University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Vermont
UMass Responds With 6-0 Shutout Win At Vermont
January 22, 2011 | Hockey
Jan. 22, 2011
BURLINGTON, Vt. - T.J. Syner scored two goals and added an assist while Paul Dainton made 26 saves in goal for his second career shutout to lead the UMass hockey team (6-12-3, 5-7-3 HEA) to a 6-0 win over Vermont Saturday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The Mass Attack scored twice in the first period before burying three more scores in the second frame to chase Catamount (5-13-4, 3-9-3 HEA) goaltender Rob Madore (13 saves) from the game. The Mass Attack will faceoff with the Northeastern in a home-and-home series next weekend, beginning Friday at Matthews Arena at 7:30 PM on NESN.
The win puts the Minutemen within three points of the Huskies for sixth place in the Hockey East standings. Massachusetts had four players tally multi-point nights, including a goal and two assists from Danny Hobbs and a two assist effort and +5 rating from senior defenseman Doug Kublin. Shots were even at 26 apiece, while the Minutemen went 1-for-4 on the power play and a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
UMass set the physical tone early on in the first period and maintained the presence throughout the period, enabling the Minutemen to take a 2-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes of play. Vermont went on the power play seven minutes into the frame, and Dainton made two consecutive huge stops in tight on Chris McCarthy to prevent the Catamounts from drawing first blood.
Massachusetts responded to the strong play of Dainton to strike first with 4:33 to play in the period on Hobbs' sixth goal of the season. Branden Gracel began the play in the offensive zone with a backhand pass across to Syner on the right side. Syner then cut towards the net and sent a backhand on goal that Madore kicked aside with his pad. The rebound, however, landed right atop the crease, where Hobbs crashed the cage and tucked the puck in before Madore could recover.
Syner gave the Minutemen a two-goal edge 1:26 later on his sixth goal of the year on a transition play in the neutral zone. Gracel freed the puck up with a big hit near the UMass bench, allowing Syner to scoop up the loose puck and head towards the attacking zone. Syner softly tapped the puck ahead of Anders Franzon at the blue line, and then blew by his right side to leave the Catamount defenseman in his wake. Syner then retook control of the puck before sniping a shot over the glove of Madore and into the top right corner for the score.
Massachusetts carried its offensive success into the second period, exploding for three goals and chasing Madore from the game with 5:54 left in the frame. During the first minute of the stanza, Syner pounded home his second goal of the night following some nice puck movement from the Minutemen. Hobbs possessed the puck along the right wall before feeding Joel Hanley at the point after the Catamount defenders collapsed in on their net. Hanley then sent a pass along the blueline to his partner Kublin, who quickly threaded a pass back down to Syner in between the hashmarks where he fired home a low shot that beat Madore five-hole.
Michael Pereira scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season with 10:30 left in the period off swift passing from the Minuteman freshmen. Pereira dished to Sheary during a two-on-two into the Vermont end. Sheary curled along the boards and hit Eric Filiou with a pass as he joined the rush. Filiou then spotted Pereira speeding into the slot, and passed over for a one-timer past Madore.
Kevin Czepiel got into the act when he picked up his first goal of the season with under six minutes to play as he snapped home a rebound off a Chase Langeraap shot from the faceoff circle, forcing Vermont Head Coach Kevin Sneddon to pull Madore in favor of Alex Vazzano.
Dainton made 11 big stops throughout the third period to preserve the shutout, including a huge save on McCarthy with three minutes remaining in regulation. McCarthy carried the puck down the right side before firing a shot on goal that Dainton swallowed in his pads. Langeraap scored his fifth goal of the season with 1:04 to go when he took a pass from Darren Rowe at the point and sent a backhand shot on goal to close out the scoring.
