Chris MacKenzie hasn’t lost a game this season.
The University of Connecticut women’s hockey coach also hasn’t lost his sense of humor.
Asked if he’s getting a big head now that his Huskies are off to a 7-0 start, the best in program history, the eighth-year head coach laughed.
No, that’s not likely. All he has to do is look across campus at a certain legendary women’s basketball coach to remain humble.
“Geno Auriemma once won 111 games in a row. So I know where I stand on campus,” MacKenzie quipped.
But these are heady times for UConn’s women’s hockey program, even if the Huskies don’t win 104 more games in a row to match Auriemma’s incredible streak.
In addition to going undefeated until (at least) the last weekend of October, MacKenzie gets excited on a daily basis when he drives by construction in Storrs.
A new $70 million arena is being constructed, one that will seat 2,600 fans and feature state-of-the-art amenities.
MacKenzie is happy with the perfect start. The best part, he says, is his team hasn’t even played its best hockey yet.
The Huskies will look to keep their undefeated start going this weekend. They host Hockey East rivals Merrimack on Friday and Vermont on Saturday. Four of UConn’s wins this season have come on the road. UConn set a program record during the 2019-20 season with 12 road victories.
The Huskies have outscored opponents 24-11. Offensively, Viki Harkness and Natalie Snodgrass each have seven points. Summer-Rae Dobson has pocketed two game-winning goals, including a late tally which handed UConn its seventh victory to start the season, a 3-2 win over Merrimack.
MacKenzie found time Tuesday to answer some NEHJ questions:
What’s been the biggest surprise to the 7-0 start?
"We have found different ways to win and in years past we would have found ways to end up with a loss or tie."
You have 19 players who have scored at least one point. Is this the deepest team you’ve had at UConn?
"Short answer, yes, it does rival our 2018 team that made the WHEA conference championship game."
Who are the leaders the younger players look up to?
"We have five graduate students (Dobson, Chloe Gonsalves, Taylor Wabick, Morgan Wabick, Snodgrass) and four true seniors (Samatha Carpentier-Yelle, Danika Pasqua, Danielle Fox, Harkness) on our team who each bring something different. They set a great example on and off the ice in different ways. Our captains, Snodgrass, Fox and Harkness, along with our upperclassmen, keep our team accountable on and off the ice. Our junior class has also taken a step this season in regard to a leadership dimension."
Give us an update on the on-campus rink being built. Will it be ready for next fall?
"Tentative start date is January 2023 … if I was working on it myself it would be January 2050! We are seeing updates every few weeks online and it's exciting to drive by the site every day and see the progress!"
An undefeated team. A new rink set to open. What’s the excitement level within the program?
"We are focused on this year and trying to earn a banner or trophies we can place somewhere in the new rink. There’s a lot to be excited about and we are appreciative of the support our university has shown the hockey programs on campus. We have many great athletic programs on campus, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s field hockey and men’s baseball, to name a few. The expectations of our program will continue to rise as our level of support continues."
Is your on-ice success and the promise of a new rink opening new recruiting doors?
"We are always looking for talented student-athletes who are high on character and work ethic. This will not change regardless of a new rink or on-ice success. We hope to find ourselves in recruiting battles for the right people who, in years past, may not have considered a place like UConn. At some point, we will need to land a recruit who is willing to come here and be a difference maker instead of going to an 'established' program. There are fewer of these recruits out there each year. We love our team culture and the great majority of our players saw UConn as their first pick and any coach will acknowledge they get more from a player whose heart is with their program."
How impressive have Samantha Carpentier-Yelle (5-0) and Megan Warrener (2-0) been in net?
"They are competitors who give us confidence every night."
Hockey East notes
1. UConn isn’t the only undefeated team. Boston College is off to a 6-0 start, 4-0 in league play. Senior goaltender Abigail Levy is a major reason the Eagles have only allowed eight goals in six games. She sports a 1.33 goals-against average and an eye-popping .960 save percentage. Senior defenseman Jillian Fey (Nantucket, Mass.) tallied a career-best two assists in a 5-2 win over Maine. BC head coach Katie Crowley is now 34-6-3 against the Black Bears.
2. Boston University senior Courtney Correia (6-5-11) is tied for 15th in the nation in scoring. Tied for 19th are BU junior Julia Nearis (4-6-10) and Northeastern’s Maureen Murphy (7-3-10).
3, Three goaltenders are in the top 10 nationally in save percentage - Northeastern’s Aerin Frankel (.963, tied for fourth), Levy (.960, tied for sixth) and Providence’s Sandra Abstreiter (.958, eighth).
Look ahead
All eyes will be on the Northeastern-BC series this weekend. On Friday, eighth-ranked Northeastern will host fifth-ranked BC. BC will host the rematch Saturday. On Sunday, Boston University will skate at Providence in a battle of teams who have received votes in national polls.
Providence, which is ranked just outside the national top-10 poll, has had a difficult schedule to start the season. The Friars have beaten Northeastern, 3-0, now No. 8, and tied No. 7 Quinnipiac twice, 2-2 and 1-1.
