Following a scoreless tie against the University of Vermont, where the No. 11 UConn women’s ice hockey team (18-6-4, 15-3-3 Hockey East) won in a shootout, the Huskies found themselves needing at least overtime in both games against Providence College (11-15-3, 10-9-3 Hockey East).
The Huskies traveled to the Ocean State for the first time this season on Friday, facing off against the Friars for the first time since a 6-1 win on Oct. 27 in Storrs, Conn.
In the second period, sophomore forward Reichen Kirchmair helped Providence come out of intermission swinging, scoring her 11th goal of the season, one behind freshman Audrey Knapp for the team-high this season.
With Kirchmair’s goal, Connecticut allowed a goal in regulation for the first time since Jan. 19, when the Huskies won 3-1 over the University of Maine.
UConn had a two-man advantage following a double penalty on the Friars for holding but were unsuccessful in finding the back of the net.
In the first eight minutes of the third period, the Huskies came out aggressive on offense with seven shots on goal.
Despite the difference in shots on goal between the two teams, Providence extended its lead thanks to senior forward Lindsey Bochna, who ended up with three goals in the past two games following Friday’s game.
Forward Rachel Weiss and defenseman Lily Martinson stood out, assisting with both of the Friars’ goals.
Not only did the Huskies allow their first goal in regulation since Jan. 19, they allowed multiple for the first time since a 5-2 victory over Boston University on Jan. 13.
Connecticut executed on a man advantage following a tripping penalty on Providence. Defenseman Camryn Wong sent the puck across the ice to forward Riley Grimley, who helped cut the deficit to one goal by getting the puck in a position for forward Megan Woodworth to punch it past Providence goaltender Hope Walinski.
Moments later, the Huskies tied the score late in the game on an even-strength goal by defenseman Ava Rinker.
Goaltender Tia Chan continued to help the Huskies in the crease, recording 18 saves. That included a breakaway in overtime that would help the team salvage one point at the end of overtime.
Despite the efforts, the Huskies lost in a shootout 2-0, giving the Friars an extra point in the Hockey East standings. Walinski had a career-high 34 saves that led Providence to extend its unbeaten streak to seven games.
On National Girls and Women in Sports Day, UConn looked to bounce back from a tough outing at Schneider Arena. It was a battle of unbeaten streaks, as the Huskies had not been beaten in their last 17 Hockey East games.
With under nine minutes to go in the second period, Connecticut got on the board first, with forward Brianna Ware connecting with Woodworth for a shot on goal. Senior Kathryn Stockdale rebounded Woodworth’s shot and punched one past Walinski to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Despite an interference call against UConn near the end of the period, the Huskies held onto a 1-0 lead going into the final frame.
With under 10 minutes remaining, Knapp scored a game-tying goal with the help of Weiss and defenseman Cristian Cavalìere.
The Huskies found the puck in the net in the final seconds, but the shot did not come before the buzzer sounded, meaning overtime at Toscano Family Ice Forum.
With 1:14 remaining in overtime, forward Jada Habisch found Ashley Allard for a senior-to-forward connection, as the Ottawa, Ontario native scored the game-winning goal to end the weekend on a high note.
Junior Megan Warrener tied her season-high in saves with 26 on Saturday. The Stoney Creek, Ontario native stayed unbeaten, improving her record to 11-0-1.
Despite the win, Connecticut still trails in the overall series against Providence. The Friars have a 40-26-12 record.
UConn remains in first place in the Hockey East standings with 48 points. Boston College is behind them, trailing by five points. Providence has a one-point edge over the University of New Hampshire, sitting in fourth place with 35 points.
Connecticut’s record in games that needed at least overtime now sits at 1-0-3, while Providence’s record is now 1-2-3 in said games.
The Huskies, now on an 18-game Hockey East unbeaten streak, begin a five-game road trip that includes the first three in Massachusetts. The first test will be No. 13 Northeastern in a massive top-15 matchup on Friday. That will feature two of the top three teams in the conference standings. On Saturday, they will travel halfway across the commonwealth to Worcester to take on the College of Holy Cross, sitting in last place.
The final time the Huskies will be home this season will not come until Feb. 24, when they host Boston University for Senior Day.
Providence will give the Crusaders a test first, with the Friars visiting Holy Cross on Friday before heading home to host the seventh-place University of Vermont on Saturday.