The Wildcats are down to their final six games of the regular season, five of which will be at home. With the Hockey East playoffs just around the corner, points are at a premium as teams jockey for positioning in the standings.
UNH ranks fifth in the conference with 14 points, via a 7-11-0 record, and hosts the seventh-place University of Vermont for two games this weekend. UVM is just four points behind UNH, making this weekend’s matchup very important for both sides.
The ‘Cats trail the University of Connecticut by three points, meaning two wins could potentially boost them into fourth place, depending on the outcomes of UConn’s games versus Boston College and Providence College.
UNH and UVM have already met once this season, and UNH claimed a 4-0 win in Vermont on Oct. 30.
Despite losing their last game to Northeastern, the Wildcats are coming off of their best 10 game stretch of the season, going 6-4-0 over that span, with three of the four losses coming at the hands of Northeastern.
Sophomore forward Amy Boucher is currently on a six-game point streak, during which she has accumulated three goals and eight assists. The Edmonton, Alberta native has 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points this season, ranking second on the team in all three categories.
Vermont is in the midst of a five-game losing streak, scoring just seven goals in the process. The Catamounts have scored an average of 1.7 goals per game this season.
UVM’s most dangerous offensive threat is senior forward Dayna Colang.
The Fairbanks, Alaska native has accumulated 11 goals and 13 assists through 29 games. She is on a four-game point streak, and has at least a point in 10 of the last 11 games. Her 10 power play points puts her in a five-way tie for third place in Hockey East.
Team captain Sara Carlson will be covering a tough assignment in Colang, but she has been sound defensively for the Wildcats, and is second in Hockey East with 61 blocked shots.
The goaltending matchup between these teams heavily favors the Wildcats. Freshman goalie Kyra Smith has provided steady play in the crease, and has a 9-9-1 record with a 2.73 GAA and .897 save percentage in 19 starts this season.
UVM has split time between its two netminders throughout the year. Junior Madison Litchfield has appeared in 19 games, starting 17, and possesses a 3-11-2 record with a 2.93 GAA and .893 save percentage. Sophomore Molly Depew has started 12 games, and has a 3-8-0 record with a 4.07 GAA and .871 save percentage.
The Wildcats and Catamounts will face off at the Whitt on Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 4 p.m.