By Matt Foster
Breath slowly hockey fans, the Northeastern women’s team hasn’t given up yet.
The Huskies broke a 10-game winless streak and defeated Connecticut 3-2 on Sunday at Matthews Arena. Junior forward Jessica Coppney netted the game-winning goal with 1:31 left in the third period and Ashley Bielawski, another junior forward, collected a goal and an assist in the game.
Senior goalie Marisa Hourihan produced for NU again, stopping 29 of 31 shots in net, as NU improved to 2-9-1 on the season (2-4-1 in Hockey East). After her weekend, which included a total of 56 saves on 59 shots, Hourihan was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week. This is Hourihan’s sixth conference honor.
The win comes as a relief to second year coach Laura Schuler, who hadn’t seen her squad win in over a month.
“I’m very happy,” said coach Schuler. “The game plan for success was to stay focused and do the little things that are needed to win.”
The game was tight through the first two periods as Northeastern’s defense was exemplary, killing a pair of UConn two-minute power plays. NU scored first at 18:54 into the second when junior Ashley Bielawski tapped a rebound shot past Connecticut senior goalie Kaitlyn Shain. Freshman forward Cassie Sperry assisted on the goal that broke a scoreless string of 188:37 for the Huskies.
The goal was Bielawski’s fourth of the year.
“It was the first game the team played well together,” Schuler said. “Everyone played phenomenal.”
Northeastern would add another goal 11:53 into the third when freshman forward Ali Bielawski scored her first career goal on an assist from elder sister Ashley. The goal was a feel-good moment in the game, and at the time it appeared as though the Huskies would cruise to victory.
Feeling the game slip out of her hands, UConn coach Heather Linstad called a timeout to help her squad regain their focus. The UConn players responded well, scoring at 14:05 and 14:31 of the third to tie the game at two.
Freshman forward Kristen Russell lead the way for UConn, one-timing a pass from sophomore forward Jacyln Hawkins to the far-side of Hourihan. Sophomore defender, and captain of the UConn squad, found a wide-open Samantha Reid in front of the goal, who lifted the puck high over Hourihan’s glove side. The freshman defender’s first goal of the season tied the game at two.
“We were starting to let down a little bit in the third,” said Schuler on what could have been a monumental collapse. “We just turned it around and played aggressive in-your-face hockey.”
Coppney would score the game winner four minutes later, at 18:49 into the third, when she shuffled a rebound of sophomore Nikki Netrich’s backhanded shot from between the circles. The fifth, and final, goal of the game was Coppney’s second of the season.
“Coppney played unbelievable and lead the way,” commented Schuler on her junior forward.
The Husky squads played efficient hockey, each team was whistled for just three penalties and the offenses were similar in shots, with Northeastern edging UConn 32-31.
“It’s been a big turnaround,” said senior defender Lindsey Snider. “We’re so pumped and excited, we really needed it. We worked so hard together and it’s such a relief to finally get the puck in the net.”
The three goals were important for an offense that managed only 27 shots in a 1-0 loss to the Catamounts on Saturday.
Next for the Huskies is a Saturday matchup against conference foe New Hampshire. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. at Matthews Arena.
“They’re a tremendous team,” Schuler commented. “However this is a big win for us against a team that beat 2005 Hockey East Champions Providence. If we can play this way tonight, we can do it against anyone.”
