wildcat HOCKEY East First Team All-Star selection despite missing the last six games of the season. As a converted forward, she provides an offensive dynamic to the blue line. Birchard ranked fifth in the nation in defenseman scoring (0.81 points per game) as well as 16th in game-winning goals and 17th in power-play goals. Her season totals included 22 points on nine goals and 13 assists. Sheary and Dziengelewski are more of the traditional defensiveminded skaters, but both are adept at transitioning into offense by carrying the puck out of the defensive zone or executing a tape-to-tape pass into the neutral zone. Sheary skated in all 33 games last season and recorded personal single-season bests in both assists (seven) and points (eight). Dziengelewski also played in all 33 games and tied (with Birchard) for third on the team in assists (13) and sixth in points (13). Brock and Chappell are seasoned veterans after just one season as a Wildcat. Both logged lots of ice time last year in a multitude of situations – even strength, power play and penalty kill – to return with a wealth of experience. Farris opened her rookie season of 2010 on the blue line, then skated 10 of the last 12 games of the year as a forward. She recorded all three points (1g, 2a) as a defenseman. The one newcomer to the defensive unit is freshman Margaret Hunt.
DEFENSEMEN It is an understatement to state UNH has experience on defense. The Wildcats boast senior captains Courtney Birchard, Raylen Dziengelewski and Courtney Sheary in addition to sophomores Katie Brock and Kailey Chappell. Bryanna Farris, another second-year player, saw ice time as both a defenseman and forward last season. Birchard was a 2010 RBK/AHCA GOALTENDERS All-America Second Team and Hockey New Hampshire has two proven
New Hampshire has advanced to the NCAA tourney each of the last five years with trips to the Frozen Four in ‘06 and ‘08. The Wildcats have finished first or second in the Hockey East standings all eight years of the league’s existence with a streak of six consecutive titles from 2004-09 (including one shared). The ‘Cats also won the league tourney four straight years (2005-09).
Season Outlook
Introduction The UNH women’s ice hockey team is in an unfamiliar role at the outset of the 2011 season. Underdog. The Wildcats have advanced to the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship each of the last five years, have finished first or second in the Hockey East standings all eight years of the league’s existence and were not ranked lower than No. 7 in the nation last season. UNH returns 17 letterwinners, including everyone on the blue line and both goaltenders, from last year’s team. But people outside of Durham aren’t expecting the ‘Cats to continue that success this season. The league coaches picked New Hampshire fourth. The Wildcats were selected 10th in one national poll and were unranked in the other; it marked the first time since October 2002 that UNH was unranked. Under the guidance of ninth-year head coach Brian McCloskey, UNH may be reloading its offensive arsenal but the defensive unit will make the Wildcats a formidable foe for any team.
players between the pipes and can rely on both any given day. Senior goalie Kayley Herman went 8-4-3 in 16 games (14 starts) last season. She also had a 1.88 GAA and .913 save percentage with three shutouts. In 75 career games, Herman is 51-13-9 (.760 win percentage) with a 1.65 GAA, .918 save percentage and 14 shutouts. As a freshman in 2008, Herman broke the school single-season records for wins (29) and GAA (1.07); her .938 save percentage ranks third. On UNH’s career leaderboard, Herman ranks third in GAA and fifth in both save percentage and shutouts. She is also fourth in minutes (4447:31) and will ascend into a tie for fourth place (with Cathy Narsiff and Dina Solimini) with her next victory, which will be number 52. Junior netminder Lindsey Minton had an 11-5-2 record in 19 games (all starts) a year ago. Her other statistics included a 1.91 GAA, .908 save percentage and two shutouts.
2010-11 UNH WOMEN’S HOCKEY