Duggan, Guckian Power St. Lawrence Over UNH

CANTON, N.Y. -- 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.

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