FILE- UConn entered Tuesday’s game tied for second in Hockey East only to suffer a third period collapse against Brown.
The UConn women’s hockey team traveled to Brown University to face off with the Bears Tuesday night. The Huskies entered the game tied for second place in the Hockey East standings. Brown meanwhile started the day with only two games played on the season, compared to UConn’s seven.
This non-conference matchup featured momentum-shifting scoring runs by both teams. Lizzy Gross put away the first goal of the night for the Bears (3-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC), assisted by Abby Nearis, with just over two minutes remaining in the first period.
UConn (4-3-1, 2-2-1 WHEA) responded powerfully, scoring all three of their goals in the second period. The first came just three minutes in, Catherine Crawley and Natalie Snodgrass assisting Morgan Wabick. The second goal for the Huskies came on a power play roughly two minutes later from a cross-checking penalty on Brown’s Maybelline Beiring. The goal was scored by Jamie Fox, assisted by Tristyn Svetek and Leona Sim.
Goal number three for UConn came about 12 minutes into the second on another power play for the Huskies. Wabick was responsible for this one, her second of the night. Her sister Taylor Wabick picked up her first assist of the night, with Snodgrass recording her second.
UConn was leading 3-1 at the end of the second period, feeling confident with a two-goal advantage and just 20 minutes left to play.
However, a goal by Brown just two minutes into the final period completely shifted the momentum in favor of the Bears. Kaitijane Blumberg tallied her first goal of the night, assisted by Sena Hanson and Gross, her second of the game.
A 14-minute stretch without a goal for either team occurred before Brown tied the score up at three with about three minutes left to play. Tina Paolillo scored for the Bears, assisted by Veronica Alois.
With the score tied in the waning moments of the game, Brown had all the momentum, having just scored the last two goals.
Woefully, the Huskies surrendered two goals in the final 16 seconds of the game. This was a heartbreaker for UConn, who seemed primed to get back into the win column heading into the third period.
Hanson was responsible for the fourth goal for the Bears, and Blumberg the fifth. Hanson also recorded her second assist of the night on Blumberg’s goal, with Gross tallying her second assist as well.
Offensively, Hanson and Gross were stellar for the Bears, both tallying a goal and two assists. Blumberg was another standout player for Brown, scoring twice.
For UConn, Wabick once again had a solid night scoring two goals, pushing her season total to six.
UConn will have a chance to turn things around this weekend when they visit Union College Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
Sam Newton is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at samuel.newton@uconn.edu.
