#13/16 UConn Nips Massachusetts Hockey In OT, 4-3

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts hockey erased one-goal deficits twice and eventually took its first lead of the game in the third, but No. 13/16 UConn sent the contest into overtime and netted the game winner with 13.7 seconds left in the extra period to top the Minutemen, 4-3 at the Mullins Center on Friday night. The setback leaves UMass at 9-11-3 overall and 3-9-1 in Hockey East, while the Huskies move to 14-7-3 and 9-6-2 in league action.

"I thought that was a pretty good game by our guys, really good," said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. "You look up and we're outshooting them 12-1 and we're losing 1-0 it's a little frustrating, but the kids brought great energy tonight. We had a good week of practice. I really liked our preparation. We had 37 shots and played really well. I thought the kids deserved better tonight."

With the first period ticking down, UConn jumped on the board first. Justin Pearson collected the puck from Matthew Wood along the wall drove to the net. While Wood's attempt was turned aside by UMass netminder Henry Graham, Hudson Schandor was there to clean up the loose puck at 15:45 to give the Huskies a 1-0 advantage.

The Minutemen responded before the intermission, though, to knot things up at 1-1. Sophomore Scott Morrow collected a feed from Jerry Harding along the blueline and flung a shot towards net that junior Ryan Sullivan tipped past Arsenii Sergeev at the 17:08 mark.

UConn pulled in front once more 13:29 into the second, netting the lone tally of the frame. Ty Amonte's attempt off a pass from behind the net by Samu Salminen was stopped by Graham, but Jake Percival managed to put back the rebound from along the goal line.

At the 5:34 mark of the third period, Lucas Mercuri leveled the score at 2-2, cleaning up a rebound at the net front from freshmen Noah Ellis and Kennedy O'Connor as the freshmen defensemen both picked up their first collegiate assists.

Morrow then picked up his second point of the night on the power play at 10:04, driving home a rebound from a tough angle with sophomore Ryan Ufko and freshman Kenny Connors earning the helpers.

The Huskies managed to pull even with UMass once more, however, with Schandor netting his second of the contest from Salminen and Andrew Lucas on an abbreviated power play at the 16:51 mark of the third period.

UConn went on to pot the game winner 4:47 into overtime with Chase Bradley pocketing the unassisted tally.

Scoreboard

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Team Stats

Scott Morrow

Ryan Sullivan

Lucas Mercuri

Noah Ellis

Players Mentioned

Kenny Connors

Noah Ellis

Henry Graham

Jerry Harding

Lucas Mercuri

Scott Morrow

Kennedy O'Connor

Ryan Sullivan

Ryan Ufko

Scoreboard

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