UCONN HUSKIES CLIPPED BY YALE BULLDOGS, 5-4

Sophomore forward Michela Cava had a goal and two assists for the Huskies

HAMDEN, Conn. - In a back-and-forth affair that saw multiple ties and lead change, the UConn women's hockey team (4-9-2, 1-4-1 WHEA) fell to Yale (3-7-1, 2-3-1) by way of a power play goal in the final minute of the third period on Friday afternoon at the TD Bank Sports Center. The contest was the first round of the 2013 Nutmeg Classic, and UConn will now face RIT in the third-place game tomorrow at 1 p.m.

UConn got three-point outings from Michela Cava (Thunder Bay, Ontario) and Kayla Campero (Wallingford, Conn.) and goals from four different players in the setback, including a pair of power play tallies. Cava and Campero, who each had a goal and two assists, were joined by Emily Snodgrass (Eagan, Minn.) and Susan Cavanagh (Warwick, R.I.) in lighting the lamp for the Huskies. Elaine Chuli (Waterford, Ontario) made 19 saves in goal and saw her record fall to 2-5-1.

In total, the Huskies out-shot the Bulldogs 28-24, while connecting on 2-of-4 power plays to Yale's 1-of-3. Yale's one extra man strike was a big one, however, serving as the game-winner off the stick of Taylor Marchin at 19:21 of the third period.

UConn got the scoring started just 1:13 into the first period, when Snodgrass connected off feeds from Cava and Campero. The Huskies held their lead for barely seven minutes however, as Yale responded to tie at 8:20 via a Janelle Ferrara goal, then went ahead at 13:50 with a Krista Yip-Chuck tally. UConn ended the explosive first period with a power play goal from Cava, her fourth of the year and team-high third on the power play. The strike came at 17:52 off the first off assists from Rebecca Fleming (Newton, Mass.) and Leah Buress (Windsor, Ontario).

The Huskies retook the lead 4:05 into the second when Cava connected with Campero for her team-high sixth goal of the season, leading to Yale pulling Hanna Mandl in favor of Jaimie Leonoff. The Bulldogs tied the game up midway through the second with a Stephanie Mock goal at 9:09, sending the contest to the third tied up at 3-3.

Neither team could find the go-ahead goal for the first 11:54 of the third period, until Yale's Phoebe Staenz beat Chuli to put the Bulldogs up by a goal. UConn again was able to equalize three minutes later, when Cavanagh grabbed her second goal of the year on the power play off feeds from Kiana Nauheim (Fairbanks, Alaska) and Campero.

The contest seemed destined for overtime, but Yale capitalized on a UConn hooking call in the waning moments of regulation when Marchin scored with 39 seconds to play. The Huskies could not generate a late chance, allowing Leonoff to improve to 3-7-1 on the year after making 17 saves in 35:55 of action, including stopping 10 pucks in the third period.

UConn concludes play in the 2013 Nutmeg Classic tomorrow afternoon with a match-up against RIT (8-7-1, 4-1-1 CHA) out of the CHA. The Huskies and Tigers have never met before. RIT dropped an 8-0 decision to host-No. 8 Quinnipiac following UConn's contest with Yale today.