No. 20 UConn men’s hockey, Holy Cross to face off in home-and-home series

(WFSB) - UConn men’s hockey will host its first home game of the year in Storrs on Saturday night.

The Huskies are fresh off a win and tie at Colgate this past weekend, entering the top 20 of USCHO.com’s rankings.

Now, it’s on to Holy Cross.

The Huskies take on the Crusaders at 7 p.m. Friday in Worcester. The second contest is on Saturday night in Storrs at 7 p.m.

It’ll be the men’s team’s first game at Toscano Family Ice Forum this season.

“I think it’s gonna be great; it’s always fun playing here in Toscano,” said UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh on Wednesday morning.

Players to watch for Holy Cross include Liam Mclinskey, a QU transfer, and Jack Ricketts, a preseason league all-star.

The Crusaders enter the weekend with a 1-0 record after beating Long Island 5-2.

Jason Grande, goaltender for Holy Cross, has solid numbers during his career.

The senior transferred in from Bentley, where he started in 20 games as a junior, recording a 2.33 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.

The Crusaders are picked to finish in the middle of the pack, fourth in their league’s standings.

For UConn, something to watch: Chase Bradley could miss time after suffering an upper-body injury against Colgate.

Luckily for the Huskies, initial indications suggest it’s not considered a long-term injury.

After two games, Matthew Wood and Samu Salminen are tied for the team lead in goals with two each.

Freshman Jake Richard played very well against Colgate. He’s tied for the team lead with three points.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. Friday at Hart Center Rink, and the game will be available on NESN+.

If you don’t have tickets for the home opener in Storrs on Saturday night, it will be available on ESPN+.

More information about UConn Hockey tickets can be found here.