GUCKIAN POSTS SHUTOUT AS SAINTS, UNH SPLIT WEEKEND

Oct. 6: If the pollsters had trouble figuring out which team was better before the weekend, their head-to-head matches won’t be any help.

St. Lawrence University and the University of New Hampshire went into the official opening weekend of NCAA women’s hockey play with flip-flopped positions in the polls. The Saints were third in the USCHO/CSTV poll with New Hampshire fourth and the Wildcats were third in the USA Hockey/USA Today poll with St. Lawrence fourth. UNH stated its case for the higher ranking on Friday, scoring three times in the third period for a 4-2 win, and the Saints delivered the counterpoint on Saturday as senior goaltender Meaghan Guckian registered a 21-save shutout and Carson Duggan scored twice in a 3-0 Saint win.

Saturday’s game was as scintillating as Friday’s in terms of competition between two of the country’s top teams, and the Saints were able to come away with a satisfying split and a solid two-way effort in game two.

“To play 120 minutes of hockey against a team of UNH’s caliber and only want about 20 minutes back is a pretty good weekend” said Saint coach Paul Flanagan. “I really think we can take a lot out of the weekend, and I was very happy with the way we responded today.”

The Saints tested UNH goaltender Lucy Schoedel early, but she was solid in the first period with 11 saves. Guckian also had her busiest period in the first with nine of her 21 stops in period one.

Senior All America Annie Guay originated the first scoring play 4:34 into the second period with the Saints on a five-on-three power play. Guay, stationed at the center point, took a pass from Sabrina Harbec and rocketed a shot along the ice which Duggan tipped before Schoedel could react to give the Saints their third power play goal of the weekend and the 1-0 lead.

It went to 2-0 with just 2:03 to play in the second period with Harbec again figuring in the scoring play. The senior forward took the puck from defender Kerri Wallace and rushed the net and junior Carson Duggan tipped Harbec’s shot on the goal line for her second of the year.

While New Hampshire tried to stage the same kind of third period rally it did in game one, Guckian and the Saint defense were up to the task and first year forward Karell Emard iced it with her first collegiate goal.

Emard took the puck from Wallace and broke into the New Hampshire zone, cutting toward the net before snapping off a shot that Schoedel got a piece of with her glove, but couldn’t keep out of the net.

The Wildcats outshot the Saints 7-4 in the third period and had a crossbar and a post, but couldn’t get one past Guckian, who recorded her 14 th career shutout.

Behind her three-assist weekend, Harbec again etched her name deeper into the St. Lawrence University women's hockey record books. The St. Hubert, Quebec native brought her career assist tally up to 103, passing Rebecca Russell '05 on the all-time list. The three points also lifted Harbec (170) to within eight points of Russell on the all-time scoring list.

The Saints have a week off before returning to action with Connecticut and Providence in Canton on Oct. 19-20.

WILDCATS USE THIRD PERIOD RALLY

TO KNOCK OFF SAINTS, 4-2

Oct. 5: The University of New Hampshire’s Steph Holmes scored the go-ahead goal with 9:24 remaining in regulation, and rookie Jenn Wakefield added an insurance goal as the No. 4/3 Wildcats scored three third-period goals and defeated the No. 3 /4 St. Lawrence University women’s hockey team by the score of 4-2 in the 2007-08 season opener for both teams at Appleton Arena on Saturday night.

The Saints (0-1-0, 0-0-0) dropped their first season-opener since the 2000-01 season, while New Hampshire (1-0-0, 0-0-0) cut St. Lawrence’s advantage in the all-time series to 9-8-3.

The opening period belonged to the goaltenders, as UNH’s Kayley Herman and St. Lawrence’s Meaghan Guckian each made several impressive saves to keep the game scoreless in the early going. Guckian looked to be on her game early when she turned back both Julia Marty and a rebound chance by Jennifer Hitchcock.

However, the Wildcats, who out-shot the Saints 11-8 in the first period, finally solved Guckian at 18:43 of the opening period. Micaela Long got the play started for the visitors as she found Leah Craig for a one-timer from the point. Craig’s shot deflected off of Sadie Wright-Ward’s stick and over Guckian’s left shoulder to put UNH on top, 1-0 after one period.

St. Lawrence would respond in style in the second period, though, thanks to some outstanding power play work. After New Hampshire’s Sam Faber and Nicole Goguen both took minor penalties only 58 seconds apart, the Saints skated with a 5-on-3 advantage. After the puck was sent towards Herman, there was a scrum in front of the net, which allowed junior Marianna Locke to pounce. The Brasher Falls, NY native got to the loose puck and jammed it past Herman to even the score at 1-1, with the power play goal coming at 4:11 of the second.

A mere 1:20 later, the Scarlet and Brown were celebrating again, this time thanks to Alison Domenico as the junior scored her first of the season at 5:31 of the second period to give the Saint their first lead of the evening. Sophomore Britni Smith fired a slap shot from the blue line that was blocked in front by fellow classmate Courtney Sawchuk. However, the puck bounced off of Sawchuk to the far post, where Domenico was waiting to capitalize and finished the play for the 2-1 lead.

New Hampshire’s best chance to tie the score in the second period came with 9:22 remaining, as Hitchcock was awarded a penalty shot when senior Kerri Wallace was called for hooking on a breakaway attempt. However, Guckian was up to the task, turning away Hitchcock’s bid and protecting the 2-1 lead heading to the third period.

The Wildcats wouldn’t waste much time before evening the score in the third period, as Faber scored only seven seconds after a UNH penalty expired to make the score 2-2 with 17:58 to play in regulation. Faber recovered the puck in the Saints zone, and with a defender in her face, snapped a quick, low shot that fooled Guckian and found the netting for her first goal of the season.

The Wildcats’ defense began to take away the Saints’ passing lanes in the third period, and their success limited the home team’s offensive chances. Their defensive pressure led to a turnover in the defensive zone, and the Wildcats quickly worked the puck in front of Guckian. Holmes took advantage of her opportunity, as she lifted the puck under the crossbar to put her team on top 3-2.

Though the Saints would have another power play chance after Hitchcock was sent off for tripping, the Scarlet and Brown could not get any momentum in their favor. After successfully killing off the Saints’ tenth power play of the evening, New Hampshire put the game away with 5:17 remaining. Courtney Birchard took a pass from Hitchcock, and hit a long outlet pass to Wakefield, who skated in from Guckian’s left on a breakaway. Though the senior netminder did all she could, Wakefield was able to skate through the crease and lift a shot off of the backhand into the goal to help ensure UNH’s opening victory of the season.

“I think we did a lot of things well tonight,” said Saints head coach Paul Flanagan, who will coach the 300 th game of his career on Saturday afternoon. “We’ll focus on the positive things we did tonight and come back tomorrow looking to improve.”

New Hampshire finished with a 27-18 advantage in shots on goal, while the Saints were 2-of-10 on the power play. UNH finished 0-of-6 with the extra skater. Herman earned the win for the visiting Wildcats, making 16 stops, while Guckian dropped the opening contest despite making 23 saves.

The Saints and Wildcats will clash again tomorrow, Saturday, October 6th in Appleton Arena at 4:00pm.

(above photo of Tara Akstull by Tara Freeman)