The University of Connecticut men’s ice hockey team will take on Northeastern University in a two-game slate this weekend.
This marks the first meeting between UConn (17-10-4, 9-8-4) and Northeastern (11-16-3, 6-11-3) since March last season, when the teams split the series, each winning on the road. Northeastern boasts the advantage in the all-time series 15 games to nine, as well as winning the most recent matchup. This will be an important game for both teams, with the Hockey East tournament drawing near.
UConn came into the contest after an overtime tie with Boston University on Tuesday, before losing the shootout. The tie allowed UConn to creep over Providence College in the Hockey East standings, positioning them in fourth place. Meanwhile, Northeastern also comes off a matchup with the Terriers (18-12-2, 12-8-2), finishing their weekend series 1-1.
Second-year Joey Muldowney is just one goal away from becoming UConn’s all-time leader for goals in a single season during the Hockey East era. He is currently tied with Tage Thompson at 19, after posting a hat trick against the University of Alaska Anchorage. With just three games remaining in the regular season, the clock is ticking for Muldowney to make history. He also leads the team in points with 35.
The red-hot second-year Jake Richard has been on a tear lately. Richard has scored 12 points in his past seven games. In their win over the University of Maine last week, he finished the game with two goals including burying the overtime game winner. In their game with Boston, he scored to take the lead in the third period. Richard is second in assists for the Huskies, while also being the team’s second most accurate shooter, with a shooting percentage of .167. The second-year tandem will be integral to the Huskies weekend success.
For Northeastern, third-year Jack Williams has been a key contributor, posting 35 points to this point in the season. He leads the team in goals with 15 on a .167 shooting percentage. Williams is coming off a monster game over the weekend, accumulating four points in the Beanpot Huskies’ game one win over Boston. It will be important for UConn to keep Williams out of the action for them to be successful this weekend.
The series opener is set to be played in Storrs at the Toscano Family Ice Forum before the Huskies hit the road to Boston to play at Matthews Arena.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, as UConn looks to get back in the win column and secure their position for the Hockey East tournament.