Continuing the quest

Senior forward Kristina Lavoie has found that a strong work ethic can reap benefits, as she has found over the span of her four-year women’s hockey career. Now, nearing the end of her time at UNH, she finds herself as one of a special-company for the women’s hockey program.

“Hard work and commitment can bring you a lot of success,” Lavoie said.

Lavoie became the 43rd student-athlete in UNH women's hockey history to surpass the 100-career point mark with a three-point game against Vermont on Feb. 2 of this year. Currently she now has 56 career goals and 51 assists for 107 points, which is now tied for 37th on the all-time scoring list.

The Fonthill, Ontario native has established, since day one on the ice, that she is an offensive wrecking ball against opposing teams.

When UNH Head Coach Brian McCloskey was asked to describe Kristina as a player, his first thought was that “she is a very talented offensive player”.

“She is intelligent, good hands at handling the puck and a precise passer,” McCloskey said. “She is one of our best goal scorers, but as a person I must say she is a shy person who has a really good sense of humor and is just overall fun.”

The strengths Lavoie poses on the ice are her opponent’s difficulty to defend her.

“She confuses defenders so much because she hides her assets so well,” McCloskey said. “She has a good size with a power forward finesse.”

The adjectives that describe Lavoie on the ice are being a crafty, slippery smaller player according to McCloskey.

“She is very deceiving, and has been the most deceptive player we had in 3-4 years,” McCloskey said.

Overlooking the career of Lavoie, McCloskey’s favorite moment as being her coach is being able to see how effective she has grown from both sides of the ice offensively and defensively.

“Seeing her achieve is an awarding journey,” McCloskey

Though Lavoie’s journey as a Wildcat is closing, but Lavoie has loved every moment of it.

“My four years have flown by,” Lavoie said. “During my career I have met a lot of great people who have made my experience more enjoyable and adjust easier. I have become both a better person and player during my four years.”

Though the many colleges and universities that scouted Kristina prior to her decision to attend UNH, a visit to Durham was all Lavoie needed to make her decision.

“I chose UNH because I loved the campus,” Lavoie said. “The hockey program here is very competitive with a history of winning championships, and I liked all the girls who would become my future teammates.”

Now, after reflecting upon her journey as a Wildcat, Lavoie is hoping that this challenging season can come out with some reward. For Lavoie, she and the rest of the team are aspiring for a title.

“This season has been good but challenging. We have played a very difficult schedule, playing many high ranked teams early on in the season,” Lavoie said. “However our team has really grown together both on and off the ice. The difficult games have only made us stronger and have prepared us for upcoming playoffs. My goal for this season is to win hockey east and have a shot at the NCAA tournament.”