Wildcats offense grounds soaring Eagles

The UNH Women's Hockey team has done it again for the fourth time in six years under the direction of head coach Brian McCloskey. They have successfully defeated the first six Hockey East opponents they have faced in the season, making them number one in the Hockey East conference.

UNH, after coming off two wins last week while putting up a total of nine goals against Boston University and Vermont, came back to Durham on Wednesday night and added four more goals to the season. Despite the score, however, the Wildcats had a tough time getting settled into the game with missed passes and a couple of penalties in the first period.

But even with those minor setbacks, McCloskey thought his team was able to keep the game in hand. "I thought we came out a little slow,' he said. "But I thought we picked it up in the second period. We had people trying to play bigger roles than previously and some took time to adjust."

And adjust they did.

UNH came out of the first intermission and put 11 shots on net while only yielding up three to the BC Eagles. Their effort was not in vain, as junior Sam Faber made a beautiful pass to sophomore forward Kelly Paton, who put the puck over the glove side shoulder of BC goalie Molly Schaus to make the score 1-0 with only 2:38 left in the period. Faber believed that the goal and momentum shift came from being at home and having the advantage of the knowledge of the rink.

"Home ice is always an advantage and especially tonight," said Faber. "We know how to work the puck down low in our rink and we know how to spread out the defense and get to the points and really cycle well."

The momentum carried into the third period when Faber came out onto the ice, skated around the BC net and shot to the opposite corner past Schaus leg making it 2-0 in the early 2:24 minutes of the second period. Less than two minutes later, assistant captain Jennifer Hitchcock stormed the net while on the power play and put another goal in the net to make the score 3-0. That goal was Hitchcock's fifth goal of the season and fourth done on the power play.

"We feel we stuck through with them [UNH] through the first two periods, said Eagles head coach Katie King. "Once they got that third power play goal, our heads went further down and it was a little tougher getting back into it after that."

The Wildcats continued to dominate throughout the game with sophomore Micaela Long adding another power play goal off a rebounded shot with a little more than ten minutes left in the game.

"This team has a lot of character and they really want to win," said McCloskey. "They don't get rattled and don't get intimidated at all. Our team understands how to play this game now. I can see it, feel it. They get it. We can elevate it, but they are really starting to see it."

UNH continues on their home game stretch Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. against the University of Connecticut, who remains one of the major challenges to UNH and the run for the title this year.