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University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, March 9
Orono, Maine
7:00 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
19-12-3, 12-10-2
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#9 Maine
22-10-2, 14-9-1
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Massachusetts
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Maine
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#12/11 Massachusetts Hockey Drops Regular Season Finale At #9 Maine, 4-3
March 09, 2024 | Hockey
ORONO, Maine – No. 12/11 University of Massachusetts hockey battled back from a 2-0 deficit in the first to take a 3-2 lead, but No. 9 Maine managed to score the next two unanswered to come away with a 4-3 win in the regular season finale at Alfond Arena on Saturday night. The setback leaves the Minutemen at 19-12-3 overall, 12-10-2 in Hockey East, while the Black Bears move to 22-10-2, 14-9-1 in league action.
"It was a really good bounce back by our team," said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. "We played really well on the road and thought we deserved better. The two power play goals against early were a big hurdle, but we overcame it and took the lead. I thought in the third period we were really good. We had the puck in their zone the whole time. We make a mistake, throw a puck in the middle of the ice and it's in the back of our net. So that's the margin, but the kids played really hard tonight. Very happy with their effort and thought we deserved to win tonight."
Maine opened the scoring on the first power play of the night as Donavan Villeneuve-Houle and Thomas Freel fed Scott Harrison at the right point for a slapper that found the opposite corner of the UMass net over Michael Hrabal's shoulder at the 5:18 mark of the first.
The Black Bears then doubled their lead with another opportunity on the man advantage. With the Minutemen pinned in their zone and Michael Cameron without a stick, Sully Scholle hammered home a one-timer from the right faceoff circle from Brandon Holt and Villeneuve-Houle at 10:37.
Just 38 seconds later, junior Lucas Mercuri took one back for the Minutemen, whipping a shot from the top of the crease as he fell to the ice with Taylor Makar and Christian Sanda setting up the play from below the goal line.
UMass managed to tie the score at two apiece with a power-play goal of its own 4:15 into the second. Sophomore Owen Murray's initial shot from the perimeter was stopped by Albin Boja, but classmate Cole O'Hara was there at the opposite faceoff dot to bang home the rebound into the open net.
The Minutemen then took their first lead of the night after freshman Dans Locmelis won a defensive zone faceoff to spring O'Hara and freshman Jack Musa on the rush up the ice. O'Hara's initial shot was stopped, but Musa was there at the back door to put home the loose puck 6:20 into the second.
Maine responded at the 11:22 mark of their own with Josh Nadeau finishing off a drop pass from Bradly Nadeau and Nolan Renwick to level the score at three apiece.
Then with the third period winding down, Lynden Breen caused a turnover in the UMass zone and deposited the deciding goal into the back of the net at 18:43.
The Minutemen out-shot the Black Bears, 37-28, and went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Maine was 2-for-3.
Hrabal made 24 saves between the pipes for UMass and Boija had 34 stops for the Black Bears.
The Minutemen will enter the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the Hockey East Tournament and head to No. 4 seed Providence for a quarterfinal matchup next Saturday, March 16.
"It was a really good bounce back by our team," said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. "We played really well on the road and thought we deserved better. The two power play goals against early were a big hurdle, but we overcame it and took the lead. I thought in the third period we were really good. We had the puck in their zone the whole time. We make a mistake, throw a puck in the middle of the ice and it's in the back of our net. So that's the margin, but the kids played really hard tonight. Very happy with their effort and thought we deserved to win tonight."
Maine opened the scoring on the first power play of the night as Donavan Villeneuve-Houle and Thomas Freel fed Scott Harrison at the right point for a slapper that found the opposite corner of the UMass net over Michael Hrabal's shoulder at the 5:18 mark of the first.
The Black Bears then doubled their lead with another opportunity on the man advantage. With the Minutemen pinned in their zone and Michael Cameron without a stick, Sully Scholle hammered home a one-timer from the right faceoff circle from Brandon Holt and Villeneuve-Houle at 10:37.
Just 38 seconds later, junior Lucas Mercuri took one back for the Minutemen, whipping a shot from the top of the crease as he fell to the ice with Taylor Makar and Christian Sanda setting up the play from below the goal line.
UMass managed to tie the score at two apiece with a power-play goal of its own 4:15 into the second. Sophomore Owen Murray's initial shot from the perimeter was stopped by Albin Boja, but classmate Cole O'Hara was there at the opposite faceoff dot to bang home the rebound into the open net.
The Minutemen then took their first lead of the night after freshman Dans Locmelis won a defensive zone faceoff to spring O'Hara and freshman Jack Musa on the rush up the ice. O'Hara's initial shot was stopped, but Musa was there at the back door to put home the loose puck 6:20 into the second.
Maine responded at the 11:22 mark of their own with Josh Nadeau finishing off a drop pass from Bradly Nadeau and Nolan Renwick to level the score at three apiece.
Then with the third period winding down, Lynden Breen caused a turnover in the UMass zone and deposited the deciding goal into the back of the net at 18:43.
The Minutemen out-shot the Black Bears, 37-28, and went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Maine was 2-for-3.
Hrabal made 24 saves between the pipes for UMass and Boija had 34 stops for the Black Bears.
The Minutemen will enter the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the Hockey East Tournament and head to No. 4 seed Providence for a quarterfinal matchup next Saturday, March 16.
Team Stats
MAS
MNE
Shots
37
28
PPG
1
2
SHG
0
0
Penalties
2
3
Penalty Mins
4
6
Faceoffs Won
37
29
Game Leaders
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
2
A
1
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
1
A
0
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
5
A
1
Players Mentioned
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