University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Prepare for Providence in Hockey East Tourney
3/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
The Connecticut women’s ice hockey team gears up this week for its second-ever postseason berth, first as part of the inaugural season of the Women’s Hockey East League. The No. 4 seeded Huskies will face the top-seed and No. 8 nationally ranked Providence Friars on Saturday, March 15 at 4:00 pm at Matthews Arena on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston, Mass.
UConn is aiming for the upset as the team heads into the championship with a record of 11-19-4 overall, 3-9-3 in the league. The Huskies are lead by junior Sara Mahoney and sophomore Megan McLeod, both having 16 points and four power play goals apiece. Mahoney has a team-leading 11 goals, plus five assists, while McLeod has notched six goals and 10 assists of her own. Leading the team in assists is sophomore Jacquelyn McGuire with 11, and joining the team in January, Kim Berry has made a late surge with seven goals and five assists for 12 points.
In net for UConn, sophomore Shannon Murphy has owned most of the time between the pipes, although rookie Kaitlyn Shain has proved strong through the latter part of the season. Murphy has appeared in net 27 times this season, allowing 73 goals and recording 688 saves for a goals against average of 3.02. Shain holds a record of 6-4-0, having seen time in 13 games. She has allotted 605-minutes of playing time, allowing 23 goals for an average of 2.28. For her play, Shain was named the ITECH Hockey East Rookie of the Month for February, allowing two goals in three league games.
Saturday’s game will be the seventh meeting in the two-year existence of the series between UConn and Providence. The Huskies are seeking their first-ever win over the Friars, as Providence leads the series, 0-5-1. Connecticut has made strides from last season, playing Providence to a 2-2 tie this season, and limiting the Friars to two other one-goal games. This season’s tougher play compares to last season when the Providence outscored UConn, 11-3.
Top-seeded and Women’s Hockey East Regular Season Champs, Providence holds a record of 22-6-6 overall, and is 13-1-1 in league play. The Friars lone league loss came at the hands of nationally ranked New Hampshire, and tie was forced by Connecticut. Providence’s other five losses were also to ranked opponents, including defending national champions Minnesota-Duluth and Harvard. The Friars have won their last eight games, and last 11-of-12 to end the season. Kelli Halcisak leads the team in scoring with 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points followed by Rush Zimmerman, who has recorded 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points, including 10 power play goals. Jana Bugden has seen most of the time in net, allowing 51 goals in 29 games played, holding a goals against average of 1.81.
