University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Defeated by UMass 6-3 in Season Opener
10/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
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AMHERST, MA (Oct. 9) - The University of Connecticut men’s hockey team began their season tonight with a 6-3 loss to Massachusetts at the Mullins Center. Josh Hansen scored twice for UMass in the win, and UConn freshman Matt Scherer (Seattle, WA), who scored in the Huskies’ exhibition game, notched his first career goal as did freshmen Trevor Stewart (Elk River, MN) and Scott McDougall (Mansfield, MA).
UConn came out firing in the first 10 minutes, tallying six shots before the Minutemen recorded one of their own, but it was UMass that struck first with a power-play netter from Thomas Pöck at the 11:57 mark. Capraro fed Pöck at the point, who one-timed a low shot past UConn goalie Scott Tomes (Windham, NH) glove-side for a 1-0 cushion. The lead was pushed to 2-0 when senior Nick Kuiper roofed a shot from in close past Tomes with assists going to Capraro and Marvin Degon at the 14:36 mark. UConn cut the lead to 2-1 when Schrerer trickled a shot past UMass goalie Gabe Winer with just 49 seconds remaining in the period.
The Minutemen came out hot in the second period and put the game away with two goals in the first 3:17. Hanson gave the Minutemen a 3-1 cushion when he slipped a shot in past Tomes off a Mark Matheson rebound and Tim Vitek scored just 46 seconds later. Again, UConn fought back cutting the margin to 4-2 with a goal from McDougall, but Jeff Lang stopped any UConn momentum as he swooped in front of the net and beat Tomes to the right post at the 13:26 mark to bump the lead back to three at 5-2.
The UMass lead was pushed to 6-2 when Hanson netted his second tally on a goal at the 11:41 mark in the third period. UConn’s Stewart closed out the scoring late in the third but the Huskies could draw no closer and UMass was victorious in its season opener, 6-3.
Tomes was impressive in goal for the Huskies with 27 saves in his first game and first career start. Strong on the Husky offense was sophomore Eric St. Arnauld (Marquette, MI) with five shots on goal, and freshman J.R. Corkery (Salt Lake City, UT) with four shots. UMass keeper Winer recorded 20 saves for the Minutemen.
UConn returns to the ice on Friday, October 17 for a non-conference game at RPI at 7:00 p.m.
