This past weekend the UNH women’s hockey team traveled up to Burlington, Vermont where they faced off for a double header against the University of Vermont Catamounts.
On Friday afternoon, UNH fell to the Catamounts by a score of 1-0. The ‘Cats outshot UVM 11-8 in the final period and had the Catamounts on their heels, but UVM was able to capitalize on a later power play goal to take game one 1-0.
Junior forward Taylor Wenczkowski led the Wildcats with seven shots on net, but was unable to find the back of the net. Wenczkowski is the co-leader in total goals for the season, along with fellow junior forward Nicole Dunbar.
Penalties were the story of the game all afternoon for the Wildcats, and in the end, it’s what ended up handing them a lost in game 1. With 5:40 left in overtime, senior defensemen Taylor Flaherty received a pass from her fellow defensive partner Anna Erickson, and fired a shot on net to give the Catamounts a 1-0 victory.
 
Senior captain Kyra Smith stepped in net for the ‘Cats and did a great job keeping them in the game all day long. Smith faced nine shots in the first, then 11 in the second. In the third she was able to help the Wildcats stick around, but the power plays became too much to handle and Smith was unable to track Flaherty’s shot from the point.
 
Saturday afternoon was a better of a day for the Wildcats, but still not the result they wanted. UNH skated to a 2-2 tie with UVM, as UNH’s sticks woke up and were able to put some pucks in the net.
Eight minutes into the first period, first-year forward Lindsey Dumond found the back of the net. The goal gave the wildcats their first lead of the series.
Two minutes after Dumond’s opener, the Catamounts answered. Junior forward Eve-Audrey Picard had a beauty of her own as she put UVM on the bored and tied the game 1-1.
As the period progressed the two teams continued to trade shots. Vermont broke the tie 16 minutes into the first when sophomore forward Alyssa Holmes put one in the back of the net.
Then, 60 seconds later, UNH tied the game back at two when junior defensemen Tori Howran scored on a pass from senior forward Devan Taylor.
The scoring would end in the first as UNH and UVM battled for the following two periods, but neither team could find the back of the net.
UNH was able to kill two UVM power plays in the second. Smith stopped all four shots. And in the third, the ‘Cats killed off three more power plays.
At the end of the third, a Vermont penalty at the end of regulation resulted in a UNH penalty shot. Junior forward Carlee Turner took the shot, but was stopped by UVM goaltender Melissa Black.
In overtime, both teams were held to no scoring.  Each team walked away with one point for the match.
The Wildcats will be back home on Friday night to face off against #6Northeastern. On Saturday the two teams will travel down to Boston and faceoff for an afternoon showdown.
The Huskies enter this weekend with an overall record of 8-1-1, and with a 7-0-1 conference record they sit at the top of the conference.
The ‘Cats must watch out for Northeastern’s leading goal scorer, Veronika Petty. Petty has a total of six goals on the year and a team-high eight assists.
The Wildcats will have a tough task on their hands this weekend when it comes to putting pucks in the net.  Huskie goaltender, Aerien Frankel, has only allowed four goals this season and has a goals-against average of 0.80 and save percentage of .968.
It should be a great contest this weekend against one of the top teams in the nation, be sure to head to the Whittemore center this Friday evening, puck drop is at 5:00 p.m.