Sheppard's Six Saves Backbones UNH to 1-0 Win at Maine

Thursday, October 14

Orono, Maine

7 PM

University of New Hampshire

5-6-2, 3-2-1AE

Maine

3-6-2, 1-5-1AE

New Hampshire

Maine

Photo by: Dave O'Brien

10/14/2021 10:16:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

ORONO, Maine – Senior Cat Sheppard (Nesconset, N.Y.) recorded six saves and Meghan Guarente (Sewell, N.J.) scored a goal to lift the University of New Hampshire women's soccer team to Thursday night's 1-0 conference victory against the University of Maine at Mahaney Diamond.

Guarente broke the scoreless tie in the 29^th minute and Sheppard stopped three shots in both halves to record her third consecutive shutout, sixth clean sheet of the season and 14^th career.

Maine goalie Kira Kutzinski was credited with 12 saves.

UNH extended its winning streak to three games – all by shutout – to improve to 5-6-2 overall and 3-2-1 in America East. Maine is now 3-6-2, 1-5-1. With this victory, the Wildcats take an early lead in the 2021-22 Border Battle presented by Buffalo Wild Wings.

WSOC at Maine scoreboard_10.14.21

UP NEXT

UNH returns to action Oct. 17 at home against NJIT. Start time is 2 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium and on ESPN3.

FIRST HALF

UNH controlled possession and took a 1-0 lead with a 12-4 shot advantage that included 7-3 on goal in the opening 45 minutes.
The Wildcats pressured in the opening minutes as senior captain Francesca Picicci (North Massapequa, N.Y.) advanced to the left corner. Her service to the near post was flicked on by Guarente and then grad student and captain Casey Peterson (Round Hill, Va.) redirected a shot that was stopped by Kutzinski.
Picicci was then denied by Kutzinski in the seventh minute, and then a header by sophomore Emily Bini (Guilderland, N.Y.) was snared by the Black Bears' goalie in the 10^th minute.
In the 16^th minute, a UNH corner kick was cleared from the middle of the box, but sophomore Logan Nicholson (St. Augustine, Fla.) tracked down the ball and her low blast from the top-left corner was stopped by Kutzinski. Guarente then chipped the rebound over the crossbar.
In the 20^th minute, a direct kick from midfield by sophomore Alivia Kelly (Pembroke, Mass.) sailed over everyone in the box. Kutzinski, yards off the goal line, lept and the ball went off the top of her gloves. The ball ricocheted inside the goalie box before sophomore Anna Hewlett (Webster, N.Y.) volleyed a shot high.
New Hampshire took a 1-0 lead at 29:23 when Hewlett's long service from the left wing into the box was headed by Guarente under the crossbar. Bini initiated the scoring sequence with an outlet pass from midfield.
Sheppard made her third save of the half to deny Tiana Bucknor in the 44^th minute to send the Wildcats into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

SECOND HALF

The 'Cats recorded an 11-6 shot advantage, including 6-3 on goal, in the scoreless second half.
Sophomore Ella Dudley (St. Augustine, Fla.) struck a low thru ball down the middle of the field that was run on to by Guarente, who one-timed a low blast from the top of the box that was stopped by Kutzinski as the Maine goalie had charged 13 yards off the goal line.
In the 58^th minute, another free kick by Kelly – this time from the right wing near midfield – sailed over Kuzinski and was headed on frame by Hewlett, but the ball was cleared away by a Black Bear defender to keep the margin at one goal.
In the 66^th minute, a dangerous Maine free kick by Bucknor across the field toward the left post was redirected to the near post by Abby Kraemer, but Sheppard was in position for the save.
In the 79^th minute, Kelly generated another dangerous scoring opportunity on a direct kick from midfield, this time from the left wing. Her high service was just beyond the reach of a pair of Wildcats deep in the box, and Kutzinski ran up to catch the ball.
Two minutes later on a corner, Bini's serve into the box was headed forcefully down by Kelly but Kutzinski. The rebound went out six yards to Mayer, whose one-timer toward the right post was also stopped by the Maine goalie.
The Black Bears generated back-to-back corners in the 84^th minute but did not generate a shot.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

UNH finished with a 23-10 shot advantage, including 13-6 on goal, and a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.
The Wildcats were whistled offsides four times. Maine was not at all.
Bini recorded a game-high five shots.
Guarente and Picicci both had four, and both had three on goal.

UNH NOTEBOOK

The last time New Hampshire shut out three consecutive opponents was in the 2015 season, when the Wildcats played to consecutive scoreless ties against Rhode Island and UMass, then won 2-0 vs. Holy Cross (Aug. 21-23-27).
The Wildcats have outscored the opposition 7-0 during the current shutout streak.
UNH improved to 3-4-1 on the road, and two wins during the shutout streak have been away from Durham.
Sheppard's six shutouts surpass her previous single-season high of five established in 2019. She also posted three clean sheets in the abbreviated Spring 2021 season.
Sheppard has held the opposition scoreless the past 272 minutes, 21 seconds dating back to Sept. 30 (UMass Lowell goal at 87:39). It is a personal-best shutout streak.
Her previous longest career shutout streak was 260:17 (2019 season); her longest streak last season was 216:49.
Sheppard's 14 career shutouts are tied at #4 in the school record book with Maja Hansen (1991-95). Ahead of them is Molly Kirchner (1990-93) with 19 shutouts.
Guarente ranks second on the team in both goals (three) and points (nine).
Hewlett now has a team-high four assists and a total of six points, which ranks third.

SERIES NOTEBOOK

UNH has won each of the last three meetings vs. Maine – all by shutout – in the Border Battle presented by Buffalo Wings.
The Wildcats have a 5-3-2 series edge the past 10 meetings.