DURHAM - With the puck dropping at 5 p.m., fans filed into the Whittemore Center for last night's hockey game between the University of New Hampshire and Boston University hoping for the ideal sports appetizer before the main course baseball served up a few hours later.

And the 6,501 likely filed out feeling full.

With 19 penalties producing a total of 17 power plays, there was no shortage of offensive chances for two talented attacks - nor was there a dearth of quality goaltending - but in the end it was the Wildcats who were a bit better in terms of both, taking a 2-1 win to stay unbeaten overall and start the conference season with success.

"That's how Hockey East is going to be this season," said UNH Coach Dick Umile, his slight smile suggesting a sense of post-game relief. "It's going to be a long winter - but obviously it was a great win for our team."

Sixth-ranked New Hampshire (3-0-0, 1-0-0 Hockey East) scored twice with the extra skater, with both Phil DeSimone and James vanRiemsdyk picking up tallies, each of which assisted by Kevin Kapstad. But the difference-maker for the winners was once again at the other end of the ice.

After opening the season allowing just one goal over the course of two non-league wins, the Wildcats were once again stout in their defensive zone, and once again it was Brian Foster who led the way. The junior from Pembroke dropped his goals against average to 0.67, while improving his save percentage to .972, by stopping the fifth-ranked Terriers (3-1-0, 1-1-0) on 31 of their 32 bids - including 14 of 15 tries on the power play.

"We knew it was a big game," Foster said, "and we wanted to get the season off right."

The Wildcats did, holding a 1-0 lead after a period - though had it not been for the early heroics of Foster, they could've easily been instantly trailing. Captain Joe Charlebois was called for high-sticking just 13 seconds into the game, and with fresh legs and fast sticks, the Terriers used the opportunity to generate several high-quality scoring chances.

But Foster was equal to each. Within a minute of the opening whistle, he threw his pads at both Chris Higgins and Nick Bonino in a span of seconds, and shortly thereafter he stoned Matt Gilroy from the slot.

"I thought both goalies played extremely well," said BU Coach Jack Parker. "I thought Foster played great."

BU was buzzing, even after the expiration of Charlebois's sentence, and almost six minutes into the game it owned a 5-0 edge in shots - though after failing to capitalize, the Terriers began their own parade to the penalty box. And each time one of their own left the ice, the seesaw tilted further in the other direction.

And soon enough the Wildcats were completely controlling the game. The highlight came when vanRiemsdyk slid a pass to DeSimone, who tucked it into the short side from a few feet off the left post, but even that one-goal lead wasn't entirely reflective of the way UNH was dominating. In the 13 minutes after recording their first shot on the cage, the 'Cats oushot the Dogs, 12-1.

New Hampshire didn't take advantage again until early in the second period, when Kapstad skipped the neutral zone with a pass to vanRiemsdyk, and the sophomore capped his rush by snapping the rubber over the stick of Grant Rollheiser. But after doubling their edge, the Wildcats went on the defensive.

In fact, they didn't have a shot for the remainder of the middle frame. And it wasn't because they simply packed it in as part of a concerted effort to protect their lead.

It was because the officials gave them no choice.

Single page