It has been an electric week for the Huskies as they have clinched new program records, team awards and individual decorations. For the first time in program history, the UConn women’s hockey team are Hockey East regular season champions. This season’s performance has taken the program to new heights as the Huskies are now enjoying the title of ‘champions, the No. 1 conference seed, and an exceptional overall record of 22-7-5.
The accolades didn’t stop there as individual athletes earned their moment in the spotlight. Senior Kathryn Stockdale was named the Hockey East Best Defensive Forward for her dynamic performances throughout the season. Throughout her four years as a Husky, Stockdale has been a reliable force on the ice and has consistently dominated as she has scored 10 goals and seven assists this year alone.
As for the underclassmen, Ashley Allard was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. The freshman couldn’t have had a better start to her collegiate career as she contributed five goals, 10 assists and a whopping 74 shots on goal. The forward was consistently a force to be reckoned with as she attempted at least one shot on goal in almost every contest. After just one collegiate season, Allard already has an impressive resume and will be the athlete to watch as her career continues.
Looking ahead, UConn will be facing Hockey East counterpart Holy Cross, currently seeded No. 10 in the conference. By the numbers, the Crusaders are battling a .204 conference shooting percentage whereas the Huskies are enjoying a .778 and what appears to be a leg-up.
Earlier this season, the duo faced off in a two-game weekend series. UConn rolled the Crusaders in back-to-back wins, the first a 3-0 shutout and the second a 3-1 triumph. The duo matched up for a third time in mid-February for a 5-1 Huskies victory. What was an unfortunate outcome for the Crusaders, should grant UConn the confidence to come out on top for a fourth time this season.
Throughout the season, Holy Cross has also fallen to several of the same opponents UConn has beaten with flying colors such as Merrimack, Boston University and New Hampshire. Not only that, but the Crusaders have been battling a subpar season whereas the Huskies are excelling in almost every category.
The history of the duo also favors UConn.
Since 2018, the Huskies have beaten the Crusaders in all 16 matchups and only fell once. If the trends continue, it appears that UConn will be taking another win against their Hockey East counterpart.
Looking towards the weekend, the Huskies will aim to ring in their first victory as champions this Saturday.
The contest will be held at Toscano and puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m.