NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - The No. 11 ranked UConn women's ice hockey team eased by Merrimack taking a 5-1 win on the road and securing the season series sweep Friday night. Graduate student Ainsley Svetek finished with three points; two assists and one goal including senior Kathryn Stockdale earning a point in her last five games.
In the first, the Huskies matched the Merrimack Warriors with shots on target going shot after shot to begin the period. UConn would earn its first power play of the game in the first six minutes of play on an interference penalty, and the Huskies would capitalize. Coryn Tormala would slap a pass over to Ainsley Svetek as Svetek found the gliding Christina Walker right by Merrimack's goal and Walker slipped the puck past the goaltender for the opening goal. Although the Huskies finished the period up 1-0, the Warriors finished with four more shots on target with 11.
UConn would earn its second power play of the game three minutes into the second period. In 30 seconds on the power play, the Huskies knocked in another goal. As the puck was getting dished around the rink in Merrimack's zone, Ava Rinker began the scoring sequence as Rinker passed it off to Svetek to then pass it to Walker. As Walker spun around and whipped the puck across ice at goal, the puck rebounded right outside of the crest in front of Stockdale for Stockdale to slide in the second goal of the day at ease. Soon after, Merrimack would get a power play advantage on a body checking penalty, but the Huskies successfully killed off the penalty. Then, with less than three minutes to go in the period, the Warriors cut the deficit to one on a huge slap shot in front of the blue line for Mary Edmonds to get a piece of it for the first goal for Merrimack. At the end of the period, the Huskies outshot the Warriors with 14 shots on target to Merrimack's six. The score stayed at 2-1 at the end of two.
A minute into the third period, UConn reached its third power play on a slashing penalty, but the Warriors killed the penalty. Then, the Huskies received another power play on a tripping call and the Huskies yet again capitalized for the third time of the game as Svetek rang in the third goal of the game right in front of the blue line. Soon after, back to even strength, Megan Woodworth launched the fourth goal of the game on an unassisted play to make it 4-1 Huskies. Then, with less than four minutes into the game, Brook Campbell got the rebound and picked up the loose puck and tapped in the fifth goal on the day. In the period, the Huskies finished with double the number of shots on target with 14 in the last 20 minutes of play. The final score stayed at 5-1.
Up Next
The Huskies play again tomorrow for a chance to solidify the number one seed in the Hockey East standings, earning the automatic bid to host the Hockey East quarterfinals. UConn faces off against Vermont in Burlington, Vt., on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. ET.
