Women’s Hockey Chases NEHC Championship at No. 7 Norwich Saturday

SATURDAY, MARCH 7 // 3:00 PM  KREITZBERG ARENA // NORTHFIELD, VT. LIVE STATS // LIVE VIDEO
EYES ON THE GAME  SERIES RECORD // SUFFOLK TRAILS, 0-4-0 LAST MEETING // FEB. 8, 2020, L, 9-1 LAST SUFFOLK WIN // NEVER STREAK // L4

BOSTON – The sixth-seeded Suffolk women's hockey team is set to compete in the NEHC title tilt for the first time in program history Saturday, March 7 when the Rams trek to Northfield, Vermont, to take on top-seed No. 7 Norwich at Kreitzberg Arena. The championship contest is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.

LET'S TALK ABOUT #RAMNATION
RamNation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

2020 NEHC WOMEN'S HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals – Saturday, Feb. 22
Game 1: #1 Norwich defeated #8 Salem State, 9-0 – Box Score
Game 2: #7 Plymouth State defeated #2 Castleton, 2-1 – Box Score
Game 3: #6 Suffolk defeated #3 Johnson & Wales, 2-0 – Box Score
Game 4: #4 Southern Maine Defeated #5 UMass Boston, 2-1 (3OT) – Box Score 

Semifinals – Saturday, Feb. 29
Game 5: #1 Norwich defeated #7 Plymouth State, 10-1 – Box Score
Game 6: #6 Suffolk defeated #4 Southern Maine, 2-1 – Box Score

Championship – Saturday, March 7
Game 7: #6 Suffolk at #1 Norwich – 3:00 p.m. – Live Stats – Live Video

LAST TIME OUT
Suffolk women's ice hockey confirmed its place in the NEHC Finals, as the sixth-seeded Rams upstaged the third seed Southern Maine, 2-1, with a third period power play goal Saturday afternoon at USM Ice Arena.

MORE READING: Women's Hockey Skates into NEHC Finals, Downs Southern Maine, 2-1

RAMS REVIEW
Suffolk has picked up the pace lately, stringing three straight wins together to first seal its spot in the tournament and work its way through the field to the championship contest. Those three wins improved the Rams to their second 10-win season in as many years and in program history with the blue-and-gold venturing to Vermont, 10-14-3 overall. 

Suffolk's scoring has outscored its opponents, 9-2, in the last three games. This season, the Rams have found the back of the net 59 times led by 11-goal efforts from both Maddy Burton and Shana Cote. Burton boasts a team-high 11-assists as well to lead the squad in points, while Cote is second on the squad with helpers and points with nine and 20, respectively.

Julia McLellan has defend the net for the majority of the season, playing in 21 games and staring 19.  The freshman netminder boasts a 2.95 GAA and .902 save percentage with a 5-11-2 record.

SUFFOLK IN THE NEHC TOURNEY

• Suffolk is in the tail end of its second straight NEHC post-season appearance.
• The Rams are in the field as the sixth seed for the first time. Suffolk is 2-0 when playing as the sixth seed.
• The blue-and-gold will play on the road in the NEHC Tournament for the third time. Suffolk is 2-0 when playing as the away team in the playoffs.
• Suffolk has advanced to the championship contest for the first time in program history.
• The Rams have potted two pucks in each tournament tilt this year. Suffolk is 2-0-0 when scoring two or more goals in the post-season.

CADETS CATCHUP
Norwich (21-4-2) looks to win its fourth consecutive NEHC crown Saturday and heads into the showdown on a 12-game unbeaten streak, which includes six straight victories. The Cadets, who enter the week as the seventh-best team in the country, has outscored its foes 18-0 in the tournament, including a 10-0 semifinal victory over Plymouth State last Saturday. 

The Cadets have scored 142 times this season. NEHC Player of the Year Amanda Conway powers the offensive production with 28 goals and 26 assists for 54 points. Sophie McGovern sits second on the squad with 41 points behind 18 markers and 23 set-ups with Samantha Benoit's 32 points (6g, 26a) rounding out the top three threats. 

Norwich's netminders have been on a defensive clinic this season, allowing just 29 goals against in 27 outings. The threesome of Alexa Berg, Emily Lambert and Kate Winstanely have combined for 12 shutouts. Berg is the usual starter in between the pipes and holds a 1.10 GAA and .948 save percentage in 14 starts. Lambert brings in a 1.30 GAA and .940 save percentage with Winstanley boasting a 0.60 GAA and a .956 save percentage.

WE MEET AGAIN
Suffolk slipped in both regular-season matchups with Norwich. First, the Rams could not rally around Julia McLellan's then-program-best 39-save effort in Eastie to slip, 4-0, to the then-No. 3 Cadets. In Northfield, Vermont, Feb. 8, Norwich poured in the points, to upend Suffolk 9-1. 

MORE READING: McLellan's Program-Best Saves Not Enough to Stop No. 3 Norwich, Women's Hockey Falls, 4-0 | No. 7 Norwich Upends Women's Hockey

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Suffolk trails the all-time series with Norwich, 0-4-0.
• Three of the contests have been shutouts in the Cadets favor.
• Molly Dowd scored the first and only goal against NU in the rival's last meeting, Feb. 8 in Northfield, Vermont.

EYES ON THE GAME
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
The victor of Saturday's championship contest earns the conference's automatic berth to the 2020 NCAA Tournament field, which will be announced Monday, March 9 via NCAA.com at 10 a.m.