#12 UConn Women @ #9 Clarkson University Women 10/3,4 6:00 pm and 2:00 pm, Potsdam, NY

[RSTuthill]

The UConn Pregame Summary is found here:

Huskies Head to Clarkson This Weekend - University of Connecticut Athletics

STORRS, Conn. – No. 12 UConn women's hockey (1-1) is set for their first road test this season as the Huskies head to No. 9 Clarkson (1-1) for a two-game ser...

uconnhuskies.com

The Clarkson Pregame Summary is found here:

Clarkson opens home schedule with UCONN - Clarkson University Athletics

The Clarkson University Women's Hockey team will face one of its toughest early-season challenges this weekend when the Golden Knights welcome the University of

www.clarksonathletics.com

The Team Quick Facts are here:

Womens Facts Page (PDF) - Clarkson University Athletics

Womens Facts Page (PDF)

www.clarksonathletics.com

The USCHO PodKaz discussion of Clarkson's shocking loss to Merrimack last weekend is here:

The PodKaz women's hockey podcast - An early nonconference surprise and a look ahead to a top-10 series - College Hockey | USCHO.com

This edition of the PodKaz, the weekly look at NCAA women's hockey from USCHO.com, has hosts Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski looking back at an upset by

www.uscho.com

A few words about Clarkson and then my prediction. First of all, ignoring last weekend, on prior form this should be nothing more than a routine tune-up for the Golden Knights. After last weekend, in which they beat Merrimack 6-3 on Friday and then lost 3-5 on Saturday -- despite outshooting Merrimack 46-17 -- anything can happen and probably will. It is perhaps worth noting that Clarkson used a freshman goalie on Saturday, Aneta Senkova, from Czechia, so there is that. I would suspect that Clarkson will use only first string goalie, graduate Molly Gruber, against a team like UConn. It is worth noting that Clarkson is captained by Sena Catterall, the starting center fielder for Canada's Women's National Baseball Team.

A bit of background. In another thread I mentioned Clarkson's three natties, The only natties in the modern era won by an eastern team, the last of which was in 2018. Their last visit to the Women's Frozen Four was two years ago. Last year they had 11 alums playing in the PWHL. This spring they had three more drafted at #2, #4, and #9. Three years ago they had 6 alumnae playing for Canada (4), USA (1), and Czechia (1) in the Bejing Olympics. Clarkson's investment in a top level Women's program was justified to their Board of Directors at the time using UConn's Women's Basketball as the model. (Source: circa 2010, Clarkson AD Steve Yianoukos).

But ... Clarkson lost most of its scoring last year to graduation. It appears that their goalie situation at the moment is one player deep. Their freshmen are very highly talented ... but they are freshmen. This is a golden opportunity for UConn.

PREDICTION: UConn wins tonight in a close one. Clarkson wins tomorrow night to get revenge. This scenario follows the Visitor wins the first, Home Team the second, model established last week. Wish I was gonna be there.

Cheel Arena, capacity 3,000 complete with a public fitness center and climbing wall.

 

[RSTuthill]

An interesting unrelated factoid: the Clarkson men open their 105th season tonight at Canisius.

 

[huskymedic]

 

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[RSTuthill]

Well, THAT was certainly interesting. Playoff hockey in early October. Clarkson wins 2-0. But let's see what happens tomorrow. I am thinking that UConn may make it a run and gun wide open shootout banking on the premise that Clarkson's attack may not be able to keep up. But who knows, it might be another low scoring game.

 

[HuskyNan]

Clarkson is my Alma Mater 😎

Beating the crap out of RPI and Cornell at the old Walker Arena, 2,000 mostly drunken students crammed into a 1,800 capacity arena, literally hanging from the rafters, throwing kitchen sieves at the opposing team’s goalie after a Clarkson goal. Ah, the good old days

 

[huskymedic]

 

[RSTuthill]

Clarkson is my Alma Mater 😎

Beating the crap out of RPI and Cornell at the old Walker Arena, 2,000 mostly drunken students crammed into a 1,800 capacity arena, literally hanging from the rafters, throwing kitchen sieves at the opposing team’s goalie after a Clarkson goal. Ah, the good old days

As I recall the drink of choice was blackberry brandy or Southern Comfort. Later Ripple. The good old days of the 18 year old drinking age. Hell, they beat Wisconsin in three games there in the NCAA quarters one year in that old barn. Now converted to a soccer and lacrosse practice facility. And renovated. But every decent team in the east came to that old barn ... and they hated it with a passion. The annual trip to the North Country (Clarkson one night, Saint Lawrence the next) was dreaded by every eastern team.

 

[RSTuthill]

After that excursion down Memory Lane, let me make a more respectable post. Clarkson, as you may or may not know, is primarily a STEM school with a nationally ranked business school; and they are moving into health sciences as well. The newly installed president, Dr. Michelle Larson and her husband, Dr. Shane Larson, are both astro-physicists. One of their kids attends ... wait for it ... UConn.

 

[HuskyNan]

As I recall the drink of choice was blackberry brandy or Southern Comfort. Later Ripple. The good old days of the 18 year old drinking age. Hell, they beat Wisconsin in three games there in the NCAA quarters one year in that old barn. Now converted to a soccer practice facility. And renovated. But every decent team in the east came to that old barn ... and they hated it with a passion. The annual trip to the North Country (Clarkson one night, Saint Lawrence the next) was dreaded by every eastern team.

It was Yukon Jack and peach schnapps when I was there. I got to see Dave Taylor in his senior year before he went to the NHL

 

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[huskymedic]

UConn wins 3-2 to split the weekend.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[RSTuthill]

Well done, Huskies! Even though it was a split, UConn comes out of it substantially better in the NPI.

Next year they will do it all over again in Storrs. I dunno, but I think these two make pretty good OOC opponents.

 

[RSTuthill]

I looked at the USCHO box score and it had a couple of strange things. 19 shots in the third period for Clarkson, 0 for UConn. If true, that is bizarre. Also, UConn was 1 for 1 on the power play and Clarkson 0 for 4. That right there tells a rebuilding story.

 

[RSTuthill]

Clarkson story and video of the second game. Apparently the shot totals were correct. UConn 18 Clarkson 39 including 0 shots for UConn in the 3rd period and 19 shots for Clarkson. How to sit on a lead is a very valuable skill.

Knights fall to UCONN 3-2 - Clarkson University Athletics

Despite a fast start and strong effort throughout, the No. 9 Clarkson University Women's Hockey team came up just short on Saturday afternoon, falling 3–2 to No.

www.clarksonathletics.com