University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Massachusetts
Huskies Head Up I-91 to Battle No.3 UMass
11/29/2018 2:46:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
TV Coverage: NESNPlus, ELEVEN SPORTS
Radio Coverage: UConn IMG Sports Network - 97.9 ESPN Hartford | WILI 1400 AM and 95.3 FM - Bob Joyce (pxp) Adam Giardino (color)
Audio: TuneIn.com
Video: UMass Sports Network (Only available outside NESN coverage area of New England)
Live Stats: UMassAthletics.com
Ice Chips
- The UConn Huskies will make the short trip up I-91 on Friday night to take on the No. 3 nationally ranked Massachusetts Minutemen in the first of three match-ups this season.
- The Minutemen took two of the three meetings between the two teams last season. Since head coach Mike Cavanaugh took over the program six seasons ago, the Huskies are 5-4-1 against UMass.
- UConn returns to the ice stateside after taking part in the Friendship Four tournament last week in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Huskies dropped a pair in the tournament, falling to Boston University, 3-2, in a Hockey East match-up and to state-rival Yale, 6-3, in the consolation game. The Huskies are looking to put the end to a season-long four-game slide and have also dropped their last five-straight Hockey East contests.
- Junior Alexander Payusov is the team's leading goal producer with nine goals in 14 games, tying him for second in Hockey East and fourth nationally. The junior forward also has four power play goals, tied for first in the conference.
- Freshman Jachym Kondelik is second in Hockey East and is fifth nationally among rookies in scoring with 12 points on a goal and 11 assists. His 11 assists (0.79 pg) is tied for the lead in Hockey East. He has three multi-point games on the year. The UConn freshmen class as a whole leads the team with 33 points (9g/24a) this season.
- Senior Karl El-Mir has 11 points on the season on seven goals and four assists, leaving him sixth among Hockey East goal scorers. He has 22 career goals and 24 career assists.
- Senior Max Kalter registered his 50th career point with a goal and an assist in the loss to Yale. Kalter has scored 17 goals with 33 assists in 115 career games.
- Senior captain Miles Gendron picked-up his first goal of the season in last Friday's 3-2 loss to Boston University and added an assist for his second career multi-point game.
- UConn will close out the first semester next week with a home-and-home Hockey East series with Boston College. The Huskies pick-up play in the second half with a New Year's Eve return match-up at Yale University.
- The Huskies will be road warriors for the first three months of the season, playing just five times at the XL Center in their first 21 games.
Last Season vs. Massachusetts
Dec. 1, 2017
UMass used a late three-goal rally in the second period to erase a UConn first period lead and deal the Huskies a 4-2 loss at the Mullins Center. UConn got a pair of first period power play goals from sophomores Alexander Payusov and Benjamin Freeman to lead 2-1 after the first period. UMass' lone first period goal came off the stick of Josh Couoturier. The Minutemen titled the ice in the second period with an 18-5 edge on shots and took control late in the period putting together a three-goal run over a span of 1:18 to go up 4-2. Goals by George Mika, Jack Suter and Mitchell Chaffee fueled the second period charge for the Minutemen. Sophomore Ryan Wischow finished with 25 saves while Adam Huska stopped 27 shots in taking the loss.
Dec. 5, 2017
UConn got goals from six different Huskies on the way to an 8-2 rout of UMass at the XL Center. Senior Jeff Wight and sophomore Benjamin Freeman each scored a pair to lead the UConn in the lopsided win. UConn built a 3-0 lead in the first on Wight's two goals and a sophomore Alexander Payusov power play goal. Freshman Brian Rigali scored his first collegiate goal in the opening seconds of the second period followed by Freeman's pair to make it 6-0 after two. Junior Maxim Letunov and senior Spencer Naas added third period goals to put the stamp on the Huskies highest goal total since an 8-1 win at AIC in November of 2013. UMass tacked on goals by Brett Boeing and Austin Plevy in the third while the Minutemen outshot UConn, 29-22. UConn goaltender Adam Huska made 26 saves in earning the win.
February 22, 2018
UMass's Cale Makar scored the game winner with 1:08 left to end the Huskies' seven-game winning streak in a 3-2 win at the XL Center to give the Minutemen the season series over UConn. Senior Spencer Naas finished the night with a goal and an assist while classmate Jesse Schwartz had the game-tying goal in the third period. UMass got a goal and an assist from George Mika and Austin Albrecht in the win. Neither team got a power play chance with the only penalties called were matching minors in the first period. UConn senior goaltender Tanner Creel made 19 saves in the loss while UMass goaltender Matt Murray made 24 stops to earn the win.
Scouting the Minutemen
The Minutemen come into the weekend ranked No. 3 in both national polls and riding an eight game winning streak that has them sitting at 11-1-0 overall and 6-0-0 in Hockey East. Their only loss of the season was at then No. 1 Ohio State back on October 20th, 3-1. Leading the offense is sophomores Cale Makar (6g/10a) and John Leonard (5g/11a) who lead the league in points with 16 a piece. Senior Jacob Pritchard (4ppg/7ppa), sophomore Mitchell Chaffee (3ppg/4ppa) and Leonard (3ppg/6ppa) hold the first three spots in power play points. As a team, the Minutemen hold the top spot in scoring offense, scoring defense, the power play and the penalty kill. Sophomore goaltender Matt Murray sports a 1.74 goals against average, first among all Hockey East netminders, along with a .936 save percentage. Murray has yet to lose a game this season. Coming into the season, the Minutemen were picked to finish sixth in the Hockey East preseason poll.
Huskies Sign Four to NLOI's...
Carter Berger (D) – North Vancouver, British Columbia - Berger is a 6-0 defenseman currently playing in his third season with the Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL). This season, he currently leads all BCHL defensemen with 34 points on 14 goals and 20 assists.
Matej Blümel (F) – Tabor, Czech Republic - Blümel, a 5-11 forward, is currently in his second season playing with the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL). In 20 games this season, he has totaled 27 points with 13 goals and 14 assists to lead the Black Hawks.
Vladislav Firstov(F)– Yaroslavl, Russia - Firstov is a 6-0 forward currently in his rookie season with the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL). Over his first 20 games, Firstov has put up 23 points on 11 goals and 12 assists, leading all USHL rookies.
Eric Linell (F) – Great Neck, New York - Linell is a 6-0, right shot forward playing with the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). He opened this season with the Surrey Eagles also of the BCHL, and has 35 points (17g/18a) this season.
