Five years before Tia Chan posted a career-high 57 saves in the Hockey East Championship, her final home game, the chances of her ever calling the Toscano Family Ice Forum seemed small.
That’s not just because, at that time, the forum was nothing more than a set of blueprints.
“She wanted to be here at UConn,” said Head Coach Chris MacKenzie after practice on Monday. “She was recruited by other schools, had come to visit us. We had not pursued her maybe as much as she pursued us.”
Five seasons of game action and over 2,500 saves later, it would be hard for MacKenzie to complain about the return on investment with Chan, especially as the two-time team captain leads the Huskies into the second NCAA tournament in her time at UConn, the second in team history.
“We got to see her play and, you know, we saw the athleticism, but the whole programs built off of people that wanted to be at UConn and make it better,” MacKenzie said. “I think she’s a prime example of that.”
For Chan, the decision to come to UConn boiled down to the family atmosphere and continuity of the coaching staff.
“We’ve had so many sets of sisters here, like [Tristyn and Ainsley Svetek], [Jaime and Danielle Fox], and you wouldn’t send your younger sister here if it wasn’t a good place,” Chan said following Monday’s practice, one of her last at Toscano. “So, when I committed here, that was part of my decision. Like, it’s a good place because you send your younger sister.”
Indeed, even on UConn’s current roster, freshman defender Camryn Grimley is the younger sister of former UConn assistant captain Riley Grimley. Grimley, who graduated following last season, assisted the game-winning goal in overtime against Northeastern in the 2024 Hockey East Championship to send UConn on their first tournament run. Ainsley Svetek also had an assist on that play. Chan made 38 saves and didn’t allow a goal in that contest.
“It felt like family, felt like home,” Chan said.
After arriving in Storrs, Chan hit the ground running.
Starting 10 games her freshman year, Chan allowed just 1.49 goals per contest and set her first career-high at 40. That small sample size was already enough to secure a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, the first of many honors to come.
“Obviously, things have changed,” Chan said. “You know, we used to be in the [Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum], and just like the building is so different now. The crowd that we get is insanely different.”
The Ontario native missed her true sophomore season while playing for Team China in the 2022 Winter Olympics, but picked up right where she left off in 2023. Chan made her first Hockey East All-Star team on the Hockey East third team. 2023 was also the first time that Chan etched her name into the UConn record book, finishing with top 10 single-season marks in save percentage and goals against average.
“We’ve had some really amazing goalies here,” Chan said. “Elaine Chuli, Meg Warrener, Annie Belanger; there’s so many I could name. Just to be in the conversation with those players is amazing.”
Chan would end up doing far more than just be in the conversation. Over the next three seasons, Chan racked up over 1,500 saves.
According to the UConn women’s hockey record book, she currently sits at 2,504 on her career, one away from tying Belanger for second most in program history. Her 1.51 career goals against average leaves her one spot below Warrener. She will finish her career with the most wins (54 and counting), highest save percentage (.945) and shutouts (23 and also still possibly going up) in program history.
Her eight shutouts in 2024 set a new single season record, a list on which she also holds the third and tenth spots on. Chan’s name is also littered on the single season save percentage and goals against average lists.
The achievements don’t stop with the stats. After winning the award for a second straight season in 2026, Chan is a two-time Hockey East Goaltender of the Year, also being named a first-team conference all-star both years.
After her performance in this year’s Hockey East Championship, she was named tournament MVP. The graduate student was also a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier award, which honors the top women’s player across the entire NCAA.
“To be able to get awards and records and all these other things, it definitely feels good,” Chan said. “It’s a confidence booster, but I have to give credit to my team. There’s no way I get here without them, without my coaches. All their support, how they help me on the ice, everything.”
One of the players giving Chan support and praise is fellow captain and Ontario native Kyla Josifovic, who Chan says she trains with during the offseason.
“She has really good highlight saves,” Josifovic said prior to the Hockey East Championship. “But other than that, I think she’s just very consistent in her game. Sometimes it could go unnoticed just because she’s just so consistent. We just appreciate her and she’s just done so well this year.”
In that championship, Chan was at the top of her game, allowing just one goal across almost 100 minutes.
“When we did the starting lineup, Northeastern’s crowd, I was like, ‘oh, that’s pretty loud,’” Chan said. “Then our starting lineup came, and the building erupted. I’ve never heard it that loud in here for a men’s or a women’s game.”
The UConn student section quickly made their presence known, holding up posters depicting brick walls and chanting “Tia” after big saves.
“I’m 100% serious when I say this: I don’t know if we win that game without the crowd,” Chan said.
Despite playing in the NCAA postseason before as well as the Winter Olympics, Chan said that she still holds that performance amongst her best.
“Of course that one, it’s up there,” Chan said. “You know, any game where you win a trophy, it’s got to be in the top couple of your best games.”
Chan will have the chance to win one more championship as a Husky. UConn still just four wins away from hoisting the first National Championship trophy in UConn hockey history.
Though Chan says that she understands that it’s do-or-die time, she also believes that she and her teammates do their best work under pressure.
“100% confidence,” Chan said. “There’s no doubt we can do anything that we set our mind to.”