With yet another match canceled, this time due to an unfortunate COVID-19 outbreak at UNH, the UConn women are simply itching to get in some game reps. This week, the Huskies prepare to take on other Huskies? I have no idea why eleven different colleges have the Husky as their mascot. As a brief aside: Did you know that UConn dubbed the Husky as the official mascot in 1934 due to a student poll conducted by The Daily Campus? The University of Washington was the only school to adopt the Husky as a mascot before UConn in 1922, but we all know Jonathan is the best.
Random UConn mascot history aside, the UConn women’s field hockey team is preparing to play the Northeastern Huskies on Friday, Feb. 26 in Boston and Providence College on Sunday, March 7 at home in their first Big East Conference showdown of the season.
Northeastern has not been a problem for the UConn women’s field hockey team since 2004, but no team can be underestimated. The last time these two teams played was in 2015, which resulted in a 6-0 rout in favor of UConn, but those were two completely different teams. With a squad of brand new players since the last encounter, the Huskies (our huskies) hope to continue their seven-game winning streak that started in 2005. This game should grant the freshman some valuable playing experience that will hold the team in good stead moving forward.
Sunday’s match against Providence College will present a unique test for the Huskies. The Friars were no pushover last season as they finished with a 12-7 record that cemented them the No. 4 seed in the Big East conference standings. The Huskies have beat the Friars in their last 18 encounters, but their last match back in 2019 ended in a 2-0 defensive battle in UConn’s favor. The UConn women definitely have to be on their A-game to maintain their dominance this go-round.
The big key for the Huskies is simply consistency. Play your game, move the ball and control the time of possession. A win that’s 10-0 means just as much as one that is 1-0. The university should have a lot of confidence going into this weekend, and it is truly exciting for UConn to be back in the Big East and poised to make some real noise this season.
Make sure to tune in on Husky Live to support the women’s field hockey team in their quest to start the 2020-21 season 2-0 at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26 and for their Big East season debut on Sunday, Feb. 28 at noon.
