UMass started the weekend off strong with a 4-1 victory, but Vermont fought back for a 6-2 win in game two. With the weekend split, UMass has lost three of their last five. After five games of Hockey East conference play, the Minutemen have six points which is tied for eighth in the conference.

Game One

Friday Night’s game against the Catamounts began with a surprise in net as goaltender Cole Brady drew the start over fellow goalie Michael Hrabal, who started the previous six. The senior goaltender had not played since October 13 against Michigan, where he let in seven goals on 31 shots.

The game started slow, but UMass found themselves on the powerplay 8:48 into the period off of a high sticking penalty by defenseman Xavier Henry. The power play was not able to get a score. After that, UMass went down a man due to a holding penalty taken by forward Liam Gorman almost immediately after their powerplay expired. 

UMass killed off the holding penalty and defenseman Ryan Ufko nearly hit the back of the net but was not able to lift the puck past Gabe Carriere’s pads. UMass quickly picked up a second powerplay when UVM defender Luca Münzenberger received a cross-checking penalty.

The Minutemen power play once again failed to find the back of the net, but they continued to pepper Carriere with shots all over the ice. This would be the last time the power play or penalty kill units took the ice until the third. 

With 1:33 to go, forward Aydar Suniev ripped a wrist shot above Carriere’s shoulder but it deflected off the post and away from the net. With that, the two teams would end the period tied at zero, but UMass put 16 shots on goal compared to six for the Catamounts. The Minutemen also successfully won 11 of 18 faceoffs in the period. 

Heading into the second, both teams struggled to build up positive offensive momentum apart from a few chances. Brady continued to prove he belonged in the net, turning away shots from all angles and maintaining a strong position. 

The Catamounts would have their best scoring chance of the game with 5:20 left in the period. Forward Thomas Sinclair wristed a shot that careened off the crossbar into the upper bowl of the Mullins Center. 

After that shot it was the Minutemen show as UMass got on the board first with just under three minutes left in the period off of a goal by forward Ryan Lautenbach.

The first-line trio displayed great passing ability as forward Michael Cameron moved it up to forward Lucas Mercuri and after a pass back and forth, Lautenbach netted his fifth goal of the season. Lautenbach is having a very impressive season, already surpassing his four-goal total from last season. 

The third period was the most eventful of the game but at the start highlighted UMass’ biggest struggle in the game: passing. The Minutemen consistently struggled with making errant passes. 

However, UMass was the stronger team all game and proved that as Mercuri picked up the second goal of the game just over seven minutes in. Lautenbach passed to defenseman Scott Morrow who fed a beautiful pass across the offensive zone to an open Mercuri who fed it glove-side past Carriere.

With a 2-0 lead, UMass established firm control but did not relent. They added another goal nearly three minutes later off the stick of Morrow. Defenseman Samuli Niinisaari started the play as he passed it over to Lautenbach who fed it to a streaking Morrow. He buried the puck glove side. 

With about four minutes to go, Gorman went to the box for his second holding penalty of the game. Unfortunately for the Catamounts, they would not score and instead Cameron would net a short-handed goal for the Minutemen. 

Cameron stole the puck from a UVM defender and took it across the length of the ice to net his second goal of the season. With his goal, every member of the first line tallied a goal and an assist on the night. 

With a 4-0 lead and the game on ice, defenseman Eliott McDermott joined Gorman in the box for a hooking penalty. Vermont defenseman Ralfs Bergmanis also entered the box on an embellishment call. While a man down UMass relinquished their first goal of the night off of a goal by defenseman Chris Theodore.

With the game ending 4-1, the Minutemen picked up the first win of a weekend series. This was Brady’s first win since the season opener against AIC. With that, the Minutemen were on a two-game winning streak moving into Saturday.

Game Two

UMass head coach Greg Carvel instituted several lineup changes going into night two. First, Hrabal returned to the starting role in the net. Then, Jack Musa was moved from right to left wing and Gorman from left to right. Makar also moved down to the fourth line and VanTassell to the third. 

Scoring chances started early and often in this game. Ufko shot one off the post and forward Jens Richards went on a breakaway that was turned aside by Hrabal. 

The Minutemen would get on the board first about 15 minutes into the period. Ufko fed a pass to defenseman Owen Murray who released a wrist shot from the faceoff dot that deflected off the end boards and right to the stick of Suniev who shot it past Carriere to put UMass up one.

UMass was not willing to stop there and found themselves scoring again on the powerplay to double their lead. Morrow left the puck for Murray who unleashed a slap shot from the blue line that deflected to the stick of forward Dans Locmelis who put it in the net. 

The period was not over and with 48 seconds to go, the Catamounts went on a powerplay due to a Gorman high-sticking penalty and capitalized with a goal by forward Joel Maata. UVM was 1 for 29 on the power play this season before Friday’s game but went two and four on the man advantage against the Minutemen this weekend. 

Vermont’s goal-scoring did not stop there as a three-on-two opportunity for the Catamounts led to a goal by defenseman Jeremie Bucheler which tied the game. Less than two minutes later Richards picked up his first of three goals and the Minutemen were reeling as they faced a 3-2 deficit.

The struggles continued for UMass as Niinisaari went to the box for interference. The Minutemen successfully killed off the penalty but three seconds after it ended, Bucheler would get his second of the night on a shot that went through Hrabal’s five-hole. 

With that Hrabal was pulled from the game after stopping just 10 of 14 shots. Brady entered the game in net. The period would end with the Catamounts on top 4-2.

The Minutemen hoped to flip the script in the third but were stumped by a second Richards goal for UVM 6:32 into the period. The goal came shorthanded for the Catamounts after Murray left a pass in no man’s land resulting in a 5-2 lead for Vermont.

UMass had a tremendous day on the faceoff dot winning 63% of the time. UVM did not win a faceoff in the third until there was 3:38 remaining. Unfortunately for the Minutemen, faceoffs were not enough and with less than two minutes to go, Richards hit the empty net for the Catamounts. 

With that goal, Richards picked up the first hat trick of his collegiate career. Bucheler also picked up an assist on that goal for his fifth point of the night which was the most points for a Catamounts defenseman in a game since 1972.

After allowing six unanswered goals, the Minutemen ended their homestand with a whimper. UMass will not be given much time to fix their struggles as they will travel to Providence for Thursday night hockey. 

Currently, Providence is ranked fifth in the USCHO poll. They will certainly be one of the toughest challenges of the season for Massachusetts.