FINAL SCORE: Vermont 17, New Hampshire 11
DURHAM, N.H. – Vermont (6-3) used a 5-0 second quarter Saturday and a career-high seven goals from Ava Vasile to top New Hampshire (2-6) 17-11 from Wildcat Stadium in the conference opener for both teams.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"Great to get our first conference win," Head Coach Sarah Dalton Graddock said. "I thought we played well weathering a solid UNH team in the first quarter. Some things we need to clean up as we get ready for a tough UAlbany team next weekend."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UNH opened the scoring 30 seconds into the contest but Vermont's Ava Vasile answered right back with two goals 36 seconds apart to make it 2-1 with 13:26 left in the first quarter.
• The Wildcats would score the next three goals of the contest in 1:48 of game action to take a 4-2 lead.
• Vasile completed her seventh hat trick of the season at the 9:16 mark to end the Wildcats run and make it 4-3.
• After UNH reestablished its two-goal lead Ciera Licare and McKenzie Ballard scored in quick succession to tie things at five apiece.
• UNH's Liv Dunn scored on a free position shot with 1:22 to play to give the Wildcats a 6-5 lead after the first quarter.
• Vermont took control with a dominant second quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 5-0. Licare and Kendall Traveis scored man-up goals 1:11 apart late in the quarter to give UVM a 10-6 lead at the break.
• Mackenzie MacEachern scored a man-up goal 42 seconds into the third quarter for UNH but Vermont answered back with a three-goal run fueled by Vasile, Ballard and Jane Trauger to make it 13-7 with 4:32 to play in the quarter.
• The Wildcats scored two late tallies in third to make it 13-9 heading to the final frame.
• Vermont outscored the Wildcats 4-2 in the final frame including two more goals for Vasile to seal the win. Vasile's 200th career goal came with 16 seconds left in regulation.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ava Vasile now has 200 career goals, she's the second Catamount in program history to reach that plateau. She needs 18 more goals to catch Sydney Mas (2011-14) as the all-time leader.
• Vasile has 243 career points now, 12 short of Sydney Mas' program record for points.
• With today's win the Catamounts have won three straight conference openers.
• Anna Rosenberger made eight saves picking up her fifth win of the season.
• With the win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to Vermont Children's Trust Foundation as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since its inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $94,000 to local non-profits through the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative.

UP NEXT
Vermont returns to action next Saturday (Mar. 23) when they'll host UAlbany in their conference home opener from Virtue Field. The noon start will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Tickets are available by visiting UVMAthletics.com.