University of Connecticut Athletics
Kaitlyn Shain Named Hockey East Player of the Week; Hawkins, Connolly Also Recognized
2/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
WAKEFIELD, Mass. (February 21, 2005) - Junior goaltender Kaitlyn Shain (Calgary, Alberta) was selected as the Player of the Week for Hockey East as announced by the conference on Monday. It is the second such honor for her this season. Freshman Jaclyn Hawkins (Manotick, Ont.) and senior Shannon Connolly (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) were both named to the league's Honor Roll. The three Huskies were instrumental this past weekend when UConn took three of four points from No. 8 New Hampshire.
Shain continued her stellar play of late against UNH, stopping 64 of 66 shots faced (.969) on the weekend. After being in net for UConn’s sweep of Providence Feb. 12-13, she stonewalled No. 8 UNH on Saturday afternoon, saving all 34 shots faced to record her second shutout of the season in the Huskies' 0-0 tie. She then notched 30 saves on Sunday, allowing only two goals all weekend, as UConn won 3-2. In the past two weeks, Shain has registered 117 saves and allowed just seven goals for a .943 saves percentage during the Huskies’ four-game unbeaten streak. Shain has improved her season percentage to .920 while lowering her GAA to 2.38.
Hawkins snapped the 79:45 weekend shutout streak by scoring the first goal of the series on Sunday at 14:45 of the first period. It was her team-leading 18th goal of the year. She then tallied her 11th assist while setting up the second UConn goal. Hawkins is just five goals and seven points shy of tying the single season UConn marks in those respective categories.
Connolly assisted on the first UConn goal in Sunday’s game to notch her 13th helper of the year. The senior tri-captain then scored her seventh goal of the season in the second period. She fired 10 shots on goal on the weekend and was a plus-1 in the series.
Connecticut, ranked for the first time in school history at No. 10 in the USCHO poll, looks to extend its four-game unbeaten streak Feb. 26-27 with a home-and-home series against Northeastern. Saturday's game is at Freitas Ice Forum on the Storrs campus. It is the final home game for the Huskies this season and the team will pay tribute to its nine seniors in the Hartford Courant careerbuilder.com Senior Salute prior to the 2:00 p.m. start. UConn then travels to Boston to face Northeastern on Sunday also at 2:00 p.m.
