After 33 games, the UConn women’s hockey season came down to the 34th and final regular season game of the year.
A 2-1 win Saturday over Providence pushed the Huskies’ to within two points of the Friars. A win Sunday would have gotten them into the Hockey East playoffs, but the Huskies came up short, losing the game by a score of 5-2.
In Sunday’s game, the Huskies got goals from Nicole Tritter and Alicia Ramolla. The game was 2-2 going into the third, but after giving up three goals, the Huskies’ playoff hopes would be dashed.
As for Saturday, the Huskies came out flying and certainly played like a team who knew what was on the line. Saturday — which was also senior day for Kaitlyn Shain, Janelle Armitage and team captain Jennifer Houlden — was a fast, scrappy and physical game.
Both teams were aggressive early on and it was the Huskies who got on the board at 15:55 on a Natalie Vibert goal.
“[The] first goal is always important,” Vibert said. “[It] kind of sets the tone for the game.”
The goal was also helpful for the Huskies’ confidence for the rest of the game.
“We’re better when we play with the lead,” said head coach Heather Linstad.
The Huskies exploded for 14 shots on goal in the first, but it was their defense that really set the tone. With time running down in the first, Providence got a great shot off on Shain who made the initial stop, then she turned down the Friars’ frantic efforts to slide the puck as the buzzer sounded.
Shain, who made 35 saves in the game, saw pressure and bodies in front of her all day.
“We kind of expected that from them,” Shain said.
“Providence loves to play in front,” Linstad said.
The second period passed by rather uneventfully, but things picked up for the Huskies in the third with 11:37 remaining.
A Meredith George tripping penalty was Providence’s second penalty in 36 seconds and it gave the Huskies a 5-on-3 advantage. Linstad, who said she wanted her team to just keep things simple during that time, also felt her players knew what was at stake.
“I think they knew it would kind of help us ice things,” Linstad said.
“It’s either you score and keep the momentum or you don’t score and they get the momentum,” Vibert said about the crucial 5-on-3 situation.
The Huskies took advantage and grabbed the 2-0 lead after Kristen Russell blasted a shot over and past Jana Bugden’s left arm. Russell was set up on a cross-ice pass from Alicia Ramolla who connected with her teammate as she was heading toward the net.
Shain continued to turn away the Friars, who kept pouring on the pressure down the stretch. Then, with 1:15 remaining, Providence pulled Bugden to get the extra skater. The move paid off as the Friars scored with 24 seconds remaining.
UConn held onto the lead for the final seconds and brought themselves that much closer to a playoff berth. The physicality and importance of Saturday’s game is pretty much the norm in this intense Hockey East rivalry.
“That’s [Saturday’s game] classic PC-UConn hockey,” Vibert said. “It’s always been must win games against them.”
