Riding a remarkable start to the season, the UConn women’s ice hockey team looks to continue its dominance on Friday as it takes on Merrimack in the quest for a 7-0 record.
This is the second matchup of the year between the Huskies and the Warriors, with Connecticut (6-0-0, 2-0-0 Hockey East) taking the first game by a score of 5-3 last Sunday. The win was a collective effort, as five different Huskies scored and but nine different players each earned a point.
UConn has taken care of business thus far, starting out 6-0 in a showing of utter strength and skill compared to its competitors. Its opening series against LIU was a walk in the park, winning both home games by a margin of two apiece. The Huskies maintained their perfect record on the road in Rochester, defeating the RIT Tigers by an aggregate score of 10-5. The team skated by as it traveled up to Maine, defeating the Black Bears in a 1-0 shutout, which brings it to this home-away-home series against Merrimack.
In this opening to the year, the Huskies have established themselves as an elite team in the country, receiving votes in various Top 10 polls. They are among the best scoring teams thus far, racking up the seventh-most goals and assists in the country up to this point. On the defensive end, UConn finds itself ranked No. 9 in the nation in goals against per game.
The Huskies are led by senior Viki Harkness, who has accumulated a team-high of five goals, as well as two assists. Another key player is graduate student Natalie Snodgrass, racking up two goals and four assists for six total points. Snodgrass has also taken the most shots on the team this year with 35.
Merrimack (0-6-1, 0-2-1 Hockey East) has found itself on the opposite side of the spectrum, starting its year out winless to date. Besides UConn, it has dropped games to Minnesota State, Boston University, No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 5 Boston College.
The Warriors are led by juniors Katie Kaufman and Teghan Inglis, who each have three goals on the season. While taking the most shots on the team (21 and 19, respectively), they are also the most efficient scorers among those with more than 10 shots. In the first game of this series, both Kaufman and Inglis found the back of the net. If UConn wants to continue its dominant streak, it will hope to keep both of these shooters at bay.