CONNECTICUT EDGES WAYNE STATE, 4-3
Dominique Thibault scores two goals for Huskies

STORRS, Conn. — Junior Jaclyn Hawkins (Manotick, Ont.) scored the decisive goal in the third period to lift the University of Connecticut women’s hockey team to a 4-3 win over Wayne State on Friday night at the Freitas Ice Forum. The win continues UConn’s school-record season opening run as the Huskies improve to 6-1-0 overall. The Warriors dip to 1-4-0.

All seven goals were scored on power plays and UConn got the first one just 4:33 into the contest when Dominique Thibault (L’Original, Ont.) put home Alicia Ramolla’s (Barrie, Ont.) rebound. The Warriors tied the score at the 13:06 mark when Melissa Boal streaked down the left wing and beat Husky netminder Brittany Wilson (Neapean, Ont.) with a wrist shot.

Each team scored twice in the second period. Thibault netted her second goal of the night at 6:24 but Boal would score twice more to complete her hat trick and put Wayne State up 3-2 at the 14:35 mark. The lead was short-lived as freshman Amy Hollstein (Pembroke, Mass.) tied things up at 3-3 at 17:36 of the second period when scored on the doorstep converting off of a feed from Hawkins behind the net in the corner.

Hawkins netted the game-winner at 12:40 of the third period on the power play. Senior defenseman Natalie Vibert (Thunder Bay, Ont.) took a low slap shot from the point. Hawkins, in the slot, tipped it upstairs, off of the mask of Warrior netminder Valery Turcotte. The puck dropped straight down, trickled through Turcotte’s legs and just crossed the goal line for the eventual Husky victory.

Wilson made 26 saves in the UConn net while Turcotte turned away 27 shots. The game was a duel of power plays as the Huskies went 4-for-6 while the Warriors were 3-for-9. Of Wayne State’s 29 shots on goal, 17 game during power plays. Meanwhile, coupled with the NCAA-record six power play goals scored by UConn against Maine on Oct. 21, the Huskies are now an almost-incomprehensible 10-for-16 (62.5%) on the power play in their last two home games.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in Storrs.