The Connecticut Huskies are set to take on the Providence Friars in yet another important weekend for the Huskies’ tournament hopes.
Heading into this weekend’s action, the Huskies look to gain even more room in the Hockey East standings. UConn gained three points of separation from Boston College with their regulation and shootout wins over Vermont last weekend. They can thank the Providence Friars for the extra breathing room.
Providence fought hard against a good Boston College team. In game one of the series, the Golden Eagles scored first, but the Friars responded quickly. Audrey Knapp, the team’s leading scorer, knotted the game at one with time winding down in the second period. Boston College capitalized on their performance with a shootout win, but Providence successfully stole a point from them in the standings. Game two saw both teams go into Chestnut Hill, and it was Providence taking a game from the Golden Eagles, winning 3-1 on the road. Sparked by two Lindsay Bochna goals, the Friars got their revenge from when Boston College won 5-1 on their home turf a month prior.
Connecticut handled business on their end too. Hosting Vermont in two straight home games, the Huskies continued to dominate in conference play. After a weekend in which they scored seven times, UConn continued their good offensive performance with another on Friday night. Two power play goals gave the Huskies the lead while Jada Habisch closed the door on the Catamounts with her second of the game for the 3-0 victory. Saturday’s game was more of a grind, as neither side gained the advantage through regulation and overtime, leading to a shootout in which the Huskies secured the 2-1 shootout win.
The last time these teams met was back in late October, and the Huskies put on an impressive performance. UConn took a commanding 3-0 lead in the first and continued to pour it on the Friars, scoring three more times on the way to a 6-1 win.
In favor of the Huskies is their defense and goaltending. UConn is third in the nation with nine shutouts, behind just Clarkson and Colgate who have ten apiece. The Huskies are fourth in the NCAA in terms of opponent goals allowed for an average of around 1.27 per game and 13th in penalty kill percentage. All this accumulates into the eighth best winning percentage in the NCAA and the first-place spot in Hockey East play.
Providence hosts night one of the weekend series Friday at 6 p.m., then the teams will come back to Storrs to face off at the Toscano Family Ice Forum for another meeting Saturday at 3 p.m. The games can both be streamed on ESPN+.