University of Connecticut Athletics
Women's Ice Hockey Hosts Maine on Saturday
11/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Nov. 7, 2008
STORRS, Conn. - The University of Connecticut women's ice hockey (5-3-2, 2-1) returns to play in front of a home crowd for the first time since Oct. 19 on Saturday, hosting Maine at 1 p.m. The Huskies welcome the Black Bears for their third Hockey East game of the season at Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum.
UConn has a slim advantage over the Maine in the all-time series, 11-10-2, winning the last six straight games. Last season, the Huskies won back-to-back home games against the Black Bears and are 5-5-2 when playing Maine at Freitas Ice Forum.
Prior to taking the week off from competition, UConn earned it's first-ever victory over Princeton on Oct. 24. Brittany Wilson (Nepean, Ont./Ottawa Inter. AA) made 23 saves in the game for her first shutout of the 2008-09 season and Kristen Russell (Dauphin, Man./Parkland Rangers) scored the first goal of the 3-0 win. Russell's goal was also her first goal of the season. Michelle Binning (Oshawa, Ont./Toronto Jr. Aeros Inter. AA) and Amy Hollstein (Pembroke, Mass./Lawrence Acad.) also scored for the Huskies.
Binning and Hollstein are among the team leaders in scoring. Together with Dominique Thibault (L'Orignal, Ont./Montreal Axion NWHL) and Cristin Allen (Pickering, Ont./Durham Lightning AA) the junior class accounts for 38.8 percent of the UConn offense. Thibault has recorded a team-best 16 points this season while Hollstein has 14 and Binning has 12.
Thibault has scored a Hockey East best 10 goals while Binning leads the Huskies with five power-play goals this season, scoring seven goals in total.
Maine's power play has significantly improved since last season, scoring as many power-play goals this year as it had all of the 2007-08 season. The Black Bears (2-6-0, 0-2) are paced by Vanessa Vani with six power-play points (1G, 5A). Maine is converting .239 percent of its man-up opportunities, increasing production by .171 from a season ago.
Four Maine players have scored three goals this season to lead the team in scoring. Lexi Hoffmeyer, Jenna Ouellette Jennie Gallo and Amy Stech have each scored three times this season and are among the seven different Black Bear players who have hit the back of the net more than once. Vani leads the team with nine points (2G, 7A).
Women's ice hockey fans can follow the game via Gametracker.
