Coming into the weekend, the Huskies had a lot to be excited about. For one, they started out the season hot for the second year in a row. At the time, they had a 4-2 record, including a big victory against No. 22 UMass. Another thing to be excited about was the (re)entrance into Big East play. UConn really showed that they belong, winning two tough games at Marquette (3-5) to improve to 6-2 on the season.
Game 1: UConn 14, Marquette 13
In Game 1 on Friday, Lia LaPrise left her mark, scoring first en route to a six goal performance and a 14-13 team win. Grace Coon added four goals, a career high, and Sydney Watson both scored and assisted twice. Madelyn George and Kate Shaffer each added a goal as well.
The Huskies led 8-6 at half, but saw two quick strikes from the Golden Eagles to tie the game back up. There were a lot of back and forth goals, including a very clutch score from Marquette’s Hannah Greving to tie the game at 13, but it was Watson that scored last with 2:42 to go in the game to clinch the victory. The Golden Eagles did get a shot opportunity before the final buzzer, but a nice save by keeper Landyn White stopped any hopes of overtime. White finished with six saves on the day.
Game 2: UConn 18, Marquette 13
In Game 2 on Sunday, the Huskies were able to create more breathing room, as they were never behind the entire game. Watson had five goals, an assist and eight draw controls to lead the team to a clean sweep of Marquette. Laprise had another big day as well, with three goals and four assists. Coon put up another impressive four goal performance in this contest. She has all but cemented herself as a fourth consistent scoring option, behind Watson, LaPrise and freshman Shaffer, who added a goal of her own.
UConn controlled this game from the start, jumping out to an early 7-1 lead with 17 minutes to go in the first half. With every rally Marquette would put together, the Huskies had an answer, keeping the game far out of reach. They led by as many as eight goals three different times during the match.
What is interesting about this matchup is despite UConn’s five point win, the Huskies trailed the Golden Eagles in shots, clear percentage and draw controls while turning the ball over more. UConn just had a better shooting day, as they converted on 18 of their 23 shots on goal, while Marquette converted only 13 of their 23. Landyn White was integral in net with 10 saves in the contest.
With the sweep, the Golden Eagles go from 3-3 to 3-5 (0-2 in conference). They hope to rebound at 2-6 Villanova this week. The Huskies had a perfect “welcome back” weekend, improving to 6-2 (2-0) in conference, and they continue their stretch of Big East play at Butler on both Friday and Sunday. Butler has struggled out of the gate, and UConn hopes to capitalize with yet another big weekend. With the sweep, the Huskies are tied for first in the conference, along with Georgetown and Denver.