FINAL SCORE: Vermont 5, Boston University 1
BOSTON, Mass. – Ève-Audrey Picard recorded a hat trick for the second straight game and Saana Valkama added a pair as the University of Vermont Catamounts took a 5-1 win over the Boston University Terriers Friday night at Walter Brown Arena.
 
Vermont improves to 9-16-4 overall and 6-11-3 in Hockey East play while BU falls to 10-14-6 overall and 6-11-5 in conference play.
 
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"We are playing fantastic two-way hockey right now and it's a lot of fun for us," Head Coach Jim Plumer said. "Our defensive corps and goaltending has been holding some of the highest scorers in the country at bay and now our offense is really clicking. It's great to see us playing our best hockey down the stretch. We've got four huge Hockey East games left so it's on to Merrimack."
 
In a scoreless first period, the Terriers held a 13-9 advantage in shots with both teams unable to score on special teams. Vermont killed its lone penalty of the period while BU killed a pair of minor penalties. Sydney Scobee made 13 saves in the period, including a pair of stellar saves on shots from Victoria Bach and Nina Rodgers.
 
Picard put the Catamounts up 1-0 with 14:06 remaining in the second period. On its third power play of the night, Vermont controlled the puck in the Terrier zone and Picard had multiple chances stopped by Corinne Schroeder before firing a shot from the slot past the freshman goalie. Sammy Kolowrat and Taylor Willard picked up assists on Picard's 12th goal of the year.
 
Jesse Compher tied the game at 1-1 for the Terriers with an unassisted goal with just over five minutes left in the second. Her shot from the faceoff circle to Scobee's right made it through traffic and past the netminder for the goal.
 
With 2:42 remaining in the middle frame, Alyssa Gorecki carried the puck into the Terrier zone to the left of Schroeder. She dropped the puck to the trailing Valkama, who fired a shot from the top of the circle past Schroeder's pad and into the net.
 
Vermont held a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes of play with the Terriers holding a slight shot advantage, 20-18. The Catamounts scored a power play goal on three opportunities while BU was 0-for-2 on the advantage. Scobee tallied 19 saves through two periods and UVM added 13 blocked shots.
 
Valkama tallied her second goal of the game on the man-advantage with 9:44 remaining in regulation to give Vermont a two-goal lead. She fired a shot from the blue line that made its way through traffic before getting past Schroeder.
 
After a series of fantastic saves by Scobee on the penalty kill, Picard gave Vermont its fourth goal with an empty-net tally with 2:33 left in regulation.
 
Scobee made 35 saves in the win for the Catamounts while Schroeder made 22 in the loss.
 
With the victory, the Cats Win, Community Wins campaign and Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate another $100 to the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington, bringing this year's total to 86 wins and $8,600.
 
Vermont hosts Merrimack on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the annual Rally Against Cancer game, presented by Otter Creek Awnings and Vermont Custom Closet. The Catamounts will don pink jerseys and fans are encouraged to wear pink in the stands. Game-worn jerseys are being auctioned at uvmathletics.com/auctions now through 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8.
 
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2017-18 women's hockey season