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BOSTON – Two goals from senior McKenna Brand and a stifling 30 saves from freshman Aerin Frankel propelled the Northeastern women's hockey team (19-16-3) to a 2-1 victory over Connecticut (16-14-9) and its first Hockey East championship in program history on Sunday afternoon at Matthews Arena.
 
By capturing the Bertagna Trophy, Northeastern will advance to the NCAA tournament for the second time in school history. The Huskies will travel to Colgate to take on the Raiders in the NCAA quarterfinals on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
Frankel was named the tournament MVP in addition to earning a spot on the Hockey East all-tournament team. Brand and seniors Denisa Krizova and Lauren Kelly join Frankel on the all-tournament team.
 
Connecticut forward Natalie Snodgrass and defenseman Kayla Mee were also named to the all-tournament team.
 
Brand struck twice for the Huskies during a wild first period that saw Northeastern score the fastest goal to start a Hockey East title game in league history when she flung a backhand over the shoulder of UConn netminder Annie Belanger just 28 seconds in. Connecticut, though, responded less than a minute later when Morgan Wabick hammered a one-timer from the slot past Frankel for her seventh of the year to knot the game at one.
 
Brand waited until the final two minutes of the opening frame before putting the hosts back on top when she collected a face-off win by Tori Sullivan and fired a snap shot under the glove of Belanger for the 2-1 lead.
 
Northeastern's first round opponent will be determined at the NCAA tournament selection show tonight at 9 p.m. It will be live streamed on NCAA.com.

Stats of the game:
• Northeastern made its fourth appearance in the Hockey East championship game (2011, 2013, 2017, 2018).
 
• The Huskies became just the second team in Hockey East history to reach the conference championship game as the No. 4 seed (Providence in 2012).
 
• McKenna Brand's first period goal was the fastest to start a Hockey East championship game in tournament history.
 
• Denisa Krizova tied the Hockey East record for career points in the conference tournament with 24 (four goals, 20 assists). She's tied with former Boston University star and Olympian Marie-Philip Poulin.
 
• Brand became the seventh player in Hockey East history to score two goals in the conference championship game.