Caron's Three Goals Lifts UNH to 6-0 Win vs. Merrimack

Wednesday, March 3

Durham, N.H.

2 PM

University of New Hampshire

Merrimack

Photo by: Michelle Bronner

3/3/2021 6:06:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. – Junior Finn Caron (Hampton, N.H.) scored three goals and sophomore Ava Mariani (Easton, Pa.) scored twice to propel the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Wednesday afternoon's 6-0 victory against Merrimack College on March 3 at Memorial Field.

Sophomore Emily Eckels (Arnold, Md.) scored UNH's other goal. Senior captain Bloem van den Brekel (Eindhoven, Netherlands), junior Tori Palumbo (Ayer, Mass.) and freshman Olivia Waston (Easton, Pa.) were each credited with one assist.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jemma Woods (Frimley, England) and redshirt freshman Nikki Tredwell (Hampton, N.H.) split time to post the shutout. Woods made her first start of the season and Tredwell entered the game at the beginning of the third quarter. Neither was credited with a save.

Merrimack goalie Abbie Ortyl allowed two goals and made four saves, as her teammate Riley Brown, who played the second quarter, allowed four goals and stopped one shot.

UNH advances to 2-0 and is scheduled to face Boston College on Friday, March 12 (2 p.m.) at Field Hockey Complex (Newton, Mass.). Merrimack is 0-1.

WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

First Quarter

Mariani scored the first goal of the game and her second of the season at 2:10 of the first quarter. Ortyl stopped Palumbo's initial shot from the top of the circle but Mariani deposited the rebound into the cage from three yards.
At 9:39, van den Brekel's low drive from the right side of the circle was redirected in by Caron for her second goal of the season to increase the Wildcats' lead to two goals.
UNH concluded the first 15 minutes with a 4-0 shot advantage with three on goal.

Second Quarter

Mariani was quick to score her second goal of the game 28 seconds into the second quarter. Jaiden Wittel (Stroudsburg, Pa.) initiated the sequence with a long ht into the circle that was controlled by Palumbo at the top of the circle, ands he fed the ball low to Mariani.
At 17:08, Caron picked up her second goal of the game to quickly give UNH a 4-0 lead against Merrimack.
Caron went diving towards the goal and scored her third of the game at 19:24.
In the 22^nd minute, a shot attempt by Merrimack's Juliane Ohmen was blocked by a UNH defender and went wide right of the cage.
At 28:08, Eckels ripped a shot to score her first goal of the season, assisted by Watson, and give UNH a lead of 6-0 going into the second half.

Third Quarter

At 37:18 Merrimack was awarded a corner, but was unable to record a shot. About a minute later UNH was also awarded a corner, but was also unsuccessful.
Jane Bonazzoli's shot attempt was blocked aside by a UNH defender at 42:25.
Merrimack was awarded with another corner at 42:33, but it resulted in another unsuccessful attempt to record a shot.

Fourth Quarter

At 52:28, a corner was awarded to UNH and van den Brekel's direct was saved by Ortyl.
In the 59^th minute, a shot off the stick of UNH's Molly McAteer (Annapolis, Md.) was saved Ortyl on a penalty corner attempt.
Another corner was awarded to UNH in the closing seconds, and it concluded the game with a shot attempt by Wittel and another save by Ortyl.

Game Notebook

UNH finished with a 14-3 shot advantage over Merrimack, 11-0 of which were shots on goal.
UNH led Merrimack in penalty corners 4-2.

UNH Notebook

Caron, the reigning America East Offensive Player of the Week, matched her career highs in both goals (three) and points (six). She increased her career totals to 21 goals – tops among current 'Cats -- and 46 points.
Mariani also matched her personal bests in both goals (two) and points (four).
van den Brekel continues to lead active UNH players in career points (53).
Watson posted her first collegiate assist and point.
Eckels increased her career statistics to two goals and six points.
Palumbo now has two career assists and points.
This was UNH's first shutout of the season. The Wildcats blanked one opponent in the 2019 season (4-0 win at Bryant on Sept. 27).

Series Notebook