MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The No. 11 ranked UConn women's ice hockey team fell to No. 2 Minnesota in a combined eight goal performance as the Golden Gophers bested the Huskies by a score of 5-3 Friday night.
Both teams would put up a combined 72 shots on goal as Minnesota sent 40 on target while UConn released 32. Also, to highlight, graduate Ainsley Svetek scored her first goal of the season for the Huskies.
In the first, both teams fired a combined 34 shots. The Golden Gophers wound up launching 20 shots to UConn's 14. Although the shot advantage went to Minnesota in the first, the Huskies found their opening to take the early lead. Just before the halfway mark, senior Kathryn Stockdale nailed in her fourth goal of the season. Minnesota would take a rip on goal, but the Huskies countered on a breakaway with a quick attack starting from Ava Rinker. Rinker dished it out to Megan Woodworth to then find the gliding forward. Stockdale went stick side to find the opening bottom left net. The Huskies stayed at 1-0 in the period.
The offenses got right back where they left off from the first period. In the second, Minnesota added 21 shots while UConn rocketed 18. The Golden Gophers would get on the board early in the second on a strong attack and forward Abbey Murphy would knock in goal number 22. Then, the Huskies would respond late in the second period on the first power play of the game. Brooke Campbell began up the ice and found Coryn Tormala on the right side. Tormala would give it a go ricocheting off the goaltender and to the stick of defenseman Ainsley Svetek. Svetek would get the angle and slip it past goaltender Lucy Morgan. Seconds later, the Golden Gophers answered on a quick attack from the forward Maggie Nicholson. The score stayed at 2-2 at the end of the second.
Much of the same in the first two periods occurred in the third period as more shots piled up for both teams. Minnesota ended the period with 22 to UConn's 20. Then, the Golden Gophers got ahold of the possession and landed the puck in the back of the net for their first lead of the game. Two minutes later, Minnesota would score again for the fourth goal on the night. However, the Huskies kept the fight going with their third goal of the game. As Brianna Ware passed it off to Camryn Wong to then direct one right at goal, forward Megan Woodworth caught a part of it to redirect it and found the back of the net. Minnesota would then add another goal on a power play to make the final score 5-3.
Up Next
The Huskies face the No. 2 Golden Gophers again in Minneapolis for the second game of the series on Saturday, Jan. 6. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET and can be streamed live on BIG+.
