Fresh off of a second place finish in the CT Ice Tournament, the University of Connecticut men’s ice hockey team is set for two matchups this weekend against No. 10 Providence Friars.
The Huskies played well in their appearance in this year’s CT Ice Tourney. They defeated Sacred Heart 6-2 in their opening round matchup, receiving goals courtesy of Hudson Schandor (x2), Samu Salminen, Nick Capone, Jake Richard and Ryan Tattle. The win advanced UConn to the Championship round against No. 7 Quinnipiac, where the team lost a tight battle with a final score of 4-3. Harrison Rees, Chase Bradley and Matthew Wood all scored for the Ice Bus in the game, giving the Huskies the lead before a second period surge propelled the Bobcats to the win. Both Bradley and Richard were named to this week’s Hockey East Top Performer list.
Connecticut has amassed an overall record of 11-12-2 this season. They are 6-8-1 against teams in their conference, giving them 20 conference points. UConn is currently fifth in the Hockey East.
Providence is looking to keep their recent momentum going after sweeping their latest weekend series against UMass Lowell. The Friars handedly defeated Lowell 7-2 in the first game before returning for a 4-3 overtime victory and earning the sweep. Sophomore Austen May tied for the Hockey East league in scoring over the past week with five points on two goals and three assists over the weekend, being named this week’s conference Army ROTC Defender of the Week.
The Friars have compiled an impressive record this season en route to their current No. 10 ranking, going 14-7-2 overall this year. They are 7-4-2 against Hockey east opponents, giving them 23 conference points. Providence is currently in fourth place in the Hockey East.
“We’ll have [a lot to] handle with the Friars on Friday night,” UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh said ahead of the contest. “They’re very well coached, have a good goaltender in [Philip] Svedebäck, I think they’ve got some experienced defenseman and are talented offensively. They’ve always had a good power play and they’re very deep up front. They come at you in waves, so it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
The Ice Bus has received contributions from all over their roster in recent weeks. Bradley specifically has been a leader for the Huskies all season. Over the weekend, the junior scored a shorthanded goal and had four assists for five points and a +2 plus/minus rating. This season, Bradley leads Connecticut in points with 21. He ranks first on the team in goals scored with 10 and is tied for first in assists (Schandor) with 11. One of two players for UConn who has attempted over 70 shots this year, Bradley will be an integral part to his team’s attack this weekend.
Providence is another roster possessing a plethora of playmakers, though Nick Poisson stands out as one skater to keep an eye on. Poisson leads the Friars in points this season with 19. He is first on his team in assists with 12 and tied for second in goals scored with seven. He’s also second on Providence in plus/minus at +10 on the campaign. The senior was effective over the weekend against Lowell, scoring one goal and one assist in the first game and adding another assist in the second for a total of three points in the series.
The Huskies will host Providence for the first game of the series on Friday. Action is set for 7 p.m. at the Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Connecticut. Action will shift to the Schneider Arena in Providence, Rhode Island for game two. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Fans can catch both games live on ESPN+.
Historically, the Friars have had the Huskies’ number, owning a 5-13-4 record in games between the two programs. The two last met in November 2022 for two games with each resulting in a tie. The first was a defensive 1-1 effort before the two sides returned for a 6-6 shootout. UConn will hope to change the tides in the upcoming series.