Poulakis' Offense and Defensive Penalty Corner Stand Lifts UNH Past UVM, 2-1

Friday, September 22

Burlington, Vt.

3 PM

University of New Hampshire

(6-2, 3-0AE)

Vermont

(3-5, 0-1AE)

New Hampshire

Vermont

Photo by: Nich Hall

Poulakis' Offense and Defensive Penalty Corner Stand Lifts UNH Past UVM, 2-1

9/22/2023 6:13:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Sophomore Nicole Poulakis (Ajax, Ontario) recorded a goal and an assist to propel the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Friday's 2-1 comeback win against the University of Vermont at Moulton Winder Field.

Poulakis' goal tied the score, 1-1, 41 seconds into the second half and then she set up the game-winning goal by Leah Glidden (Kittery, Maine) at 50:02.

Jemma Woods (Frimley, England) made four saves and Louette Petiet (Hoofddorp, Netherlands) was credited with a defensive save.

UVM goalie Ila Gunner, who was pulled in favor of an extra field player with 4:17 remaining in regulation, stopped six shots. Lilly Leiprecht scored the Catamounts' goal.

UNH extended its win streak to three games to improve to 6-2 overall and 3-0 in America East. Vermont, which had four consecutive penalty corners at the end of regulation, is now 3-5, 0-1.

UP NEXT

New Hampshire returns to action Sept. 24 (12 p.m.) at 11^th-ranked Boston College.
The Wildcats' next home game is Sept. 29 (2 p.m.) vs. Bryant University.

FIRST QUARTER

UVM had a 4-3 shot advantage through 15 minutes of scoreless play.

SECOND QUARTER

Both the shots (4-4) and penalty corners (1-1) were even in the second quarter.
On a UVM penalty corner, Sophia Drees' initial shot was blocked. The Catamounts sustained pressure and Leiprecht scored at 24:21 to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

THIRD QUARTER

Poulakis beat a defender through traffic along the right endline, angled slightly off the line and batted the ball out of the air inside the left post to lift UNH into a 1-1 tie 41 seconds into the second half.

FOURTH QUARTER

UNH recorded one shot in the final 15 minutes and it proved to be the game-winning goal.
In the 49^th minute, Vermont was awarded a corner and Drees' blast from the top of the circle eluded Woods, but Petiet was in position at the right post to prevent the goal.
The Wildcats took a 2-1 lead at 50:02 when Poulakis maneuvered from the left endline to the middle of the circle to pull Gunner out of position and pushed a pass to the right for Glidden, who lifted the ball into the cage.
Woods denied Drees in the 56^th minute to preserve the one-goal lead.
UVM was awarded a corner with six seconds on the clock. Glidden raced out of the cage to block Haley Buffenbarger's shot, but UVM was given another corner.
The game was extended to a third corner, on which Drees' blocked shot resulted in a fourth corner. From the top of the circle, UVM moved the ball to the left, then the ball hit the foot of a Catamount player on the next attempted pass back across the top of the circle to end the game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Vermont finished with a 15-10 shot advantage, but the Wildcats had an 8-6 edge in shots on goal.
UVM had a 7-5 edge in corners, four of which were at the end of regulation.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Poulakis extended her goal-scoring streak to three games; she also has three assists in that span for a total of nine points.
She has a team-high five assists and ranks second in both goals (six) and points (17).
Glidden has scored a goal in two of the last three games.
Petiet's defensive save was the first of her career and first by a Wildcat this season.
The previous time UNH started 3-0 in conference play was in 2013, when the 'Cats finished with a 5-0 conference record.
The 6-2 record is UNH's best record through eight games since the 2011 team started 8-0.

SERIES NOTEBOOK

UNH has a 37-9 lifetime record against Vermont.

COACH'S QUOTE, UNH head coach Robin Balducci
The end was kinda crazy. It was a lot to weather. The (defensive) corner group did a great job to tough that out. The core group defensively was just outstanding.

Nicole did a great job. She played a big role. Lindsay had a great game. Abigail Johnson, the youngster, did a great job for us. And Jemma was tough.