The No. 14 UMass hockey team split their series with the University of New Hampshire Wildcats over the weekend, picking up a 3-2 win on Friday, before falling in overtime 3-2 on Saturday. The Minutemen picked up four points in the Hockey East standings, leaving them in fifth place with four games to go in the regular season.
The second game of the series drew the ire of UMass head coach Greg Carvel, who was not happy with the officials. With UMass clinging to a 2-1 lead late in the third period, UNH defenseman Alex Gagne tipped in a shot to tie the game, but he appeared to make contact with UMass freshman goaltender Michael Hrabal’s stick. Carvel decided to challenge the play for goaltender interference.
“We’ve been shown all year long, you can’t touch the goalie,” Carvel said. “We get videos every week; every single week we get the same video.”
After a lengthy review, the officials ruled that there was no goaltender interference and the goal was allowed.
“It happens tonight and for some reason it’s allowed,” Carvel said. “So, real frustrating, once again, referees.”
UNH forward Liam Devlin went on to win the game in overtime for the Wildcats, ripping a shot from the top of the circle past Hrabal.
“I thought we deserved the win,” Carvel said. “I thought we were ready for a really good opponent.”
Sophomore forward Cole O’Hara scored both goals for UMass on Saturday. The Minutemen also fell victim to a number of shots ringing off the post.
“I felt like we dominated,” Carvel said. “The shots don’t say that but we had our chances.”
Saturday was not the only game of the series where the Minutemen fell victim to video review, as game one on Friday night at the Mullins Center saw two goals disallowed for UMass.
Despite the unfortunate luck, the Minutemen were able to hold on for a 3-2 win over the Wildcats on Friday night. Graduate defenseman Samuli Niinisaari scored twice in the win, including an empty net goal shot from his own zone.
“[Niinisaari] was really good on both sides of the puck,” Carvel said. “He was our best player tonight.”
The score was knotted at one for most of the game, until with less than two minutes to go in the second period, until O’Hara took advantage of Gagne losing his footing, and slid a pass over to freshman forward Jack Musa, who was able to put it past UNH goaltender Jakob Hellsten.
After Niinisaari’s empty netter with less than two minutes remaining, the Wildcats did bring it back to within one, however there were less than two seconds left on the clock.
After a four point weekend, the fifth place Minutemen find themselves two points ahead of the Wildcats in the Hockey East standings. The top five seeds in the Hockey East earn a first round bye in the Hockey East Tournament.
The Minutemen are set for a home-and-home series against the UMass Lowell Riverhawks. The River Hawks are having a dismal season, as their 4-13-3 conference record currently has them dead last in the Hockey East standings.
A six point weekend would go a long way for the Minutemen, not only in the Hockey East standings, but also the pairwise rankings, which determine who makes it to the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament. The Minutemen currently sit at no. 13 in the pairwise rankings. 16 teams make the tournament, but after six conference champions are crowned, that could leave UMass on the chopping block.
Game one against the Riverhawks is set for 7:15 p.m. at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. The Minutemen come back home for senior night on Saturday, with puck drop set for 6 p.m.
