UConn's Creel is for real
UConn's season has been saved by an unlikely player. Tanner Creel has been UConn's back up goaltender since 2015-2016 and last season did not play a minute.
Creel, in his Senior season, appears to be finishing his collegiate career as the Huskies starting goaltender. After only playing in 18 games over the last four seasons, his first, two games with the Black Nights of Army West Point, Creel will take on the task of holding down the fort for the Huskies the rest of the way.
Creel has taken over the starting job for Adam Huska, whom is expected to miss the rest of the season with a wrist injury. Since Creel took over he is 3-0 while stopping 76 of 81 shots. Creel's thrust into the UConn spotlight has turned his play around. Earlier this season he suffered from some shaky play and has never supplanted former Husky Rob Nichols in any of the previous two seasons.
Now he has a golden opportunity, Creel has helped give UConn three straight Hockey East victories, the last, a 31 save 3-2 win over the University of New Hampshire. It was UConns first win at the XL Center since a 4-2 win over Colgate on December 8.
The win streak has put UConn into a position to host a playoff game in late February. If the obtain a higher seed they could earn a first round bye. Hosting a playoff game is something that has eluded UConn in their first four seasons since joining the top hockey conference.
The Huskies possess the 7th spot in the standings right now with a 8-11-1 record. The three victories over UNH and Providence six points to their season a total of 17 a insurance policy.
The next closest team only has 11 points and the season is getting long in the tooth with most teams only having 7 games left.
UConns' next matchup is this coming Friday with a huge match-up against the top team in Hockey East Boston College. The Huskies most recently lost to B.C. on December 30, 2-0 and they also lost on November 7, 2-1 at Chestnut Hill. This will be the Eagles only visit to the XL Center this season.
Breakaways:
Saturdays afternoon game against UNH drew a season high 6,681 people, it was
also the highest crowd of any Hockey East team playing on Saturday.
Alexander Payusov leads the Huskies in goals scored(10) and also power play goals scored with 6 in 20 games.
Huskies have only five games left with three of them at the XL Center
*BC
Brown
Boston University
*Northeastern
*Umass Amherst
