DURHAM, N.H. – The Penn State women's hockey team completed a rock-solid night of play with a 3-0 shutout win at New Hampshire to begin its final nonconference series of the 2021 calendar year Thursday evening at the Whittemore Center.
With her 25th career victory in net, sophomore goaltender Josie Bothun (Wyoming, Minn.) became Penn State's all-time wins leader. She finished the evening stopping all 23 UNH shots on goal
Penn State (9-6-2) had three different student-athletes find the back of the net in the contest. First, sophomore defender Lyndie Lobdell (Aurora, Ill.) scored in the first period. Then freshman Mya Vaslet (Stittsville, Ontario) netted an early third period goal before senior Natalie Heising (Wayzata, Minn.) scored an empty netter late in the frame.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Nittany Lions scored first late in the first period on Lobdell's second score in three games. Lobdell led a rush on down the right wing and flung a backhand shot towards the crease. Her shot was deflected by a UNH defender past Ava Boutlier for the game's first goal at 15:48 in the first period.
New Hampshire initially looked to have tied the score with around 90 seconds remaining in the period, but after review, the officials determined that Bothun was interfered with in the crease and the goal was waved off.
Penn State took its 1-0 lead into the first break.
In the second period, Bothun continued to anchor Penn State's defense with seven stops in the period, including a couple on some great scoring chances by the Wildcats.
The Nittany Lions also killed 1:57 of a penalty at the end of the period to maintain its one-goal lead after two.
Penn State picked up its second goal of the night at 1:54 in the third period thanks to their freshman center Vaslet. After a D-to-D pass from Izzy Heminger (Dublin, Ohio) to Lobdell, Lobdell ripped a shot on goal that Vaslet redirected in for her second of the season.
The Nittany Lions had to thwart one more penalty in the game to maintain their edge and they did so halfway through the third period. UNH's last gasp came with three minutes remaining when they pulled their goaltender trailing by two.
After winning the faceoff, Kiara Zanon (Fairport, N.Y.) sprung free in the neutral zone and passed off to a wide-open Heising for the easy finish on the empty net to cap the game 3-0 for Penn State.
GAME NOTES & STATS
- In addition to setting the new program career record for wins, Bothun's seventh career shutout also ties the program standard set by Chantal Burke, Celine Whitlinger, and Hannah Ehresmann.
- Penn State was 24-18 in the faceoff circle and had 24 shots on goal to UNH's 23. The Nittany Lions attempted 43 shots to the Wildcat's 33.
- Penn State is now 3-4 all-time against the Wildcats and has won two of the last three matchups.
NEXT UP
Penn State and New Hampshire finished up their series tomorrow, Friday Dec. 10, at 3 p.m.