With goaltender Garand leading the way, Wolf Pack set for series with Hershey

The Hartford Wolf Pack are continuing on their postseason run, and a 20-year-old goaltender has a lot to do with why.

Led by Dylan Garand’s 32-save performance, the Wolf Pack rolled past the top-seeded Providence Bruins 4-0 on Friday night at the XL Center in Game 4 to close out the Atlantic Division semifinal series.

Hartford is on to the division finals against the Hershey Bears, the Atlantic’s No. 2 seed, in a bestof-five series that begins Thursday night in Hershey, Pa., at 7 p.m.

For Garand it was the second shutout of a stellar postseason in which he has posted a 5-1 record with a 1.17 goals-against average, tops among all the goalies in the AHL playoffs. The native of Victoria, British Columbia, and a 2020 fourth-round pick of the New York Rangers, has allowed seven goals in six games and has a save percentage of .954.

The Hartford goalie is hot and the Wolf Pack are taking full advantage as they move another step closer to a possible title in the franchise’s first postseason appearance since 2014-15.

Coming off a 6-3 Game 3 loss to Providence, Hartford’s only defeat of the postseason, the Wolf Pack struck quickly when Turner Elson beat Bruins goalie Brandon Bussi at 3 minutes, 40 seconds of the first period.

Jake Leschyshyn added to the lead with his first of two goals on the night at 4:49 of the second, and Ryan Carpenter pushed

Hartford’s advantage to 3-0 at 15:23 of the period. Leschyshyn closed out the scoring for the Wolf Pack at 12:18 of the third.

Following Games 1 and 2 in Hershey — Game 2 was Saturday night — the series moves to the XL Center for Game 3 on May 17.

Game 4, if necessary, would be May 19, with a possible Game 5 back in Hershey on May 23. All games start at 7 p.m.

UConn women face Denver for Big East lacrosse title

Grace Coon scored the game-winning goal with 2:26 left, and the No. 3 seed UConn women’s lacrosse team held off a late rally by No. 2 Marquette to advance to the Big East championship game with a 17-16 win at Morrone Stadium on Friday.

The Huskies will meet threetime defending champion and top seed Denver on Sunday at noon back at Morrone for the title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

After controlling the semifinal throughout much of the game, UConn allowed five Golden Eagles goals in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, leading to a 15-15 tie.

Kate Shaffer led UConn with four goals and two assists. Lydia Foust led Marquette with four goals and three assists.

Denver advanced with a 12-7 win over No. 4 Villanova. The Pioneers defeated UConn 14-9 in a regular-season meeting.