University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
7-16-0, 2-11-0HEA
New Hampshire
8-12-2, 3-6-1HEA
UNH Surges Past UMass Hockey, 5-2
January 17, 2015 | Hockey
DURHAM, N.H. - UMass hockey erased an early 1-0 deficit, however New Hampshire followed by scoring four unanswered in the third period as the Minutemen fell, 5-2 on Saturday night at the Whittemore Center. With the setback, UMass is now 7-16-0 overall 2-11-0 in Hockey East, while the Wildcats improve to 8-12-2, 3-6-1 in league action.
Redshirt senior Steven Guzzo and freshman Riley McDougall provided the goals for UMass. Guzzo's marked his first of the season, while McDougall contributed his second in as many games and second of the year. Senior Zack LaRue logged his fourth assist of the year, a new career high. Sophomore Marc Hetnik and freshman Keith Burchett both registered their second points of the weekend vs. UNH, each with a helper.
The Wildcats scored just 12 seconds into the opening period as Matias Cleland's shot from the point deflected off a UMass body and trickled past Henry Dill. Cameron Marks and Casey Thrush collected assists on the play.
Late in the second period, the Minutemen managed to tie the score 1-1. LaRue intercepted the puck in the neutral zone and fed Guzzo on the right wing for a shot that found the top left corner of the net at the 18:46 mark.
UMass then took a 2-1 lead 4:59 into the third. Hetnik won a battle along the wall in the defensive zone and sent an outlet pass to Burchett who skated down the wing into the UNH end and set up McDougall with a centering feed on the rush.
However, the Wildcats responded with three goals over a span of two minutes, 47 seconds, to climb back on top.
Jamie Hill began the scoring flurry as he flipped a puck over Dill from the slot, set up by Kyle Smith and John Furgele at 6:52, which tied things up at 2-2.
At the 8:24 mark, Andrew Poturalski rung in a shot from the left faceoff circle under the crossbar to put UNH in front, 3-2.
Then at 9:49, Grayson Downing gave the Wildcats a two-goal edge as his shot, assisted by Marks and Matt Willows, deflected in for the fourth UNH tally. Downing later added an empty net goal at 17:46.
New Hampshire ended the night with a 24-20 advantage in shots, while UMass won 38 of 65 (58.4%) faceoffs on the evening, led by an 11-for-19 (57.9%) from sophomore Steven Iacobellis. Both teams were held without a power-play goal as UNH was 0-for-3 and the Minutemen were 0-for-5 with the man advantage. Dill totaled 19 stops in net for UMass and Daniel Tirone had 18 saves for the Wildcats.
UMass will return to action when the squad travels to #20 Merrimack next Friday, Jan. 23, for a 7 p.m. Hockey East contest.
