The UConn field hockey team swept a pair of weekend games to secure their fourth straight winning season, taking down Old Dominion University (7-9) 2-1 at home and Fairfield University (12-5) on the road 3-2.
The Huskies started the weekend with an exhilarating double overtime win against Old Dominion in their last home game of the season.
UConn got a big performance from senior midfielder Sol Simone. After senior attacker Sanci Molkenboer scored 11 minutes into the contest, neither team would find a goal again until Simone fed freshman Pien Prins on a penalty corner less than a minute before half time for the attacker’s fourth goal of the season.
The score held through the rest of regulation and the first overtime period. Junior goalie Natalie McKenna made three huge saves in the first overtime period, finishing with nine on the day. In overtime period two, Simone took the ball all the way from outside of the 25-yard line, beating multiple defenders to find her way to the goal to tap it in from five yards out. Simone now has three goals and a team-high seven assists.
Simone’s score capped a Huskies comeback in which they were outshot 13 to 4 by Old Dominion but still able to come away victorious. The win brought UConn’s Big East conference record to 5-1 and their home record to an even 4-4.
McKenna’s big performance fueled a Huskies defense that only allowed one goal despite being faced with 10 shots on net and nine penalty corner attempts.
That strong goalie play carried over into Sunday’s road win against Fairfield, though McKenna split time with sophomore Avianna Wagner. McKenna made three saves, while Wagner made four while also letting in two.
For the Huskies, senior captain Julia Bressler, sophomore forward Fien Hollander and freshman Lene Bunjes all had goals for the Huskies. Bressler scored her team leading sixth goal of the season on a penalty shot with just under four minutes to go before halftime. Hollander followed less than a minute later, scoring on a penalty corner attempt assisted by Simone and freshman Zita Grigoliet. Grigoliet picked up another assist on Bunjes’ goal. The Huskies never led by less than two until Fairfield scored as time expired.
UConn will be back on the road for their last game of the regular season next Friday against Quinnipiac University (9-7). The game will take place at 3 p.m. at the Quinnipiac Field Hockey Stadium in Hamden, Conn.