UConn Blanks Vermont, 7-0

Michelle Binning had a goal and two assists for Connecticut.

Storrs, Conn. - The University of Connecticut women's ice hockey team returned to the rink for the first time since Dec. 14 and promptly defeated Vermont by a score of 7-0 on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies continued their now six-game winning streak at Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum.

Freshman defenseman Sami Evelyn (Nepean, Ont./Toronto Jr. Aeros Inter. AA) scored a pair of goals and UConn (12-6-2, 5-4-0) scored three times on the power play en route to its fifth consecutive victory over the Catamounts in series history.

Vermont's Kristen Olychuck made a quick glove save on Nicole Tritter (Toronto, Ont./Toronto Jr. Aeros Inter.) who arguably had the best scoring opportunity for either team before UConn struck first. Jennifer Chaisson (Cumberland, Ont./St. Peter Catholic) won the faceoff following a Vermont (4-14-1, 2-6-0) penalty on Chelsea Rapin with just 55 seconds remaining in the opening stanza.

Chaisson passed the puck to Michelle Binning (Oshawa, Ont./Toronto Jr. Aeros Inter.) who put it past Olychuck on the blocker side to put the Huskies ahead 1-0 going into the first intermission. It was Binning's 12th goal of the year and eighth on the power play, adding to her team-best total power-play points this season.

Binning assisted Evelyn's goal a mere 11 seconds into the second period for the 2-0 UConn lead. Amy Hollstein (Pembroke, Mass./Lawrence Academy) also had an assist on the goal. Evelyn followed with her second goal of the night this time on the power play with assists from Chaisson and fellow rookie defenseman Rebecca Hewett (Oak Bluff, Man./APHA Rangers).

Tritter was responsible for the Huskies fourth goal of the game, also a power-play goal to put the team ahead 4-0 just past the midway point of the second period. Cristin Allen (Pickering, Ont./Durham Lightning AA) added to her team-best assist total on the goal while Jody Sydor (St. Alberta, Alta./Sturgeon Composite) also had an assist.

The Huskies fell back on to their heels during the second power play, with a 4-0 lead in hand UConn was caught a bit off guard by a pair of shorthanded attempts by Vermont. Celeste Doucet's shot was stopped by Brittany Wilson (Nepean, Ont./Ottawa Inter. AA) and Brittany Nelson's shot went wide.

UConn recovered and maintained its momentum with its fifth goal of the game as Olychuck came out of the crease to challenge the Husky offense and break up the play. The goalie was caught out of position as Hollstein netted her ninth of the season with assists from Binning and Kristen Russell (Dauphin, Man./Parkland Panthers).

Entering the third period, UConn possessed a 5-0 lead with four players recording two or more points.

Wilson fed the puck to Allen behind the UConn net and the Husky defenseman took it from end to end, going in on Olychuck alone only to fire one over the Vermont goalie's glove side. The Vermont netminder was stunned and failed to react as the Huskies obtained a 6-0 lead.

With her third goal of the season, Allen's goal also marked the first time since February 2007 that a UConn netminder recorded a point. Wilson added her first assist of the season to her career total of five.

Hewett beat Olychuck on the left side immediately following a face off to the right of the Catamount net. Brittany Murphy (Tewksbury, Mass./Lawrence Academy) won the faceoff passing the puck to Lauren LeMond (Vista, Calif./Pacific View Charter) who had the primary assist on UConn's final goal of the game.

The final five minutes of the game went by without incident as the Huskies stretched their winning streak to six and Vermont fell in its sixth Hockey East game of the season.

The Catamounts have a chance to avenge the 7-0 loss at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Freitas Ice Forum. The two teams faceoff for the final time this regular season.