By Jason Mastrodonato, News Correspondent

The No. 8 Northeastern women’s ice hockey team solidified its position in first place in Hockey East after going 2-1 in three conference games over the holiday week.
The Huskies (10-3-2, 6-2-2-1 Hockey East) won a pair of one-goal thrillers, 4-3 at Providence (4-7-6, 3-3-3-2 Hockey East) Nov. 20 and 2-1 at home against Vermont (5-8-1, 1-5-1-0 Hockey East) Nov. 25, before falling 2-1 at No. 3 New Hampshire (10-1-4, 5-0-1-0 Hockey East) Sunday.
The Huskies skated out to their worst start this season Nov. 20 in Providence, falling behind 3-0 in the first 12 minutes of play. Two power play goals early on by the Friars led to sophomore goaltender Florence Schelling’s allowing more than two goals for the first time this season.
‘The first period we were not in the game at all,’ junior forward Alyssa Wohlfeiler said. ‘In the defensive zone we weren’t doing much to help out Florence and they were putting the puck on the net.’
Three early Providence goals were not enough to beat the Huskies, who rallied with one goal late in the first period, and another early in the second. With just over two minutes left in the second period, freshman forward Kelly Wallace scored an unassisted goal, her third goal in five games with the team, to tie it 3-3.
‘We were frustrated after that [first period],’ junior forward Kristi Kehoe said. ‘We believe and know that we can play better and we go do it. We knew were making mistakes and we had to fix them. In the locker room we realized, enough is enough and 3-0 is doable.’
Early into the third, Wohlfeiler found the net to cap the Huskies’ comeback win. Schelling stopped 24 shots to earn the victory. The game-winner was Wohlfeiler’s third game-winning strike in the previous six games.
The game ended differently than the first matchup between the two teams in early November, which finished in a 13-round shootout and Providence victory.
On Nov. 25, Northeastern needed just one goal to take down Vermont, as Schelling stifled the Catamounts and turned away 25 shots to earn her fourth shutout of the season.
The penalty kill came through in the third period when three Vermont power play opportunities in a 10-minute span were denied by the Husky defense.
Northeastern was outshot in the game 25-20, but Wohlfeiler’s only attempt was an important one. She finished a rebound off of senior defender Kasey Cedorchuk’s snap shot and scored her fourth game-winner in seven contests. The Huskies improved to 3-0 against Vermont on the year.
After scoring eight goals in 35 games last season, Wohlfeiler has already tallied eight goals through 14 games this season.
‘In the past I’ve played on the perimeter to set people up or shoot from out there,’ she said. ‘This year I decided I’m one of the bigger ones, I might as well get in front of the net and get in the goalies’ way and open up something for a teammate or throw one on net.’
In a match-up of two of the top-ranked teams in the country, Northeastern fell short to No. 3 New Hampshire Sunday. The Huskies shut out the power play of the Wildcats, however it was the Huskies’ power play that cost them in the end.
New Hampshire scored two shorthanded goals, including one from senior forward Kelly Patton, who leads Hockey East with 28 points in 15 games.
‘When they’re shorthanded they’re almost more aggressive than when they’re even strength,’ Wohlfeiler said. ‘They have so many offensively gifted players and their coach lets them go on the penalty kill. We gave them two turnovers and they capitalized on both of them.’
Northeastern was outshot in the game 32-22 and took only four attempts in the final period of play.
‘Their defensemen are really good at pressuring the puck carrier,’ Wohlfeiler said. ‘They like to be aggressive. Once you cross the blue line their defensemen step up and they don’t let you come any farther’
Schelling made 30 saves for Northeastern and earned her sixth Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honor and her second Bauer Goaltender of the Month (November) honor for her efforts.
The Huskies will get a chance at revenge against NH Jan. 8, 2010, when they play in a NESN-televised outdoor game at Fenway Park.
Kehoe said the Huskies will be more ready for New Hampshire next time, but they proved that they can play with the best.
‘We’ve learned from the past,’ she said. ‘We completely understand that’s a huge game for women’s college hockey in general and for us. It’s a team we haven’t beaten in so many years and we feel like we have a chance to go in and prove to everyone that we deserve to be on top.’
After the Huskies collected four points in conference standings, the first-place team is in position to finish 2009 play as they head to Boston College Friday at 7 p.m. The team will be off until January as they take their mid-season break following the game.’
‘We have to take care of things against BC first,’ Kehoe said. ‘We have already beaten them before and we know that we can do it again.’