University of Connecticut Athletics
Men's Hockey Defeats Sacred Heart in Atantic Hockey Playoffs
3/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
MILFORD, Conn. (March 11, 2006) - Junior co-captain Matt Scherer (Seattle, Wash.) notched a hat trick to lead the Huskies to a 4-1 victory over Sacred Heart on Friday night in the first game of the Atlantic Hockey Association playoffs. Also guiding the team in the win was sophomore goaltender Brad Smith (Detroit, Mich.) who broke the school record in saves with 52. With this win, the Huskies advance to the semi-final round of the AHA playoffs to be played on March 17.
The Huskies took an early lead in the first period with two goals by Scherer. Scherer scored the team’s first goal from off-balance in the right faceoff circle at 5:12. Scherer took feeds from sophomore Charles Solberg (Barrington, Ill.) and senior co-captain Chris Uber (Ithaca, N.Y.) on the play. At 13:46, Scherer notched his second tally of the game on a power play. Freshman Chris Myhro (Eden Prairie, Minn.) took the initial shot from the center of the right circle and Scherer tipped in to take the lead, 2-0.
With less than two minutes remaining in the first stanza, Sacred Heart cut the lead to within one with a goal by Peter Ferraro. Erik Roos won the puck off the boards for the Pioneers and found Ferraro open to slip the puck in the five-hole and tally Sacred Heart’s first goal of the night.
Junior Scott McDougall (Mansfield, Mass.) lit the lamp for the Huskies in the second period with a power play goal from five feet out on the left side. McDougall took long passes from defensemen Sean Erickson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Smith to complete the play and take the lead 3-1.
Scherer’s final goal in the third period was an empty-netter at 18:54 to put the Huskies up 4-1. Smith made 21 in the final period to bring his total to 52 to break the school and season record.
The Huskies will next travel to Holy Cross to play in the semi-final round of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament on March 17.
