Defending champion Boston shuts out Connecticut, 3-0

Connecticut’s Kelli Stack and the Whale dropped their fifth straight game to Boston on Saturday night.

BOSTON, Nov. 12 – The Boston Pride continued their mastery over the Connecticut Whale with a 3-0 decision in National Women’s Hockey League play Saturday night at the Warrior Ice Arena.

The defending NWHL champion Pride (5-0) have beaten Connecticut in five consecutive games, dating back to last January. Boston goalie Brittany Ott remained undefeated this season (4-0), making 26 saves to earn the shutout

Boston took a 2-0 lead on a pair of power play goals. In the first period, Meghan Duggan tipped in a shot from Blake Bolden and Alex Carpenter. The Pride extended that lead early in the third period when Jordan Smelker scored off assists from Kacey Bellamy and Brianna Decker with 3:27 gone in the period.

The league’s leading scorer, Connecticut’s Haley Skarupa (5 goals, 4 assists) was held scoreless by Boston for the first time in her young NWHL career despite a season-high eight shots on net.

Boston’s Hilary Knight, who missed the first four Pride games of the year with an injury, played in her first NWHL game of the season and scored a goal. Knight was the league’s leading scorer last year with 15 goals and 18 assists.

NOTES: Connecticut returns to the ice next Sunday, Nov. 20 when the Whale travels to Newark, N.J. to take on the New York Riveters at 4 p.m. … The Whale play their home opener on Sunday, Dec. 10 in North Branford. … Nine players on the ice Saturday night represented the United States in the recent Four Nations Cup tournament in Finland. The Americans beat Canada in the championship game, 5-3 with Connecticut’s Kelly Stack scoring a goal. Stack finished the four-game tournament with a goal and three assists. Connecticut teammates Dana Trivigno and Haley Skarupa also played for Team USA.

Boston had six players on Team USA –Meghan Duggan, Kacey Bellamy, Brianna Decker, Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter and Amanda Pelkey. Pride co-captains Decker and Knight notched a combined 12 points alone, including three goals in the gold medal match against Canada that propelled Team USA to victory.

Boston 3, Connecticut 0
At Boston
Connecticut (2-2)             0  0  0  – 0
Boston (5-0)                    1  0  2  — 3
First period
Boston 1, Meghan Duggan (Blake Bolden, Alex Carpenter), 4:50 (pp); Penalties: Dana Trivigno (CT), hooking, 4:26; Rachel Llanes (Boston), tripping, 17:26
Second period
No scoring. Penalties: Emily Pride (Boston), holding, 7:30; Kelly Babstock (CT), slashing, 14:45
Third period
Boston 2, Jordan Smelker (Kacey Bellamy, Brianna Decker), 3:27 (pp); Hilary Knight (Jordan Smelker, Blake Bolden), 9:21; Penalties: Ivana Bilic (CT), tripping, 3:14; Alexander Bender (Boston), tripping, 15:56; Shannon Doyle (CT), holding, 18:53
Power play: Connecticut 0-3, Boston 2-4; Shots: Connecticut 26 (5-12-9), Boston 29 (13-7-9)
Saves: Nicole Stock, Connecticut (1-1), 29 shots, 26 saves; Brittany Ott, Boston (4-0), 26 shots, 26 saves

NWHL standings

Saturday, Nov. 12
Boston 3, Connecticut 0
New York 3, Buffalo 2
Sunday, Nov. 13
New York at Buffalo
Sunday, Nov. 20
Boston at Buffalo, 3:30 p.m.
Connecticut at New York, 4 p.m.