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DURHAM, N.H. – Sparked by a career-high 27 saves from junior
Kelsey O'Sullivan and two goals from
Kendall Coyne, the Northeastern women's ice hockey team (13-9-2, 7-6-1) skated to a 3-1 victory at New Hampshire (10-12-2, 6-5-1) on Thursday night at the Whittemore Center.
O'Sullivan topped her previous career-best by 10 in the contest, collecting her first career victory. The Huskies netted a power play, shorthanded, and even strength goal in the contest despite being outshot 28-24 for the game. NU was 1-of-2 on the power play while UNH was 0-of-3.
Following a sloppy first eight minutes to begin the contest, the Huskies struck first when Coyne tallied her 21st of the season with 11:30 remaining in the frame. After taking a pass from
Casey Pickett in the defensive zone,
Rachel Llanes dropped it to Coyne skating to the left. Coyne then found a seam, flew by a UNH defender and sent a hard shot through the pads of Gilligan for a 1-0 Husky lead.
Both teams began to assert themselves following the goal, testing the opposing goalies with shots from all angles. O'Sullivan stood her ground, however, steering aside all nine shots she faced in the frame, including a shot off the stick of Jessica Hitchcock from point blank range.
New Hampshire continued to pepper O'Sullivan with 13 shots through the second period as the Wildcats leveled the score at one aside, but two late scores from NU gave the Huskies a 3-1 edge through 40 minutes of play. O'Sullivan would keep NU in the game, making 12 stops in the period, including three with the Huskies shorthanded.
Minutes after NU had killed off a body checking infraction to
Colleen Murphy, UNH made it 1-1 when Brittney Redlick took a pass from Alexis Crossley and fired a shot top shelf, beating O'Sullivan for her fifth goal of the season.
NU would find itself on the penalty kill later in the frame, but this time the Huskies were able to capitalize with their fourth shorthanded goal of the season with 2:48 left. With New Hampshire attempting to move the puck around the NU zone, Coyne intercepted a cross-ice attempt and was off to the races, recovering from a trip on the offensive blue line before deeking Gilligan to the right and sliding the puck inside the left post for her second of the night.
Brittany Esposito, who played in her 100th career game on Thursday, gave Northeastern a two-goal cushion with 1:32 remaining in the second when she hammered home a rebound off a shot from
Maggie DiMasi at the point with the Huskies on the power play.
NU began the third period on an abbreviated power play, and nearly took its largest lead of the night when
Kelly Wallace fired a low shot just off the right post as the UNH penalties had expired.
New Hampshire nearly made it a 3-2 game midway through the third when Katie Brock teed up a one-timer from the point that ricocheted off the left post and into the pads of O'Sullivan for a faceoff.
The Wildcats tried to sustain pressure in the NU zone throughout the remainder of regulation, but an interference call on Redlick with 2:48 left in regulation halted UNH's momentum and prevented Gilligan from getting to the bench for the extra skater.
The Huskies will continue their three-game road swing on Sunday when Northeastern takes on Vermont at 2 p.m. from Gutterson Field House.
Game Notes: Northeastern is now 33-72-10 all-time against New Hampshire … Coyne's first period goal gave her 40 points for the season, marking the first time since 2002 that a Husky has registered 40 points in consecutive season (Brooke Whitney: 2000-01, 2001-02) … Northeastern has scored six power play goals in its last three games … Pickett has four points (two goals, two assists) in her last three games … DiMasi has five assists in her last four games … Esposito played in her 100th career game, and has a goal in each of her last three games
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