University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Bentley
UConn Downed By Bentley, 3-2
11/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 19, 2010
Watham, Mass. - The UConn men's hockey team traveled to Waltham, Mass. and fell to AHA foe Bentley, 3-2. Senior Andrew Olson (Alexandria, Minn.) and sophomore James Gallagher (Marquette, Mich.) each put home goals. The Huskies fall to 2-4-3 (2-3-1 AHA) while Bentley improved to 3-5-1 (2-2-0 AHA). Sophomore goaltender Garrett Bartus (St. Charles, Ill.) finished the game with 23 saves.
The Huskies opened the game with steady pressure in the Bentley zone based off of an 8-1 edge in face offs the opening six minutes. UConn failed to score on its opening three shots and the Falcons capitalized with goals on two of their first three shots of the game.
Bentley's Ben Gensler tallied a pair of goals with the first coming at 6:46. UConn attempted to dump the puck along the right wall but an unfortunate bounce off the linesman's skates came directly to Bentley's Erik Peterson. Peterson found Gensler streaking through the neutral zone who beat Bartus five-hole for the game's opening goal.
Gensler made it 2-0 at 10:28 when he stick-handled past a UConn defender in the slot and deked Bartus before sliding the puck into the left side of the cage.
The Huskies closed the deficit to 2-1 with a delayed-penalty goal from senior Andrew Olson (Alexandria, Minn.) with only 33 seconds remaining in the period. Olson's shot from the right side took a deflection in front and found its way into the back of the net.
For the period, Bentley outshot the Huskies 10-5.
Bentley added to the lead 2:28 into the period with a goal from Peterson. Peterson found space near the right face-off dot and snapped a shot over the right shoulder of Bartus to make it 3-1.
Bartus was able to keep the deficit at two when he denied a breakaway attempt at 5:30. Bentley's Jared Rickord came in, straight on, against Bartus and deked to his left but Bartus was able to kick the right leg at the last minute to make the save.
The Huskies picked up the pressure in the middle of the period and made it 3-2 at 13:45. Freshman Jordan Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.) sent the puck up the right wall to classmate Billy Latta (West Chester, Pa.). Latta waited for his defender to commit before sliding a pass through the crease to an onrushing James Gallagher (Marquette, Mich.) for the easy tap in. The goal was Gallagher's second of the season with Latta and Sims earning their first and third assist of the season on the play, respectively.
The Huskies were called for a pair of penalties in the waning minutes of the period and successfully killed a five-on-three power play for the last 1:40 of the period. Bartus came up with four saves, a pair from in the slot, to keep UConn in striking distance and the score at 3-2.
After two periods, Bentley still held the edge in shots, 18-16.
The Huskies pressured in the third period but were unable to beat Bentley goaltender Joe Calvi, with the game ending with Bentley ahead, 3-2.
The Huskied had their chances, however. It looked like UConn evened the score at 14:11 when a group of UConn players crashed the net with the puck crossing the goal line. The referee called the goal off and Bentley remained ahead.
With just 1:40 remaining, Olson had UConn's final quality chance but his one timer from the slot was denied by Calvi.
For the game, UConn and Bentley finished even with 26 shots each.
The Huskies will host AIC tomorrow night at 7:05 in Freitas Ice Forum.
