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University of New Hampshire Athletics
Verrier and Blair Receive Hockey East Weekly Awards
1/29/2024 4:01:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey
AMESBURY, Mass. – Shea Verrier (Reading, Mass.) and Sedona Blair (Eden Prairie, Minn.) of the University of New Hampshire women's hockey team were named Hockey East Player of the Week and Pro Ambitions co-Rookie of the Week, respectively, on Monday.
This is the first weekly award for Verrier. Blair has received four Hockey East weekly honors this season; she was previously named Player of the Week on Dec. 4 and Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week both Oct. 2 and Jan. 15.
Blair shares this week's rookie award with Emily Crovo of the College of the Holy Cross.
Verrier recorded two goals and four assists for a total of six points to lead UNH to a pair of 4-2 wins against the University of Maine on Jan. 26-27 at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex. The junior forward won 20 of 28 faceoffs for a .714 winning percentage in the circle and her other stats included three blocks, a +3 rating and 10 shots.
Verrier factored in all four goals Friday with two goals and two assists. Both the two goals and two assists matched personal bests and the four points established a career high. Verrier tied the game, 1-1, with 1:49 remaining in the second period. She helped UNH end the game on a 3-0 run with an assist on the game-tying goal at 11:03, by scoring the game-winning goal at 13:25, and setting up the clinching empty-net goal at 18:00.
She won 8 of 10 faceoffs, blocked two shots and had a +2 plus/minus rating on Friday.
Then on Saturday, Verrier once again matched her career high of two assists. She set up the first goal of the game at 3:00 of the first period and also assisted on the goal that tied the game, 2-2, at 16:47 of the second stanza.
She won 12 of 18 faceoffs, was a +1 and blocked a shot Saturday.
Blair stopped 65 of 69 shots for a .942 save percentage and 2.00 GAA to backbone UNH to the two-game sweep of Maine, which entered the weekend averaging 2.96 goals per game.
The freshman goaltender stopped 32 of 34 shots, including a penalty shot, in Friday's 4-2 win. She made 10 saves in the first period and 13 more in the second stanza. With Maine leading 1-0 in the second period, the Black Bears were awarded a penalty shot at 15:18 but Blair made the save to keep the margin at one goal. Maine went on a power play at 4:23 of the third period with the score tied at 1 and she turned aside all four shots to keep the score deadlocked. UNH took a 3-2 lead at 13:25 of the third period and Blair stopped both shots on goal the rest of the way to preserve the win.
Blair recorded 30+ saves for the third consecutive game and 10th time this season with a 33-save effort in Saturday's 4-2 win. With UNH trailing 2-1 at the start of the second period, Blair stopped all 26 shots the rest of the way (with an even split of 13 saves in the second period and 13 more in the third). That included three shots in the final minute with the Black Bears' net empty to create a 6-on-5 advantage.
Also of note, Blair stopped all 18 shots off the sticks of Ida Kuoppala and Ann-Frederique Guay, two of the league's top goal scorers with 17 and 19 goals, respectively.
New Hampshire returns to action Thursday, Feb. 1 against 13th-ranked Northeastern University. Game time is 6 p.m. for the Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day game at UNH's Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex. CLICK HERE to buy tickets.
The teams face off again Feb. 3 (4:30 p.m.) at NU; that game will be televised on NESN.
This is the first weekly award for Verrier. Blair has received four Hockey East weekly honors this season; she was previously named Player of the Week on Dec. 4 and Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week both Oct. 2 and Jan. 15.
Blair shares this week's rookie award with Emily Crovo of the College of the Holy Cross.
Verrier recorded two goals and four assists for a total of six points to lead UNH to a pair of 4-2 wins against the University of Maine on Jan. 26-27 at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex. The junior forward won 20 of 28 faceoffs for a .714 winning percentage in the circle and her other stats included three blocks, a +3 rating and 10 shots.
Verrier factored in all four goals Friday with two goals and two assists. Both the two goals and two assists matched personal bests and the four points established a career high. Verrier tied the game, 1-1, with 1:49 remaining in the second period. She helped UNH end the game on a 3-0 run with an assist on the game-tying goal at 11:03, by scoring the game-winning goal at 13:25, and setting up the clinching empty-net goal at 18:00.
She won 8 of 10 faceoffs, blocked two shots and had a +2 plus/minus rating on Friday.
Then on Saturday, Verrier once again matched her career high of two assists. She set up the first goal of the game at 3:00 of the first period and also assisted on the goal that tied the game, 2-2, at 16:47 of the second stanza.
She won 12 of 18 faceoffs, was a +1 and blocked a shot Saturday.
Blair stopped 65 of 69 shots for a .942 save percentage and 2.00 GAA to backbone UNH to the two-game sweep of Maine, which entered the weekend averaging 2.96 goals per game.
The freshman goaltender stopped 32 of 34 shots, including a penalty shot, in Friday's 4-2 win. She made 10 saves in the first period and 13 more in the second stanza. With Maine leading 1-0 in the second period, the Black Bears were awarded a penalty shot at 15:18 but Blair made the save to keep the margin at one goal. Maine went on a power play at 4:23 of the third period with the score tied at 1 and she turned aside all four shots to keep the score deadlocked. UNH took a 3-2 lead at 13:25 of the third period and Blair stopped both shots on goal the rest of the way to preserve the win.
Blair recorded 30+ saves for the third consecutive game and 10th time this season with a 33-save effort in Saturday's 4-2 win. With UNH trailing 2-1 at the start of the second period, Blair stopped all 26 shots the rest of the way (with an even split of 13 saves in the second period and 13 more in the third). That included three shots in the final minute with the Black Bears' net empty to create a 6-on-5 advantage.
Also of note, Blair stopped all 18 shots off the sticks of Ida Kuoppala and Ann-Frederique Guay, two of the league's top goal scorers with 17 and 19 goals, respectively.
New Hampshire returns to action Thursday, Feb. 1 against 13th-ranked Northeastern University. Game time is 6 p.m. for the Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day game at UNH's Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex. CLICK HERE to buy tickets.
The teams face off again Feb. 3 (4:30 p.m.) at NU; that game will be televised on NESN.
Players Mentioned
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