UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's hockey team nearly found the tying goal late but ended up just shy of tying the game in a 2-1 loss to New Hampshire in nonconference action Saturday afternoon at Pegula Ice Arena.
Freshman defender Mallory Uihlein was the lone goal scorer for the Nittany Lions (7-9-4) in the second period with assists from Brooke Madsen and Shea Nelson.
Chantal Burke stopped 24 shots for the Nittany Lions in goal and now has a 7-5-3 record on the season.
New Hampshire (10-8-2) received power-play goals from Meghara McManus and Tori Howran to edge the Nittany Lions. Nikkie Harnett picked up the win to move to 1-1-1 in goal on the year.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn State's defense stood strong in the opening frame despite a couple of scoring chances from UNH. Burke ended up with 10 saves in the period and four different Nittany Lions registered blocked shots.
The Nittany Lions' best defensive showing came on two penalty kills in the opening period. New Hampshire had five shots on the advantage, including a couple more chances that went wide, but PSU held off the Wildcats.
New Hampshire started the scoring in the second period with a score on the power play at 2:17. With time winding down on the power play, Meghara McManus scored on a redirect for her 11th of the season.
Down 1-0, it took Penn State just 30 seconds to tie the game again. After Shea Nelson won a faceoff clean to Brooke Madsen, Madsen fed the puck to Mallory Uihlein whose shot navigated through traffic into the net for her second of the season.
Check out freshman Mallory Uihlein's goal off the Shea Nelson-won faceoff, her second goal of the season! 🤗 pic.twitter.com/zgp6CvTssf
— Penn State Women's Hockey (@PennStateWHKY) January 4, 2020
New Hampshire put the pressure back on the Nittany Lions with two more power-play chances in the second period and eventually went back ahead on their third advantage of the period. Tori Howran ripped a wrist shot from the point just six seconds into the power play to put New Hampshire back in front 2-1.
In the third period, New Hampshire looked to take a two-goal lead after scoring an apparent goal on the power play at 4:41 in the third, but the goal was called off due to goaltender interference, keeping the Nittany Lions within one.
Penn State killed the penalty and ended up getting a chance on the power play at 8:45, but the Nittany Lions managed just one shot on the advantage.
After only a handful of scoring chances in the third, Penn State pulled Burke with two minutes for the extra skater. PSU had six shot attempts in the last two minutes, but couldn't find the tying goal.
GAME NOTES
- Shots on goal were even for the game at 26-26. New Hampshire had 11 shots on its six power plays and finished 2-6 on the advantage. Penn State went 0-2 and had on shot on goal on its power plays.
- With her goal, Uihlein ranks second among CHA freshman defenders with nine points (2G, 7A), trailing only Syracuse's Mae Batherson (11 points).
- Nelson reached double-digit points in a season for the second time in her career (14, 2018-19) with her assist. She now has five points (1G, 4A) during her three-game point streak.
- Madsen also has a three-game point streak with four points (1G, 3A) since Dec. 7 vs. RIT.
- Burke has made at least 20 saves in 11 of her 14 starts in 2019-20.
- The Nittany Lions begin a stretch of 14-straight conference games to finish the season. They'll begin with a two-game series at home against Lindenwood Jan. 10-11. Saturday's contest will be Penn State's annual Skate for the Cure Game. Fans who wear pink can enter the game for free and there will be one of three most postgame skates with the team this season.