Spring Break
Women's Hockey: Linstad not a fan of shootouts
Russell Blair
Issue date: 2/9/09 Section: Sports
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A mishandled puck by Terrier goalie Melissa Haber at 5:22 in the third put the Huskies within one before Michelle Binning whisked home the rebound off a Monique Weber shot less than five minutes later to knot the game at two.
The remainder of the third period elapsed, as did the five minutes of overtime without another score. Each and every season before this the game would have been recorded as a tie. Per the new Hockey East rules, however, the game ended in a shootout and a loss for the Huskies.
"I'm against it," said coach Heather Linstad. "I don't mind ties. [But] I think it's a team sport. Once you go to a shootout, that individualizes things. You see it in soccer and field hockey but I don't think you should win a championship on an individual part of the game."
In two shootouts this season the Huskies are 1-1 after falling Friday to the Terriers and winning against New Hampshire on Oct. 15. Even after UConn's win against UNH, both players and coach showed animosity toward the new system.
"I hate the shootout," said Monique Weber, who scored the game-winner in the shootout round of the Huskies win over New Hampshire. "I would rather go a whole another hour of overtime to have someone win."
So far across the league, eight games have gone into shootouts with UNH and Boston University tied for the most trips to the round with four apiece. After the win against the Huskies, BU improved to 4-0 in the shootout round.
Perhaps most noticeable is the fact that UNH, who sits atop the Hockey East standings one point ahead of BU, has lost three times in the shootout despite having some of the most talented forwards in Hockey East. The three shootout losses is one more than they have suffered in regulation in-conference.
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