
Connecticut’s Dana Trivigno (17) scored her fifth goal of the season in Saturday night’s 6-5 loss to Buffalo in North Branford in NWHL action.
NORTH BRANFORD, Jan. 7 – The Connecticut Whale have had little success in scoring on the power play in the first nine games of the National Women’s Hockey League season. The Whale were an anemic two-of-27 on the power play.
On Saturday night, the Whale showed some improvement. They received a shorthanded goal from Meagan Mangene and scored on the power play as Connecticut erased a three-goal deficit.
But two costly penalties in the third period of a tied game led to a pair of power play goals in a span of 10 seconds for visiting Buffalo as the Beauts handed Connecticut their second straight loss with a 6-5 decision at the Northford Ice Pavilion.
The Beauts took advantage of a pair of hooking penalties from Connecticut’s Meghan Huertas and Kelli Stack in the span of 35 seconds to give Buffalo a 5-on-3 advantage with 5:14 left in the third period.
Connecticut goalie Nicole Stock (12 saves) made some good stops but Emily Janiga got a crisp shot past Stock with 4:50 remaining for a 5-4 lead. After the faceoff and still on the power play, Buffalo dumped the puck into the Connecticut end. Buffalo’s Kourtney Kunichicka intercepted an attempted clearing pass by the Whale and drove to the net. Stock made the initial save but Devon Skeats was there to pop the puck into the net for a 6-4 lead.
Connecticut got several good shots on Buffalo goalie Amanda Leveille (season-high 30 saves) in the final four minutes but she was up to the challenge. The Whale pulled Stock with two minutes left and played with six skaters. Stack scored with 0.09 seconds left in the game for the Whale on a wrap around shot.
Buffalo (4-5-1) got off to a tremendous start, leading 2-0 after one period. The Beauts scored twice on their first four shots. That chased Connecticut’s starting goalie Shenae Lundberg back to the bench midway through the first period for Stock.
The Beauts built their lead to 3-0 early in the second period on a short-handed goal from Kunichika before Connecticut (4-6) came storming back with three consecutive second period goals to tie the game. Huertas, playing in her first NWHL game, scored her first goal just 14 seconds after the Beauts took a 3-0 lead. She signed with the Whale earlier this week.
Less than two minutes later, Dana Trivigno scored her fifth goal of the season to pull Connecticut within one goal, 3-2. The Whale tied the game at 3-3 on a power play goal from Micaela Long with 2:22 left in the third period. It was Long’s first goal of the season.
Buffalo took a 4-3 lead on the second goal of the game from Kunichika. Connecticut battled back to tie the game for the second time at 4-4 when Nicole Kosta snuck a shot past Buffalo goalie Amanda Leveille with 6:31 remaining in the game. Leveille made the initial save but bobbled it and it fell into the goal.
Kunichika finished with two goals and an assist for Buffalo while Skeats had two goals.
Connecticut returns to the ice next Sunday when they host defending league champion Boston here in North Branford at 3 p.m.
Buffalo 6, Connecticut 5
At North Branford
Buffalo (4-5-1) 2 1 3 — 6
Connecticut (4-6) 0 3 2 — 5
First period
Buffalo 1, Kelley Steadman (Kourtney Kunichika, Corinne Buie), 2:17; Buffalo 2, Devon Skeats (Emily Janiga, Jordyn Burns), 9:33; Penalties – Paige Harrington (Buffalo), roughing, 7:16; Kelly Babstock (CT), roughing, 13:13; Emily Janiga (Buffalo), 19:37
Second period
Buffalo 3, Kourtney Kunichika (Harrison Browne), 1:05 (sh); Connecticut 1, Meghan Huertas (Sam Faber, Micaela Long), 1:19; Connecticut 2, Dana Trivigno (Kaliya Johnson, Jordan Brickner), 3:57; Connecticut 3, Micaela Long (Sam Faber, Kelly Babstock), 17:38 (pp); Penalties – Kelli Stack (CT) tripping, 8:55; Harrison Browne (Buffalo) body checking; 15:36
Third period
Buffalo 4, Kourtney Kunichika (Kelly Steadman, Sarah Casorso), 8:20; Connecticut 4, Meagan Mangene, 16:29 (sh); Buffalo 5, Emily Janiga, 14:29 (pp); Buffalo 6, Devon Skeats (pp), 16:00; Connecticut 5, Kelli Stack, 19:58; Penalties – Harrison Browne (Buffalo), roughing, 4:58; Nicole Kosta (CT) cross checking, 6:44; Sarah Casorso (Buffalo), minor, 12:29; Meghan Huertas (CT) hooking, 13:24; Kelli Stack (CT) hooking, 14:40
Shots: Connecticut 34 (9-11-14), Buffalo 20 (9-5-6)
Goalie: Buffalo – Amanda Leveille (W, 3-0) 34 shots, 30 saves; Connecticut – Shenae Lundberg, 4 shots, 2 saves; Nicole Stock (L, 3-3), 16 shots, 12 saves
NWHL | W-L-OL | Pts | PF | PA |
Boston | 8-0 | 16 | 33 | 10 |
Buffalo | 4-5-1 | 9 | 33 | 34 |
Connecticut | 4-6 | 8 | 30 | 39 |
New York | 3-5-2 | 8 | 25 | 33 |
Saturday, Jan. 7
Boston at New York, ppd, TBA, snow
Buffalo 6, Connecticut 5
Saturday, Jan. 14
New York at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 15
Boston at Connecticut, 3 p.m.
Since 2009, the Collinsville Press has been providing award-winning coverage of sports and news in the Farmington Valley and across Connecticut.


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