The UConn women’s hockey team took a trip to Potsdam, N.Y. on Friday to take on No. 9 Clarkson in a two-game series. The team fell 2-0 in the first game on Friday, Oct. 3. The next day, the team clinched the win in a close 3-2 game.
UConn is coming off their home opener series, which took place last week, against No. 11 St. Cloud State. The first game ended in a 2-1 Husky loss; however, they came away dominant (2-1) the next day. The win showcased the talent of the team. Defensively, graduate student goaltender Tia Chan dominated with a high of 36 saves. Offensively, senior forward Brooke Campbell and junior forward Livvy Dewar led. During Friday’s contest, Campbell opened the scoring in the first period with her first goal of the season. Then, Dewar recorded her first goal of the season in the second period, which was also her first career game-winning goal.
The Golden Knights came off dominant on Friday night with a goal just 23 seconds into the game. The Huskies had to step up quickly and were forced to play catch-up for much of the game. The Huskies earned a first period power play but were unable to break through the Golden Knights’ defense. Junior forward Ashley Allard had continuous energy throughout the first period with multiple shots on goal but was repeatedly blocked by Golden Knights graduate student goaltender Holly Gruber.
In the second period, the Huskies’ offense continued to be aggressive. Junior forward Julia Pellerin and Allard led the second period offense; however, Gruber held strong, denying the Huskies a chance to score. Clarkson capitalized on UConn’s scoring struggles, allowing them to double their lead midway through the second period.
Defensively, Chan held up strong under Clarkson’s constant pressure, blocking 27 shots. Senior forward Megan Woodworth and graduate student Camryn Wong also contributed to the defense by limiting rebounds. However, the Golden Knights were often able to quickly transition and force turnovers.
In the third period, the Huskies brought aggression and provided immense pressure for Gruber. Pellerin had a shot that bounced off the post almost spoiling Gruber’s perfect game. However, Gruber blocked the shot, stopping all 23 shots that came her way. The Huskies had a solid offense and a disciplined defense; however, they struggled to convert offensive opportunities into goals.
In Saturday’s win, the Huskies had a dominant offense and defense. Chan led the defense with a season-high of 37 saves. Chan’s resilience against immense Clarkson pressure, especially in the third period, proved to be the key in finishing dominant.
Offensively, the Huskies came out strong. Woodworth opened the scoring midway into the first period. However, Clarkson quickly responded five minutes later with a goal. Penalties late in the first period led to both teams gaining a power play chance; however, neither capitalized on this opportunity.
Clarkson came into the second period with dominance, taking a 2-1 lead two minutes in. The Huskies then took advantage of a power play, which allowed senior forward Kyla Josifovic to score her first goal of the season, tying the game. Minutes later, Campbell scored, and the Huskies took the lead.
The Golden Knights responded to the Huskies lead with strong offensive pressure. However, the Huskies defense stayed strong with Chan recording 19 saves in the last period. Clarkson gave a final push in the closing minutes, pulling their goaltender and attempting to take advantage of a late game power play due to a delay of game penalty for the Huskies. The Huskies defense held strong to hold onto the lead.
The win against a top 10 team showcased the Huskies’ impressive defense and offense skills that thrive under pressure. The win also marks a milestone for head coach Chris MacKenzie, giving him his 200th career win in 13 seasons. This makes MacKenzie the winningest head coach in program history.
Next, the Huskies will host No. 15 Princeton on Friday, Oct. 17 and Saturday, Oct. 18 for a two-game series. The games will begin at 2:30 p.m. and 1 p.m., and Husky fans can tune into this matchup on FloSports.