The Huskies clinched a spot in the Big East Tournament last Saturday afternoon on senior day, taking down Georgetown with a final score of 15-9. Next up, UConn is set to face Villanova in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament, and if they win, they will play either Denver or Georgetown.
As UConn is coming off a prominent senior day win, Villanova enters the matchup following a 17-7 loss against Denver. The Wildcats hold a 10-6 overall record and are 4-2 in conference play, whereas the Huskies are 11-5 with a 4-2 conference record as well. This game will test both teams’ abilities to have possession of the ball, strong draw controls and overall good game performance in order to secure a win.
Junior Karsyn Burnash is a dominant force on the field for the Huskies and most recently earned herself a hat trick in the game against Denver. Graduate student attacker Eliza Bowman is a consistent player for the Huskies who puts up multiple goals each game. Bowman appeared in all 18 regular season games and scored 28 goals so far.
Red shirt junior Rayea Davis is second in leading the team with 44 goals and also recorded 17 assists. Davis dominates the field in opening up scoring opportunities, while also keeping opponents out of UConn’s zone. Davis will be a key player in this matchup who will need to continue her momentum from the previous game to secure a win.
The Huskies and Wildcats last faced each other on March 22, where the Huskies were dealt a 11-7 loss. Their game on Thursday will be the 16th time the program will come face-to-face with the Huskies holding a 12-3 record over the Wildcats. UConn averages 30.8 shots per game compared to Villanova’s 31.1. UConn will need to ensure they continue to clear the ball from their zone. They currently have a .916 clear percentage compared to Villanova’s .880.
UConn will need to look out for senior attacker Sydney Pappas, who leads the Wildcats with 41 goals. When Pappas last faced off against the Huskies, she scored two goals with .750% shots on goal percentage. Teammate senior attacker Sami Carey is another dominant player for the Wildcats, who leads the team with 47 assists. She also netted a goal past UConn in their latest matchup.
UConn will count on the key players from their season, as well as newcomers, in order to win against Villanova. Coming off a prominent senior day win, there is no doubt that the Huskies will be hungry for another Big Eat win. Last year, they came up just short, falling to Denver in the finals with a score of 16-14. The Huskies will look to turn the page in a different direction but first they must defeat Villanova to make the finals.
UConn faces off against Villanova on Thursday, May 1 in Villanova, Pa. at 4 p.m. Husky fans can watch the match live on FloSports.