Vermont is tied with the Huskies for seventh and a lot is at stake for each team as the regualar season comes to a close. (Jon Sammis/The Daily Campus)
Senior forward Leah Lum and the UConn women’s hockey team look to continue their four-game winning streak this Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m., as they hit the road against Vermont.
“The team knows what we have to do, and I think just sticking to the game plan, playing for a full 60 minutes and focusing on the little details will help us be successful,” Lum said.
Lum was named the Hockey East Player of the week after she recorded five assists during two wins last weekend. She now has 57 career assists which is tied for third all-time in program history.
UConn head coach Chris MacKenzie said Lum has been a strong asset for the Huskies.
“Leah (Lum) is a skilled, smart player who plays with an edge,” MacKenzie said. “We are happy anytime our players are recognized for their efforts.”
Freshman forward Natalie Snodgrass was named the Pro Ambitions Rookie of the week for the third time this season after another multi-point weekend. Her 30 points on the season is good for eighth in the conference, while her 17 goals is sixth.
Vermont (9-17-4, 6-12-3) will be hosting its fifth annual “Pack the Gut” on Friday, where they encourage hundreds of fans to fill the stadium. The Huskies (11-11-8, 5-10-5) are looking forward to the rowdy atmosphere.
“The crowd is going to be pretty wild,” Lum said. “Some of us got to play in this game my sophomore year, so I’m pretty excited to get to play in it again.”
Vermont has struggled at home this season, going 4-8-2. MacKenzie said that he expects his team to remain focused on the task at hand.
“We have to prepare the same way every week for our opponent and continue to concentrate on how we are going to play,” MacKenzie said. “I’ve been proud of our effort and attention to detail all year; the only difference is we are finding a way to get wins recently.”
The Catamounts are led by forwards Eve-Audrey Picard and Alyssa Gorecki. Picard has 14 goals, while Gorecki has 10 assists. The Huskies should be able to score on Vermont because they are allowing the most goals (2.87) per game in the conference.
Vermont is tied with the Huskies for seventh and a lot is at stake for each team as the regualar season comes to a close. The top eight teams reserve a spot in the playoffs, while the last team is eliminated. As it stands, UConn and Vermont each have 15 points, while last-place Merrimack has 14.
“We’ve been battling the whole second half of the season to get into the playoffs,” MacKenzie said. “This weekend will be no different.”
Michael Logan is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at michael.logan@uconn.edu.
