University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Earn First Hockey East
11/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
STORRS, CT (Nov. 22) - Three different players scored as the University of Connecticut women’s ice hockey team (3-6-3, 1-1-1) defeated Hockey East rival Boston College (3-5-0, 0-3-0) 3-1 at the UConn Ice Arena. After being out-shot in the first period, the Huskies rebounded to record nine more shots than their opponent in each of the next two periods.
Sara Mahoney (Lynn, MA) notched her first goal of the season just 6:40 into the first period when she got a pass on the right side from Erika Spaeth (Dallas, TX) and found a hole to slip the puck past Boston College goaltender Lisa Davis. UConn goaltender Shannon Murphy (Mapleville, RI) worked hard throughout the period, but with 29 seconds remaining, an intended pass by the Eagles’ Sarah Courtney deflected off the skate of a UConn defender and into the net to tie the game at 1-1.
Boston College would score no more the rest of the way, as the UConn offense picked up and Murphy stayed strong in the net for the Huskies. The second period was a quiet one, with UConn out-shooting their opponent 11 to 3 but neither team finding a clean shot.
Shannon Connolly, UConn’s leading scorer this season, picked up her fourth goal with just 3:21 elapsed in the third period off a behind-the-net pass from teammate Caitlin Salazar-Reid (London, Ontario). Connolly one-timed the puck past Davis to give UConn the 2-1 edge.
The Huskies’ insurance goal came just two minutes later, when Stefanie Snow (Nashua, NH) took a shot from the blueline that deflected off Jacquelyn McGuire (Glenview, IL) who was credited with the goal. Snow and Leslie Hurlburt (Markham, Ontario) both recorded assists on the goal. With two penalties on UConn near the end of the final period and the Eagles’ goaltender pulled, Boston College had a 6-3 advantage with skaters on the ice, but Murphy came up with big saves to keep the Huskies up by two.
For their strong performances, Murphy, Connolly and Courtney were named the three stars of the game, an award given to three players in every Hockey East contest.
Davis stopped 38 shots for Boston College, while Murphy finished the game with 26 saves. The Huskies will face Boston College tomorrow, Sunday, November 23 on the Eagles’ home ice at 2:00 p.m.
