Women's hockey fans thrilled as UConn, Yale, and Quinnipiac win opening tourney games
All eyes were on women’s hockey in Connecticut. For the first time, three teams from our state qualified for the same NCAA tournament, and they’re all moving on!
Cheers filled Eli’s on Whitney in Hamden Thursday night. Quinnipiac University alums and fans were at a watch party, cheering on the women’s hockey team in their first game in the NCAA tournament.
“That team works incredibly hard, and you can see how much they care for each other and what they really put into it, and they’re a great representation of the university,” Stephanie Magnusson, a Quinnipiac alumnus, said.
The women’s team won their first game, beating Franklin Pierce, bringing hope that they can do what the men’s hockey team did three years ago: Win a national championship.
“They are a great team and a great coaching staff, and I’m really excited for Coach Cass and everybody else on the team,” Magnusson said.
But they have other competition from our state. At Trinity Bar in New Haven, fans were beaming as Yale took down Minnesota Duluth.
“These kids are incredibly multi-talented. Smart, incredible athletes,” Michael Pinto of New Haven said.
And UConn dominated Princeton to punch their ticket into the next round, making it three for three for Connecticut teams.
“It’s great to see all this hockey and UConn and all these other places,” Magnusson said.
Hockey fans say this is a watershed moment for women’s college hockey and hope it inspires other girls to get on the ice and play.
“Women’s hockey is on the rise and it’s great to see the women getting the attention especially all from my home state. It’s great,” Magnusson said.
“It’s all about visibility. If you see it, you can do it,” Kathleen Morrison, a Quinnipiac alumnus, said.
It remains to be seen how far each team will go, but for one QU fan, she says this is a win for Connecticut.
“If I can, I’ll root for all of them. Whichever one makes it to the next one, I’ll definitely would rather root for a Connecticut team,” Magnusson said.
All three teams will play next on Saturday.
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
From breaking news and local politics to art exhibitions, live music, high school sports, small businesses, and cultural events, we celebrate the people and places that make Connecticut unique.