The Huskies defeated BU in overtime last Friday in the XL Center. The game was intense with many penalties being issued to both teams. (Photo by Kevin Lindstrom/The Daily Campus)
UConn and the University of Vermont will face off this Friday, and both teams will be looking to end their respective losing streaks. The Huskies are in the midst of a three game losing streak, while Vermont has dropped their last four games.
Back in early November, UConn played a back-to-back in Vermont and the two teams split the series. The Huskies won the first matchup behind a phenomenal goaltending performance by Adam Huska. The junior goalkeeper saved all 39 shots that he faced and thanks to a second period power play goal by Karl El-Mir, UConn won the game 1-0.
In their second meeting the following day, Vermont won in overtime 2-1 off of a devastating game-winning goal by Ace Cowans, who scored with just half of a second left on the clock. Tomas Vomacka tended goal that game, saving 28 shots and only letting two by him.
It’s anybody’s guess as to who we will see in goal this time around. After starting Vomacka for five straight games, head coach Mike Cavanaugh decided to go with Huska in their last game against Providence, which was a 5-2 loss.
When asked if he knew who he would be going with Friday, Cavanaugh said, “Not yet, I’ll have to talk to the staff about that.”
Having two goalkeepers capable of starting is not a bad problem to have for UConn, but not having anybody to put goals on their side of the scoreboard is. Over their three game losing streak, the Huskies have only mustered two goals and have been shutout twice.
Vermont hasn’t been playing in high scoring games recently, either. Over their four game losing streak, they’ve lost 1-0, 4-1 and 2-1 twice. Don’t expect a high scoring hockey game Friday when the two teams play.
Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, so the result won’t affect the Hockey East standings at all. Expect both teams to try working out some of the things that have hindered them all season and we will probably be in store for a heavy dose of young players that haven’t seen as much of the ice when there were playoff implications.
UConn and Vermont will play at 7 p.m. Friday night at the XL Center. After that, the only game remaining on the Huskies’ schedule is a home matchup with No. 2 UMass next Friday.
Sean Janos is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at sean.janos@uconn.edu.
