University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, October 29
North Andover, Mass.
7:00 P.M.
University of Massachusetts
5-1-1, 1-1-0
1
at
2
Merrimack
4-3-0, 2-1-0
1
2
3
OT 1
F
Massachusetts
0
1
0
0
1
Merrimack
0
0
1
1
2
Merrimack Rallies To Nip #5 Massachusetts Hockey, 2-1 In Overtime
October 29, 2022 | Hockey
Lebster scored the lone goal for the Minutemen in the squad’s first setback of the season.
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – No. 5 University of Massachusetts clung to a 1-0 lead late, but Merrimack managed to tie the score with under a minute to play in regulation and went on to net the winner in the extra frame to hand UMass its first setback of the season, 2-1 in overtime. With the loss, the Minutemen now sit at 5-1-1 on the season, 1-1-0 in Hockey East, while the Warriors improve to 4-3-0 overall and 2-1-0 in league action.
"I thought our guys played a really good hockey game for 55 minutes, much better effort up and down the lineup than last night," said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. "Cole Brady was outstanding as far as I'm concerned and I thought we actually played well enough to win a game here, but the puck bounced the other way tonight."
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With 1:01 remaining in the first period, goaltender Cole Brady kept it a scoreless game heading into the intermission, turning a side a Mark Hillier shot as he trailed the play and crept into the slot alone.
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At the start of the second, graduate student Matt Koopman nearly put UMass on the board, but his chance from point-blank range was denied by Hugo Olias.
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The Minutemen finally broke up the scoreless deadlock at the 3:15 mark as senior Reed Lebster blocked a shot and took it the other way on a breakaway for his third goal of the season.
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However, with Olias pulled and the extra skater on, Mac Welsher tied the score for Merrimack with 32 seconds remaining in regulation from Alex Jefferies off an offensive zone faceoff win, tucking the puck inside the near post.
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Then at the 3:37 mark in overtime, Ben Brar collected the puck from Slava Demin and Olias and drove to the net for the game winner for the Warriors.
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Merrimack finished with a 34-19 advantage in shots and was 0-for-2 on the power play, while the Minutemen were 0-for-1.
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Brady finished with 32 saves on the evening, while Olias turned aside 18.
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UMass will be back in action on Friday, November 4, when the Minutemen will travel to Providence to face the No. 13/14 Friars at 7 p.m.
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"I thought our guys played a really good hockey game for 55 minutes, much better effort up and down the lineup than last night," said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. "Cole Brady was outstanding as far as I'm concerned and I thought we actually played well enough to win a game here, but the puck bounced the other way tonight."
Â
With 1:01 remaining in the first period, goaltender Cole Brady kept it a scoreless game heading into the intermission, turning a side a Mark Hillier shot as he trailed the play and crept into the slot alone.
Â
At the start of the second, graduate student Matt Koopman nearly put UMass on the board, but his chance from point-blank range was denied by Hugo Olias.
Â
The Minutemen finally broke up the scoreless deadlock at the 3:15 mark as senior Reed Lebster blocked a shot and took it the other way on a breakaway for his third goal of the season.
Â
However, with Olias pulled and the extra skater on, Mac Welsher tied the score for Merrimack with 32 seconds remaining in regulation from Alex Jefferies off an offensive zone faceoff win, tucking the puck inside the near post.
Â
Then at the 3:37 mark in overtime, Ben Brar collected the puck from Slava Demin and Olias and drove to the net for the game winner for the Warriors.
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Merrimack finished with a 34-19 advantage in shots and was 0-for-2 on the power play, while the Minutemen were 0-for-1.
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Brady finished with 32 saves on the evening, while Olias turned aside 18.
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UMass will be back in action on Friday, November 4, when the Minutemen will travel to Providence to face the No. 13/14 Friars at 7 p.m.
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Team Stats
UMA
MER
Shots
19
34
PPG
0
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
3
2
Penalty Mins
6
4
Faceoffs Won
32
29
Game Leaders
Skaters
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
4
A
0
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
3
A
0
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
2
A
0
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
2
A
0
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