At the University of Connecticut, we pride ourselves on many things: our love for our live mascot Jonathan, Dairy Bar ice cream and our amazing basketball dynasty.
However, there is more to UConn than meets the eye. We have many hidden gems, such as the women’s hockey team. I personally love going to their games, and five reasons immediately come to mind. This team deserves the world: they’re extremely talented, and as a former hockey player myself, I have a natural inclination to support them. However, if you’ve never been to one of their games, what are you waiting for? Here are five reasons why going to a game is totally worth your time.
- just like men’s basketball, we have back-to-back championships
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Don’t get me wrong, the back-to-back national championships achieved by our men’s basketball team are certainly something to brag about. However, the women’s hockey team has a reason to brag too!
In both the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons, the women’s hockey team has dominated the regular season to become regular-season champions for two years in a row! All things considered, that’s incredibly impressive, as many other teams—such as Boston University and Northeastern University—are also very good.
This past season, UConn and BU battled for the regular-season title. BU was in the lead before the final two-game series, but UConn needed six points to become regular-season champions. Luckily, UConn achieved that and became back-to-back regular-season champions!
- we have a conference championship too!
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In the 2023-2024 season, the team battled Northeastern University for the Hockey East Championship title. The game was 0-0 for the entire three periods, leading to an incredible overtime win with just seconds remaining on the clock. As soon as UConn scored, the entire arena erupted in cheers. Although I did not attend this game, watching the highlights makes me wish I were there. The atmosphere was electric, which made our victory all the more exhilarating.
- one of our goalies is an olympian
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That’s right! Tia Chan, one of UConn’s goaltenders, has been to the Olympics! I’ve seen her play and can confirm that yes, she’s that good. She went to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and represented Team China. I won’t burden you with statistics, but it’s clear that she is very talented and a strong asset on UConn’s team. I hope to see her in the Professional Women’s Hockey League one day!
- the environment is perfect
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As a frequent attender of women’s hockey games, I love the environment of the crowd. Everyone’s very supportive and wholesome, which makes the game a more enjoyable experience all around. Sometimes it’s hard to enjoy watching a live sport when people are acting negatively, so seeing a positive crowd that is there for the love of women’s sports is truly heartwarming.
- above all, they’re fun!
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Last, but most certainly not least, the women’s hockey games are a great time! Between the wholesome environment and the thrill of the game, I wholeheartedly love this team and this sport. For UConn students, the games are free to attend, so it’s worth it in my eyes! Sometimes there’s free UConn swag at the games too, so keep your eyes peeled!
Go support the team!
Overall, I hope these reasons are convincing enough to attend a game and see for yourself why I love going so much. In today’s times, it’s essential to be a supporter of women’s sports: it’s about time women get the recognition and praise they deserve!