STORRS, Conn. - The University of Connecticut women's ice hockey team lost the opening contest of the Nutmeg Classic to Quinnipiac, 4-2, at the Freitas Ice Forum on Friday afternoon. The Huskies were bitten by a pair of third period goals that dropped them to 2-12-2 overall, while the Bobcats improved to 8-7-1 on the season.
Quinnipiac, who advanced to face the winner of Yale vs. Robert Morris, was awarded the first power play of the afternoon after UConn senior defenseman Rebecca Hewett (Oak Bluff, Man.) was sent to the penalty box for checking. Just over a minute into the power play, sophomore Amanda Colin tipped in a shot by Jordan Elkins to put the Bobcats up, 1-0. Senior Bethany Dymarczyk was also credited with an assist on the play.
Connecticut tied the game at one, 4:44 into the second period, when sophomore Jocelyn Slattery (Hugo, Minn.) stole the puck in the neutral zone and skated in for her third goal of the season. Midway through the period, the Bobcats regained the lead when junior Breann Frykas rebounded a shot by Elkins and put the puck into the back of the net.
With less than 10 seconds remaining in the second, the Huskies won a face-off in their offensive zone. Senior defenseman Sami Evelyn's (Nepean, Ont.) initial shot was blocked, but her second attempt from the right of the goal deflected off the QU goalie and into the net with three seconds left.
At the 14:29 mark of the third period, Bobcat sophomore Erica Uden Johansson tallied the game-winning score as she played the puck into the net off the back of UConn senior goaltender Alexandra Garcia (Point-Claire, Que.). With an empty net and on the power play in the last minute of the game, the Huskies made won last rush, but were unable to score. Quinnipiac would ad an empty netter with four seconds left, coming off the stick of freshman Nicole Kosta.
For the game, Garcia totaled 31 saves, while QU junior Victoria Vigilanti made 24 stops as the Bobcats outshot the Huskies 35-26.
UConn will play in tomorrow's consolation contest against the loser of the match-up between Yale and Robert Morris at 4:00 pm.