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BOSTON – The Northeastern women's hockey team (16-16-3) used a three-goal first period and 23 saves from freshman Aerin Frankel to take Game One of the Hockey East quarterfinals against New Hampshire (14-14-7) on Friday afternoon at Matthews Arena, 3-2.
 
After UNH drew first blood 8:23 into the game on Carlee Toews' fourth of the season, Northeastern responded in a big way with three goals in the final 11 minutes of the period to take a 3-1 lead through 20 minutes of play. Denisa Krizova (one goal, one assist) leveled the score at one when she took a drop pass from McKenna Brand and ripped a shot top shelf for her 11th of the year past New Hampshire netminder Ava Boutilier (35 saves).
 
Lauren Kelly put the hosts on top 2-1 two minutes after the Krizova tally when she banged home her 12th of the season with chaos in front of the cage after Krizova's initial bid caught the post. Northeastern extended the lead to two with less than a minute left in the first on a snipe from Skylar Fountaine at the left side just as the Huskies went on the power play.
 
New Hampshire cut into the deficit with a strike from Taylor Wenczkowski with 7:36 to go in the second period, but Frankel and the Northeastern defense took it from there, holding the Wildcats to five shots in the final frame.
 
Northeastern will look to close out the series and advance to the conference semifinals for the eighth straight season when the two teams will meet again tomorrow afternoon in Game Two. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. at Matthews Arena.