After 33 games, the UConn women’s hockey season came down to the 34th and final regular season game of the year. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Both teams were aggressive early on and it was the Huskies who got on the board at 15:55 on a Natalie Vibert goal.<\/p>\n
“[The] first goal is always important,” Vibert said. “[It] kind of sets the tone for the game.”<\/p>\n
The goal was also helpful for the Huskies’ confidence for the rest of the game.<\/p>\n
“We’re better when we play with the lead,” said head coach Heather Linstad.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Shain, who made 35 saves in the game, saw pressure and bodies in front of her all day.<\/p>\n
“We kind of expected that from them,” Shain said.<\/p>\n
“Providence loves to play in front,” Linstad said.<\/p>\n
The second period passed by rather uneventfully, but things picked up for the Huskies in the third with 11:37 remaining.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“I think they knew it would kind of help us ice things,” Linstad said.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“That’s [Saturday’s game] classic PC-UConn hockey,” Vibert said. “It’s always been must win games against them.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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