University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Fall to Friars in Hockey East Semifinals
3/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Connecticut 0, No. 8 Providence 7
Connecticut 0 0 0 - 0
Providence 1 4 2 - 7
SCORING: First Period – PC Rush Zimmerman (Kelli Halcisak) 1:29. Second Period – PC Hilary Greaves (Halcisak, Ashley Payton) 2:48; PC Danielle Culgin (Halcisak) 11:52; PC Sarah Youlen (Payton, Halcisak) 15:41; PC Jenn Butsch (Melanie Ruzzi, Greaves) 00:36.7. Third Period – PC Darlene Stephenson (Halcisak, Meredith Roth) 16:26 PPG; PC Greaves (Zimmerman, Katelynn Laffin) 19:19 PPG.
SAVES: UC 41(Kaitlyn Shain); PC 26(Jana Bugden)
SHOTS: UC 26; PC 48.
PEN/MIN: UC 5/10; PC 6/12
POWER PLAYS: UC 0-6; PC 2-5
RECORDS: UC 11-20-4, 3-9-3; PC 23-6-6, 13-1-1
BOSTON, MA (March 15) – The University of Connecticut women’s ice hockey team concluded its season in a 7-0 loss to No. 8 nationally Providence College in a semifinal game of the first-ever Women’s Hockey East Championship at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena in Boston, Mass. on Saturday afternoon.
Providence got a jump on the lead early in the first period. Just 1:31 into play, Kelli Halcisak passed the puck from the left post to the center of the net, where Rush Zimmerman planted a shot over the shoulder of UConn goalie Kaitlyn Shain (Calgary, Alberta). Play was even through out the first period, with the Friars slightly edging the Huskies in shots on goal, 9-7.
To open the second period, the Friars notched their second tally at the 2:48 mark. Hilary Greaves broke out past the UConn defense and skated straight at the net, one-on-one with Connecticut’s Shain. Greaves lifted the puck up and over for the tally. She was assisted by Halcisak and Payton. Providence increased its lead at the 11:52 mark of the period. After receiving a pass from Halcisak, Danielle Culgin came up the right side, and wound up for a hard shot that hit the back of the net and bounced back out for the score. With 4:19 left in the period, Sarah Youlen took a shot from just over the blue line, as a screened Shain couldn’t make the save, giving the Friars the 4-0 lead. Payton and Halcisak, who earned her fourth assist of the night, aided on the goal. To close the period with 37-seconds left, Jenn Butsch ended the period’s scoring. The Friars out shot the Huskies, 19-7, in the second for a two period total of 28-14.
Darlene Stephenson extended the Friars lead to six at the 16:26 mark of the third period. Halcisak notched her fifth assist of the game, while Meredith Roth also assisted on the goal. Greaves capped off the day’s scoring with 1:41 left in regulation.
Shain recorded a career-high 41 saves in net for UConn, while Jana Bugden stopped 26 shots on goal for her sixth shutout of the season.
In the early Women’s Hockey East Semifinal game, No. 6 New Hampshire shut out Maine, 2-0, to advance to Sunday’s Championship bout to face Providence at Matthews Arena at 2:00 pm.
The Huskies ended the season with a record of 11-20-4 overall, 3-9-3 in the inaugural season of the Women’s Hockey East League. In only their third season at the Division I level, Connecticut earned its second post-season berth in 2002-03.
