BOSTON -- Winners of four straight games, the Northeastern women's hockey team (11-12-2, 7-6-2 WHEA) will look to continue its run of stellar play when it hosts Vermont (11-12-4, 7-6-1 WHEA) on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Matthews Arena.
Last Time Out
Four different Huskies recorded three-point efforts as Northeastern earned its fourth straight win in emphatic fashion with an 8-2 victory over Maine on Saturday.
Kelly Wallace and
Brittany Esposito each had two goals and an assist, while
Hayley Masters and
Colleen Murphy had three assists apiece.
Northeastern scored once in the first period, three times in the second and four more times in the third to extend its unbeaten streak against Maine to 12 straight games (9-0-3). The eight-goal outburst was NU's highest scoring output since an 8-7 win over Providence on Jan. 20, 2013.
Scouting Vermont
Vermont enters Saturday's contest riding high after sweeping Boston University last weekend. The Catamounts outscored the Terriers, 9-3, in two games to improve to 11-12-4 overall and 7-6-1 in Hockey East.
Vermont is led by junior forward Amanda Pelkey, who ranks second in Hockey East with 30 points on 17 goals and 13 assists. Pelkey leads the conference with 12 power-play points, including five power-play goals.
Goaltender Roxanne Douville is second in the conference with a 2.21 GAA and fifth with a .919 save percentage.
Vermont is the top team in Hockey East on the man-advantage, boasting an 18.4% clip on the power play. As a team, the Catamounts rank third in the conference in scoring (2.6 goals per game) and fifth in scoring defense (2.70 goals against per game).
The teams split a pair of games in Burlington, Vt., in November. Northeastern earned a 2-1 win on Nov. 22 as
Katie MacSorley scored two goals. The Catamounts came back to earn the split the following day as Danielle Rancourt potted two goals in a 3-2 Vermont win.
The Huskies have faired well historically against Vermont, holding a 25-4-4 advantage all-time. Northeastern is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games vs. Vermont and has not lost at home to UVM since Feb. 14, 2009 (4-3).
Approaching a Milestone
Senior
Brittany Esposito has 98 career points entering Saturday's contest vs. Vermont. With two more points, Esposito will become NU's second active player (
Kendall Coyne) with 100 or more career points. Esposito will also become just the 24th player in NU women's hockey history to reach the 100-point plateau.
Offensive Outburst
Northeastern scored eight goals to defeat Maine by a score of 8-2 on Jan. 25. The offensive explosion was Northeastern's largest scoring output since an 8-7 win over Providence on Jan. 20, 2013. Eight players had multi-point performances, including three-point efforts from
Brittany Esposito,
Kelly Wallace,
Hayley Masters and
Colleen Murphy.
On the Plus Side
Junior
Colleen Murphy registered a plus-6 rating in Northeastern's 8-2 win over Maine on Jan. 25. The figure represents NU's best single-game +/- rating of the season and is the highest mark since Murphy and
Maggie Brennolt each recorded plus-6 ratings in a 9-1 win over UConn on Nov. 3, 2012.
Masters-ful Performance
Freshman
Hayley Masters recorded her first career multi-point game with three assists against Maine on Jan. 25. Masters had three career assists in 24 previous games before doubling her total in just 60 minutes against the Black Bears.
Getting Everyone Involved
Twelve of Northeastern's 13 active skaters recorded points in the Huskies' two-game sweep of Maine on Jan. 24-25. Ten of those 12 players had two points or more, led by
Brittany Esposito, who recorded six points (3 g, 3 a) over the weekend.
Multi-Point Madness
Senior
Brittany Esposito has recorded multiple points in four straight games entering Saturday's contest with Vermont. Esposito notched three points in each game of the Maine series Jan. 24-25 and has 10 points (6 g, 4 a) over the last four games.
Wallace Has the Hot Hand
Senior
Kelly Wallace has been on a tear as of late, recording 14 points in her last 12 games. Wallace is currently riding a five-game point-streak with five goals and two assists during that span. The Libertyville, Ill., native needs just six points to match her single-season best of 28 points set last year.
Savage Sets it Up
Sophomore
Paige Savage has developed into one of the top passers in Hockey East, ranking fourth in the conference with 15 helpers this season. Savage is currently riding a five-game assist streak and has already surpassed her assist total from last year (14).
Wallace Wins it Again
Senior
Kelly Wallace scored her second overtime winner of the season on Jan. 24 vs. Maine. Wallace also netted the OT clincher on Nov. 29 at Dartmouth and is tied for the team lead with three game-winners this season.
Power Play Progress
Northeastern has struggled on the power play this season, but its difficulties were not evident on Jan. 24 against Maine. The Huskies scored two power-play goals in the third period to rally from a pair of one-goal deficits, before eventually winning the game in overtime on a
Kelly Wallace goal.
Brittany Brings Home the Hardware
Senior
Brittany Esposito was named the Warrior Hockey Player of the Week in Hockey East on Monday after posting four points (3 g, 1 a) in two wins last week. On Jan. 15 at UConn, Esposito scored a power-play goal and added an assist in a 3-1 NU win. Then on Jan. 19 at BU, Esposito scored two third period goals, including the game-winner, as the Huskies notched a 4-2 win.
Beating the Best
With a 4-2 victory over No. 9 Boston University on Jan. 19, the Huskies earned their first win over a ranked opponent this season. Prior to the victory, Northeastern was 0-7-1 against top-10 teams this season.
Ms. Versatility
Freshman
Heather Mottau has been a versatile addition to the Huskies this season due in large part to her ability to play forward and defense. Mottau saw time at both positions on Wednesday vs. UConn and notched her second-career multi-point game with a goal and an assist. For the season, Mottau ranks seventh among Hockey East defensemen with 0.43 points per game.
Three's Company
Northeastern scored three goals on Jan. 15 at UConn to break a streak of 10 consecutive games with two goals or less. The last time NU scored two goals or less in 10 straight games was the 2005-06 season. Northeastern posted an 0-9-1 record during that span, compared to a 2-7-1 mark during this year's streak.
Chloe in the Clutch
Junior goaltender
Chloe Desjardins made 83 saves in two games vs. Boston College on Jan. 11-12, becoming the first NU netminder since Marisa Hourihan in 2006 to stop 40+ shots in back-to-back games. Hourihan stopped 43 shots on Feb. 11, 2006 against UNH and then made 47 saves on Feb. 14 vs. Boston University for a two-game total of 90 stops.
Lending a Helping Hand
Goaltender
Chloe Desjardins registered assists against Boston College (Jan. 12) and Boston University (Jan. 19) to give her three assists in her career. Only Kelly Dyer (5 assists between 1985-89) has more career helpers than Desjardins among NU netminders.
