MANCHESTER - Daniel Winnik waded his way through the crowd assembled in the cellar of the Verizon Wireless Arena, shrugged his big hockey bag to the floor, walked timidly into the interview room and plopped his tired body at the table.

Within seconds, about a half-dozen reporters dropped their mikes in front of him, and asked for his general comments concerning the game he and the University of New Hampshire hockey team had just completed. Only he had no idea what to make of the situation. The attention seemed foreign to the sophomore from Mississauga, Ontario, and so he had to ask a nearby team official what he was supposed to say first.

After all, his rookie output hadn't prompted the press to ask his opinion. Last year he established himself as one of the Wildcats best centers and their most-reliable faceoff man, but the media often seeks only the scorers.

And now he's suddenly one of those snipers.

Winnik snapped a 3-all tie with 11:28 to play, tipping home Brett Hemingway's feed from the left wall to cap a hat trick and give UNH a thrilling 4-3 victory before 9,075 at the Verizon. The three scores gave the sophomore center four for the season, equaling his total of a year ago and giving him seven points in the team's first six games.

"I was hoping to get some more goals this weekend," Winnik said, "and luckily I got some bounces and some nice passes from (Michael) Hutchins and (Brett) Hemingway and I was able to put them away."

Standing a sturdy 6-foot-2 and weighing 220 pounds, it's easy to lump Winnik under the label of power forward. But Coach Dick Umile said last night that his staff had recruited Winnik out of the Ontario Junior Hockey League because of his smarts and skill as much as his size, and a couple of weeks ago the coach went to the player and asked him to be more assertive. Last night Winnik was just that, putting himself in the right place at the right time to make things happen.

"That's what he can do," said Umile, whose club improved to 4-1-1. "Real good forechecking by Winnik and Hemingway forced a turnover, and Daniel went to the net. He's a real smart hockey player. When he initiates, he's really good."

Hemingway scored UNH's other goal and added an assist to keep his consecutive games with a point streak alive at six. Brian Yandle also had an assist to keep his similar streak alive (though that will end tomorrow at Maine when he's forced to sit because a spearing penalty last night), and freshman Mike Radja chipped in with a couple of helpers as UNH opened Hockey East action with a good win against a team that had won its previous three games, all back in Boston.

"I've only seen our club on the road three times," said BU Coach Jack Parker, "and I haven't liked what I've seen all three times."

But in the opening minutes, Parker had to be pleased with the way his Terriers (3-3-0, 2-1-1 Hockey East) played in a new venue. The teams were tied after each side potted a pair of power-play goals in a first period, though it was the 'Cats who might have considered themselves lucky to be even.

BU seemed the sharper team early, having played as recently as last Sunday, while UNH wore the rust of a layoff that lasted nearly two weeks. The Wildcats didn't put a shot on net for the first 4:40 of the game, but when they did manage to test sophomore walk-on John Curry (23 saves), they made the most of it.

Just eight seconds into the team's first power play of the night, Sean Collins took a feed from Brian Yandle and slung it across the slot, where Hemingway was waiting to slam it by Curry's right skate to give UNH the 1-0 edge.

The score gave the Wildcats slightly more spark, but it hardly got them in gear. BU continued to carry the play, outshooting UNH 13-7 for the period, including one rocket that rattled off the side of Jeff Pietrasiak's mask with about 11 minutes left in the period.

The shot seemed to momentarily stun the netminder, and less than three minutes later the Terriers struck with two scores in just 49 ticks. Both came on BU man-advantages, and on each it was evident that Pietrasiak (21 saves) might have been reeling from the aftereffects of the blow to his head. On the first, Chris Bourque - the son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque - let loose a slapper that would have made papa proud, taking a single stride after gaining the zone and then unleashing a laser past Pietrasiak's glove.

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