Women’s Ice Hockey: UConn looks to take down Northeastern in a Hockey East Championship rematch 

The UConn women’s ice hockey team faces off against Northeastern in a two-game series this weekend. The puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday at home and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in Boston. 

The UConn women’s hockey team defeated Holy Cross in a two-game series throughout the first weekend of November. They seek to do the same against Northeastern this weekend. Photo by Madison Hendricks/The Daily Campus.

Looking back on history, the in-conference rivals date back to 2001. From their first meeting to a 2010-2011 clash, Connecticut boasted a winning 17-9-6 record over Northeastern. In their final meeting of the 2010-2011 season, Northeastern flipped the script and UConn went on to lose over 35 games from 2011 to 2023. However, the Huskies snapped the streak last November to come out on top 3-0 and proceeded to boast a 3-0 winning record over Northeastern last season. 

Coming into this matchup, Connecticut has all the momentum on their side. After taking a pair of wins last weekend against Holy Cross, the team lands at No. 10 in the rankings. As for the matchup against the Crusaders, shooting was not an issue as the Huskies attempted 70 combined shots between games one and two. Finding the back of the net, however, was the problem, as they only scored two apiece in both matches. 

Photo by Madison Hendricks/The Daily Campus.

This weekend, UConn’s defense will be key once again as the Huskies were a dominant force against the Crusaders. Holy Cross put up a combined total of 32 shots in the two-game series, which is just half of what Connecticut produced. Dominating in the net, the impressive goalkeeper duo Tia Chan and Megan Warrener saved 31 shots against the Crusader. Chan started game one, allowing Holy Cross’ only goal to get past her. Making changes to the lineup the next day, Warrener finished the series. It should be interesting to see who head coach Chris MacKenzie puts in as the goalkeeper come game time, as both options are great. 

In addition, watching out for Claire Murdoch is a must for Northeastern. After contributing a goal in both contests against Holy Cross, the freshman was named this week’s Hockey East Rookie of The Week. In both matches, Murdoch combined for 12 total shots, keeping the goalie on her feet.  

Taking a look at Northeastern, the team plans to get back on track after splitting with New Hampshire in their two-game series. After putting up four points in the first match, the Huskies were shut out in the second. Despite taking the loss, players like Holly Abela pressured the goaltender, attempting five shots, followed by Jules Constantinople with four of her own. 

Heading into the matchup, UConn has a solid chance of winning. Sweeping the team would bring them to a four-game winning streak. Looking to intercept those plans, Northeastern aims to take a chip off their shoulder after losing in the 2023-2024 Hockey East Championship.

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