University of Connecticut women’s hockey team (4-4-2, 1-0-1 Hockey East) kicked off conference play in a home-and-home series with the College of the Holy Cross Crusaders (2-5-4, 0-1-1 Hockey East), where they skated to one win and one tie.
The action started on Wednesday night in Worcester, Mass., with both goaltenders holding strong against early scoring opportunities. UConn was whistled for a penalty nearly halfway through the first period, giving the Crusaders the first power play of the game. The Huskies’ penalty kill did its job, however, with goaltender Taylor Belchetz recording a save and denying Holy Cross a goal with the skater advantage. UConn followed by sustaining pressure on the opposing goal, but nothing could get into the Crusaders’ net, as Holy Cross goaltender Livia Debnarova came up with 15 saves in just the first period to hold the score. The Huskies outshot the Crusaders 15-2, yet it remained scoreless into the intermission.
Belchetz made a pair of key saves in the opening minutes of the second period before UConn went back on the offensive, continuing to dominate possession of the puck. The Huskies created numerous chances with nine shots on goal but still could not get past the Crusaders’ keeper.
The third period turned out the same way, as UConn continued to generate solid scoring chances early on. Holy Cross was whistled for body checking to send the Huskies to their first power play of the night, but the Crusaders killed the penalty with just one shot on goal. Both sides traded chances from that point, looking for a late-game-winner, but neither would budge on defense. Sadie Hotles’ shot rung off the post in what looked like the best chance of the match, but came just wide of a score, forcing the game to overtime still 0-0.
UConn outshot the Crusaders once again in overtime, and once again Holy Cross stood tall on the defensive end. The Crusaders made a push in the final two minutes looking to turn the tables, forcing three Belchetz saves to keep the game going. It ultimately went down as a tie, heading to a shootout.
After trading saves in the first two rounds, Holy Cross found the back of the net first, but Maya Serdachny responded, pulling out a crafty move to keep the Huskies alive. After the Crusaders missed their next attempt, Claire Murdoch put the game away in the fourth round of the shootout, securing the extra point in game one.
Defense continued to be the theme in Storrs for game two. The main story for the Huskies was senior Shannon Moran’s first career start in goal, where she would be tested late in the first period, coming up with a pair of saves to hold off the Crusaders. UConn led Holy Cross in first- half shots 8-3, as both sides made it difficult to find an open lane to start.
UConn was called for roughing early in the second period, setting up a power play for the Crusaders. Moran stood tall, saving two shots on goal to kill the penalty and put the Huskies back on the offensive. UConn outshot Holy Cross 15-8, but despite multiple good looks for Serdachny and Julia Pellerin, the score remained gridlocked at 0-0 heading into the third.
Holy Cross got another chance on the power play within the first minute of the third period, but UConn did not allow them to take advantage, only allowing a single shot on goal. The Huskies finally broke the stalemate with just over six minutes to go in regulation, after Peyton Anzivino fired a shot on goal, and Dewar cleaned it up after a save with a wrister to sneak past the goalkeeper for her second goal of the year. The Huskies’ defense continued to shine, shutting down the Crusaders even with the extra skater on an empty net, sealing the 1-0 victory to win the weekend.
Moran had an impressive first start between the pipes, making 17 saves and recording her first career win and shutout. Serdachny and Pellerin paced the Huskies’ offense with ten and eight shots, respectively. Chelsea Tiller also had a productive series, with six shots over both games, going 14 of 19 on faceoffs in game two.
The Holy Cross defense proved to be an immense challenge for the Huskies, but they managed to pull away with five points on the weekend to begin Hockey East play.
Up next, UConn travels for another home-and-home set against No.15 Boston College. The first game is in Chestnut Hill, Mass. at 2 p.m. on Thursday before returning to Storrs for a 6 p.m. puck drop on Friday. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.