UConn field hockey is back in action after Sunday’s rainout, looking to continue its four-game win streak in what might be the team’s toughest weekend slate of the year.
The Huskies travel to Providence (8-2) today in a battle for the top spot in the early Big East standings. They will return home to face No. 3 Massachusetts (10-0) on Sunday, one of just three remaining unbeaten teams in the country.
UConn stayed put at No. 7 in this week’s National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll, following a 3-2 win over then-No. 14 Liberty.
Meanwhile, freshman forward Lucy Zich continues to make headlines as she was named NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week, becoming the first Husky to win an NFHCA Division I National Player of the Week award since Cheyenne Sprecher in 2022. Zich was also awarded Big East Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week. Fellow German freshman, midfielder Charlotte Ritter, was recognized on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll.
This weekend serves as a big test for the program to prove it is a legitimate national title contender. More than anything, a win against UMass could catapult the Huskies up the national rankings.
Sunday will be the third time this season where UConn takes on an opponent that is currently ranked third in the country. The two other occurrences came against Ivy League squads. On Sept. 20, the Huskies defeated Princeton 2-1 in a shootout. Two weeks prior, they fell 0-1 to Harvard.
UConn leads the all-time series against UMass with a 28-12 record in a deep-rooted rivalry dating back to 1987. While the Huskies struggled early on, dropping seven of the first eight meetings against the Minutewomen, they have dominated ever since and are currently on a 27-5 run.
UConn kept that momentum going in its most recent matchup, securing a 2-1 victory on the road last year.
This time around, it will be a classic showdown between an offensive juggernaut in UMass and an elite defense in UConn.
The Minutewomen boast far superior offensive statistics than the Huskies, leading the nation in both goals per game (4.60) and points per game (13.70), which factors in their high assist totals. Not to mention, UMass is the only program in the country to have three players ranked in the top 25 for goals per game. The players UConn coach Paul Caddy should circle on his scouting report: freshman forward Amber Farion (1.12 GPG), senior forward Niamh Mackenzie (.90 GPG) and sophomore forward Emily Barrett (.78 GPG).
UConn has typically found its advantage in the cage with senior goalkeeper Natalie McKenna, who has allowed nine goals in eight games. However, UMass has a stellar senior goalkeeper of its own in Rozárie Mrázová, who has conceded just five goals in 10 games.
The Huskies will have to find their edge on penalty corners, where they have scored the majority of their goals this season. They rank 14th in the country in penalty corners per game with 7.25, while UMass is 34th with 6.10. Each of the last four wins featured a penalty corner goal for Connecticut.
Caddy and his team must not look past Providence, as they currently share first place in the Big East knotted at a 2-0 record.
The Friars are a well-rounded squad, as senior forwards Lily Procaccianti and Carly van Benten lead the way with seven and six goals this season, respectively. Sophomore goalkeeper Ava Porter has also done a fantastic job in the cage this season, leading the Big East with three shutouts.
UConn is set for a 3 p.m. start time against Providence today at Lennon Family Field. The match is available for streaming through the Big East Digital Network and ESPN+. As for Sunday, the game is slotted for 1 p.m. on Nancy Stevens Field at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex and can be streamed on UConn+.