The UConn women’s ice hockey team heads to New Hampshire on Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. in hopes of improving their one-game winning streak.
Every season, the Hockey East rivals face off three times, and this year is no different. The Huskies own a dominating 8-3 conference record with a 10-8 overall mark. When it comes to conference play, New Hampshire stands even at .500 and is 6-6 in the conference.
Coming into their third and final meeting, UConn has a solid shot at sweeping the Wildcats. The two teams played back-to-back matches at the start of the season, where the Huskies came out on top, 5-1 and 2-0. In both contests, Connecticut put on a defensive show, only allowing New Hampshire to score one goal.
Looking back on the 2023-2024 campaign, this is not UConn’s first rodeo. After taking the first meeting on the chin, the Huskies struck back and held them to zero points. In addition, UConn has historically dominated UNH, and from 2020-2022, the Huskies notched a six-game winning streak. In all, Connecticut has gone 12-5 since 2019.
Diving into Connecticut’s roster, Claire Murdoch is someone to watch out for come puck drop. With 13 goals, the leading scorer has controlled the ice. In the previous two encounters against UNH, the freshman put up two points, three assists and seven shots. Seeing the team player continue to pressure the keeper in Friday’s contest is a no-brainer.
On the defensive side, UConn has continuously switched between Tia Chan and Megan Warrener to guard the net. Despite the changes, the goalkeeper duo has helped keep the team in games and kept the scoring to a minimum. In the last two matchups against the Wildcats, the keepers blocked a combined total of 45 shots. By the looks of it, Chan will take the ice as Warrener participated against Sacred Heart. In the first clash, the senior let up one netter, but played a key role in getting the victory.
For New Hampshire, striving for the win should come as no surprise. In the past five showings, the Wildcats went on a four-game surge before falling to Mercyhurst and Northeastern. In both setbacks, the team put only one in the bin. A player to watch will be Chavonne Truter, who is making opportunities happen with eight assists so far this year. Even though Connecticut combined for seven goals in both contests, goaltenders Sedona Blair and Noemi Martinez saved 72 attempts. In the second clash, Blair contributed a lot as she decreased the deficit to two points, giving New Hampshire a better shot to win.
As New Hampshire tries to get back on track, UConn is looking to take the last piece of the pie.