This past weekend, the UConn women’s hockey team hosted Quinnipiac University and Yale University for the Nutmeg Classic. The first matchup against No. 9 Quinnipiac took place on Friday, Nov. 28 and ended in a 4-3 win for the No. 8 Huskies. The second matchup against Yale took place the following day and concluded in a 3-2 win for the Huskies.
The Huskies are coming off an at-home sweep against Vermont. The first game ended with a 4-0 shutout win for the Huskies. In the second game, Vermont attempted a comeback in the third period, but it was not enough, delivering the Huskies a 6-3 win. Graduate student goaltender Tia Chan led defensively in both games. In the second game, Chan made 12 of her 24 saves in the second period, holding Vermont off. Offensively, freshman Leila Ricciuti and senior Brooke Campbell led in the second game. Ricciuti scored her first collegiate goal in the second period to bring the Huskies to a 3-1 lead. Campell ended the four-goal scoring second period with her fourth goal of the season, and second goal of the weekend.
In the opening period of the first matchup, both goaltenders controlled the pace. Chan stopped all 11 of the Bobcat’s attempts on goal, including from senior Zoe Uens and sophomore Makayla Watson. Quinnipiac’s goaltender sophomore Felicia Frank stood strong on the other end. Frank denied early shots by senior Emma Eryou and junior Maya Serdachny to stop all nine of the Huskies’ first period attempts. Both teams’ strong performance on goal ended the first period in a 0-0 stalemate.
UConn came out strong in the second period with an early goal from senior forward Kyla Josifovic, assisted by Campbell and senior Megan Woodworth. This was Josifovic’s seventh goal of the season. The Bobcat’s quickly answered with a goal from senior forward Tessa Holk to even the score. The Huskies reclaimed the lead six minutes later, thanks to junior Ashley Allard, who powered through the zone to take the advantage going into the third period.
The Bobcats wasted no time in the final period, with Uens scoring in the opening minutes to tie the game. The Huskies did not let this startle them and quickly responded. Allard recorded her second goal of the game. This goal marked the junior’s seventh multi-point game of the season, putting the Huskies back on top.
The Bobcats continued their efforts to tie the game with nine minutes remaining. Both teams traded chances to attempt to secure the win; however, Woodworth sealed the deal for the Huskies with just over three minutes remaining. Woodworth scored assisted by Serdachny to bring the Huskies to a 4-3 lead.
Quinnipiac pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker in the final minutes. The Bobcats had many close attempts at goal, but Chan was able to stay strong, finishing with 40 saves. Offensively, Allard led UConn with two goals and seven shots. Campbell dominated the faceoff circle, winning 16 of 22 draws.
The win brought the Huskies to the second game of the classic against Yale, who defeated Sacred Heart 5-0 on Friday.
The Huskies struck first in the opening period with a goal from senior Christina Walker, assisted by Serdachny and freshman True Thompson. The Bulldogs answered moments later with a goal to end the first period at a 1-1 tie.
A scoreless second period featured dominant attempts by the Huskies and a powerful defense. The Bulldogs gained a power play late in the period, although the Huskies quickly killed off any scoring opportunities with key blocks from Ricciuti and Woodworth.
The Huskies regained the lead midway through the final period when tournament MVP Josifovic scored on the power play off a setup from sophomore Claire Murdoch. Yale’s freshman Hannah Weyerhaeuser quickly responded to tie the game at 2-2. With the Nutmeg Classic title on the line, Pellerin delivered the game-winning goal with less than two minutes remaining. Yale pulled their goaltender in the final minutes, but Chan closed out the win with a 46-save performance.
The Huskies return to Hockey East play on Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6, hosting Boston University for a two-game series. The games will begin at 6 p.m. and 4 p.m., and Husky fans can tune into these matchups on FloSports.