University of Connecticut Athletics
Four Huskies Named To Hockey East All-Star Team
10/27/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
WAKEFIELD, Mass. (Oct. 27) - Four members of the University of Connecticut women's ice hockey team have been selected to the Hockey East All-Star Team as announced by the league office on Thursday. Seniors Kaitlyn Shain (Calgary, Alberta) and Jennifer Houlden (Richmond Hill, Ontario), along with junior Natalie Vibert (Thunder Bay, Ontario) and sophomore Jaclyn Hawkins (Manotick, Ontario) will join 19 student-athletes from the other seven Hockey East programs to take on the 2006 U.S. Women's Olympic Team on Dec. 11 at New Hampshire. The game is part of Team USA's Hilton Family Skate to 2006 Tour, designed to pit Team USA against elite-level competition in preparation for the 2006 Winter Olympics.
The Huskies are one of four Hockey East teams to have the maximum four players selected to the team and join Providence as the only two teams to have one player chosen at each position.
Shain, who currently leads all Hockey East goalies with a 0.99 goals against average and a .970 save percentage against league opponents, is the favorite to start the game between the pipes. Already this season, Shain is a three-time Hockey East honoree, earning two Defensive Player of the Week honors and was named to the honor roll once. Hawkins, the ITECH Rookie of the Year following the 2004-05 season, picked up a hat trick in UConn's Hockey East opener against Providence and earned Hockey East Co-Player of the Week honors and was named USCHO.com Offensive Player of the Week following that performance.
Vibert, an offensive defenseman who was a first team All-Hockey East honoree, a member of the Hockey East All-Tournament Team and a member of the New England Hockey Writers Association (NEHWA) All-Star Team following the 2004-05 season, earned recognition before the season even began. On Oct. 6, the junior was named to the Preseason All-USCHO Second Team, the first such honor of her career. She has one assist so far on the season. Houlden, in addition to being selected to the team for her play on the ice, was also chosen as one of two alternate captains. The blueliner, who played in all 36 games for the Huskies in 2004-05 and had two game winning goals, is in her second season as a UConn captain.
The four will be joined by a familiar face behind the bench, as UConn Head Coach Heather Linstad will be head coach of the All-Star Team. Linstad, the only women’s ice hockey varsity head coach that UConn has ever had, is a 1989 Providence graduate and currently stands fourth all-time in NCAA Division I victories among active coaches with 212 career victories. She also has the distinction of being the only person to have won both the ECAC Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards. Linstad will be assisted by Bob Deraney (Providence), Tom Mutch (Boston College) and Erin Whitten Hamlen (UNH).
Face-off for the game is slated for 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 11. The game will be broadcast live on Comcast CN8 live throughout New England.
Women’s Hockey East All-Star Team
No Player School Class Pos Height Hometown
12 Kayce Bellamy, New Hampshire Fr D/F 5-7 Westfield, MA
27 Jana Bugden, Providence Jr G 5-11 Corner Brook, NF
7 Sarah Feldman, Boston College So F 5-6 Fall River, MA
2 Martine Garland, New Hampshire So D 5-10 Toronto, ON
10 Amy Goodney, Northeastern Jr F 5-4 Marquette, MI
14 Jaclyn Hawkins, Connecticut So F 5-7 Manotick, ON
17 Nicole Hekle, New Hampshire (A) Jr F 5-9 Winnipeg, ON
9 Cara Hendry, Boston University Jr F 5-9 Calgary, AB
18 Kristin Gigliotti, Providence * Jr D/F 5-6 Sauquoit, NY
5 Jennifer Houlden, Connecticut (A) Sr D 5-4 Richmond Hill, ON
30 Marisa Hourihan, Northeastern Sr G 5-4 Hanover, MA
3 Abbey Kaknes, Vermont Sr F 5-4 St. Charles, IL
55 Kelly Law, Maine Jr D 5-8 Markham, ON
11 Nikki Petrich, Northeastern So F 5-10 Flint, MI
1 Kaitlyn Shain, Connecticut Sr G 5-5 Calgary, AB
4 Amanda Shaw, Boston University Fr D 5-9 St. Thomas, ON
21 Deb Spillane, Boston College So F 5-8 Franklin, MA
15 Maggie Taverna, Boston College * Fr F/D 5-8 Howell, NJ
23 Angela Taylor, New Hampshire Fr F 5-11 Foxbar, Scotland
20 Karen Thatcher, Providence (C) Sr F 5-7 Douglas, MA
22 Natalie Vibert, Connecticut Jr D 5-4 Thunder Bay, ON
8 Sonny Watrous, Providence Jr F 5-8 Albuquerque, NM
6 Becky Zavisza, Boston College Fr F 5-8 Suffield, CT
* Alternates
