STORRS, Conn. - A pair of goals from freshman Alexandra Vakos (Hamden, Conn.) and senior Jennifer Chaisson (Cumberland, Ont.) lifted the Huskies over Vermont, 2-0 this evening in Hockey East action. Vakos' goal was the second in two games, while Chaisson marked her fifth of the season, improving her career point total to 78 which ties her for fourth all-time at UConn.
The contest was the first in conference play for the Huskies in over a month, and they improved their WHEA record to 5-4-1 while they improved their overall record to 9-13-1. The Catamounts fell to 4-10-9 overall and 1-7-4 in conference play.
The Huskies and the Catamounts battled through a scoreless first period with UConn's first opportunity at a goal coming at the 5:50 mark of the second frame. Vakos had the puck on a two-on-one break and drilled a shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle, sending the puck over Roxanne Douville's shoulder and hitting the cross bar.
Vakos struck again in the final minutes of the second period when she came down the left side and sent the puck into the net from the middle of the left faceoff circle after Rebecca Hewett (Oak Bluff, Manitoba) broke up a Vermont attack at the other end of the ice. Her goal, which gave the Huskies a 1-0 advantage, would eventually become the game-winner.
Chaisson recorded UConn's second goal of the game at the 2:31 mark of the third period when she slipped the puck around Douville from the bottom of the right faceoff circle. Brittany Murphy (Tewksbury, Mass.) got control of the puck on the right side of the ice and sent it up to Taylor Gross (Colorado Springs, Colo.) in the left faceoff circle who found Chaisson with the open shot at the net.
Alexandra Garcia (Poine-Claire, Que.) earned her third shutout of the season as she posted 35 saves including 13 during the opening period. The shutout is the second on the season against Vermont for Garcia, as she earned a 2-0 shutout in Burlington, Vt. earlier this season.
The Huskies, who have now won 11 straight contests against Vermont, will complete the season series against the Catamounts tomorrow afternoon (Jan. 15) beginning at 4:00 p.m. in the Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum.