Spring Break
Huskies try to build off Wednesday's win
Chris Brodeur
Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: Sports
Only four regular-season games remain on the schedule for the men's ice hockey team. A midweek win at American International has the Huskies headed in the right direction going into them.
In-conference opponent Canisius (13-11-6, 11-9-4 Atlantic Hockey) comes to the Freitas Ice Forum tonight for a two-game weekend series - the final such series to be held at Freitas this season.
Not since a 2-1 win over conference-leader RIT on Nov. 21 gave UConn (7-24-1, 6-17-1 Atlantic Hockey) a split at home of a two-game set have the Huskies won as much as a game in those matchups. They've been swept five times - twice in Storrs - but if Tuesday's 6-2 shelling of AIC is any indication, this weekend could be different.
Coach Bruce Marshall has been looking for something to propel his team into the conference playoffs with some momentum, and regardless of some favorable circumstances - two of UConn' seven victories have come at the expense of Atlantic Hockey bottom-dweller AIC - he feels the Huskies may have found some.
"We scored some nice goals," Marshall said. "We scored some good goals on some good shots. They weren't flukey goals. That builds confidence right there. They're a team that's behind us in the standings so we definitely wanna win that game but we've got games coming up against teams that are in front of us."
Back on Nov. 16, following a 6-0 loss in game one of a road series with the Griffs, the Huskies appeared to be on their way to earning a split when they led 2-0 at the start of the third period. Canisius rallied to tie the game in the third and scored less than a minute into the overtime period to hand UConn perhaps its most crushing defeat of the season.
Goalie Dan Morrison turned away 32 UConn shots including 14 in the third. The final three minutes of regulation saw the Huskies squander a 5-on-3 advantage to finish the contest 0-for-6 in power play opportunities.
Still, there's more at stake this weekend than just avenging a tough loss, according to Marshall.
"It was so long ago," said Marshall. "We're a different team now, we've got such a different mental psyche. We have so much more to focus on. They're like a Mercyhurst in a way. They play a more aggressive style and we have to work on our discipline and control."
Like much of the Atlantic Hockey conference, the Griffs have struggled to win outside the league. Their most recent outing also came against AIC on Feb. 14 as part of what was a lopsided series in which they surrendered just a goal and scored eight in sweeping the hapless Yellow Jackets. Canisius currently sits in fifth place in the conference standings with 26 points. UConn remains in the second-to-last spot with 13 points.
In-conference opponent Canisius (13-11-6, 11-9-4 Atlantic Hockey) comes to the Freitas Ice Forum tonight for a two-game weekend series - the final such series to be held at Freitas this season.
Not since a 2-1 win over conference-leader RIT on Nov. 21 gave UConn (7-24-1, 6-17-1 Atlantic Hockey) a split at home of a two-game set have the Huskies won as much as a game in those matchups. They've been swept five times - twice in Storrs - but if Tuesday's 6-2 shelling of AIC is any indication, this weekend could be different.
Coach Bruce Marshall has been looking for something to propel his team into the conference playoffs with some momentum, and regardless of some favorable circumstances - two of UConn' seven victories have come at the expense of Atlantic Hockey bottom-dweller AIC - he feels the Huskies may have found some.
"We scored some nice goals," Marshall said. "We scored some good goals on some good shots. They weren't flukey goals. That builds confidence right there. They're a team that's behind us in the standings so we definitely wanna win that game but we've got games coming up against teams that are in front of us."
Back on Nov. 16, following a 6-0 loss in game one of a road series with the Griffs, the Huskies appeared to be on their way to earning a split when they led 2-0 at the start of the third period. Canisius rallied to tie the game in the third and scored less than a minute into the overtime period to hand UConn perhaps its most crushing defeat of the season.
Goalie Dan Morrison turned away 32 UConn shots including 14 in the third. The final three minutes of regulation saw the Huskies squander a 5-on-3 advantage to finish the contest 0-for-6 in power play opportunities.
Still, there's more at stake this weekend than just avenging a tough loss, according to Marshall.
"It was so long ago," said Marshall. "We're a different team now, we've got such a different mental psyche. We have so much more to focus on. They're like a Mercyhurst in a way. They play a more aggressive style and we have to work on our discipline and control."
Like much of the Atlantic Hockey conference, the Griffs have struggled to win outside the league. Their most recent outing also came against AIC on Feb. 14 as part of what was a lopsided series in which they surrendered just a goal and scored eight in sweeping the hapless Yellow Jackets. Canisius currently sits in fifth place in the conference standings with 26 points. UConn remains in the second-to-last spot with 13 points.
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