Women's Ice Hockey Predicted to Finish Fourth in Hockey East
STORRS, Conn. (Sept. 29, 2008) – The University of
Connecticut women’s ice hockey team was selected to finish fourth among eight
teams as announced by Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna on Monday afternoon.
UConn opened the regular season on Saturday, Sept. 27 with a 13-0 victory over
Sacred Heart at Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum.
The Huskies received 42 votes in the 2008-09 Preseason
Coaches’ Poll just behind Providence, selected third with 43, including two
first place votes. Defending WHEA regular-season and tournament champions New
Hampshire was selected as the favorite to win with four first place votes.
Boston College was chosen to finish second with 47 votes (two first place).
Behind UConn, Boston University was predicted to finish fifth while Northeastern
and Vermont tied for sixth. Maine rounded out the poll in eighth place.
Co-captains Dominique Thibault (L’Orignal,
Ont./Montreal Axion NWHL) and Nicole Tritter (Toronto, Ont./Toronto Jr.
Aeros International AA) return to the Huskies as the top-returning point leaders
from 2007-08. Thibault currently leads the team with five points after recording
a hat trick in the second period of the season-opening game on Saturday. She
also added two assists on two of Tritter’s goals. Thibault is the reigning WHEA
Player of the Year and attended the Canadian National Women’s Team Camp in
Calgary from Sept. 17-21.
Tritter also had a hat trick against the Pioneers and added
an assist to finish with four points. Last season, Tritter scored 11 goals and
had 10 assists, finishing the year third on the team in points (21).
The Huskies return 16 letterwinners from the
record-breaking 2007-08 season. UConn earned the most wins in program-history
(22) and finished the season ranked eighth in the nation.
Goaltenders Jennie Bellonio (Guilford, Conn./Pomfret
School) and Brittany Wilson (Nepean, Ont./Ottawa International AA) both
return for the 2008-09. Bellonio started eight of 11 games she played last
season and received the starting nod against Sacred Heart. Wilson also saw
action on Sept. 27, stepping in for the third period. She started 27 of 29 games
last season and finished the year with a 2.34 goals-against average.
The Huskies continue the season with a two-game series at
Minnesota State – Mankato on Oct. 3-4. Face-off for Saturday’s game is set for 8
p.m. and Sunday’s game will begin at 4 p.m. The Hockey East season begins with a
home match-up against preseason favorite, New Hampshire at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15.
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