca Leslie follows close behind with a team-high 29 assists, adding in 19 goals for a total of 48 points on the season.
In net, the Terriers have looked to freshman Corinne Schroeder in net for 23 of their 32 starts. Scroeder has a 11-7-4 record in her rookie season, with 604 saves and a .915 save% and 2.47 GAA. In the other nine starts, senior Erin O'Neil got the nod. She has an 0-8-2 record with a .907 save% and 3.11 GAA.