University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Mercyhurst
Men's Hockey Upends Mercyhurst, 3-1
1/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 7, 2011
Storrs, Conn. - The UConn men's hockey team hosted Mercyhurst tonight at Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum and came away with a 3-1 victory. The Huskies saw three-point nights from both Sean Ambrosie (Moorhead, Minn.) and Cole Schneider (Williamsville, N.Y.). Ambrosie netted a pair of goals and an assist with Schneider finishing the night with three helpers.
Garrett Bartus (St. Charles, Ill.) recorded 35 saves to improve UConn to 7-7-3 (7-4-1 AHA). Mercyhurst fell to 7-11-2 (5-8-0 AHA) with the loss.
Mercyhurst nearly opened the scoring at 5:48 of the opening period but a wrist shot from Derek Elliot was saved by Garrett Bartus before deflecting off the right post.
It was the Huskies who scored first when sophomore Sean Ambrosie slipped a shot into the left side of the net for his eighth goal of the season at 7:21. Freshman Rui Encarnacao sent the puck from the right half-wall along to classmate Cole Schneider at the right side of the net. Schneider's shot was saved, but the rebound came into the slot where Ambrosie beat Mercyhurst goaltender Ryan Zapolski, blocker side.
The Huskies notched the game-winning goal in the second period with a power-play goal from sophomore defenseman Alex Gerke (Tomah, Wisc.) at 3:32. Schneider and Ambrosie figured into the scoring once again to make it 2-0.
Schneider sent the puck along right wall to Ambrosie in the corner. Ambrosie was able to hit Gerke with a cross-ice pass at the back door. Gerke one-timed his third goal of the season past Zapolski for the two-goal advantage. Gerke's three goals this season have all come with the man advantage.
The Huskies saw some help from the iron again as Mercyhurst's Ryan Raven fired a slap-shot from the top of the right face-off circle that rang off the left post at 7:25.
Mercyhurst outshot the Huskies, 9-5, in the second period and the two teams went into the locker room even at 17-17. Connecticut held the all-important edge in scoring, however, at 2-0.
Connecticut dodged another bullet, its third of the night, when Mercyhurst defenseman Nate Jensen rang a shot off the post from the left side just 55 seconds into the final period.
Bartus came up huge in the third period as the Huskies were outshot, 19-7. At 1:50, Mercyhurst forward Taylor Holmstrom came in on a breakaway from straight on. He deked to his back hand only to have Bartus sprawl to his left to make the kick save and keep UConn ahead, 2-0.
The score remained 2-0 until Ambrosie put the game out of reach with his second of the night while a man down. With Mercyrhust on the power play, Schneider won the puck in the defensive zone and found Ambrosie streaking through the neutral zone uncovered. Ambrosie took two strides across the blue line and snapped a shot far post to make it 3-0 in UConn's favor.
The Lakers picked up the pace after being down 3-0, only to have Bartus stuff Steve Cameron on a two-on-one break at 9:50. Bartus cut off the angle and made a stick save on Cameron's attempt from the bottom of the right face-off circle.
It looked like Bartus might earn his first collegiate shutout but the Lakers found the net at 16:53 with a shot from Mike Gurtler. It would be too little too late. Mercyhurst pulled their goalie only to have the Huskies close out the game with several shots saved off the line from sprawled Mercyhurst defenders.
For the game, UConn was outshot, 36-24, but Bartus came up with 35 saves compared to 21 from Zapolski.
The two teams will finish the weekend series with game two tomorrow night at Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
