University of Connecticut Athletics
Third Period Rally Lifts Yale Over UConn
1/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
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NEW HAVEN, CT (Jan. 17) – Yale's Joe Zappala turned the trick with three goals as the Bulldogs defeated the University of Connecticut men's hockey team by a score of 6-4 at Ingalls Rink in New Haven. Zappala and Nate Murphy both scored for Yale with under eight minutes remaining in the contest to break a 4-4 tie and give their team the win.
UConn's overall record now stands at 5-10-5 with the loss, while Yale moves to 9-10-0 with the win.
The opening period was full of scoring action, beginning early with a goal by freshman Brian Burns (Binghamton, N.Y.) just 49 seconds into play which put the Huskies up 1-0. Burns, assisted by Trevor Stewart (Elk River, MN) after a face-off, slid the puck past the stick side of Yale goaltender Josh Gartner to record his third goal of the season.
The lead was short-lived, as the Bulldogs' Zappala collected a rebound and slipped the puck into the lower left corner past UConn goaltender Scott Tomes (Windham, N.H.) less than two minutes after UConn's goal. The Huskies broke the tie 9:43 into the period when freshman Cole Koidahl (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored from the left circle off assists from senior Eric Nelson (Big Lake, Minn.) and freshman Matt Scherer (Seattle Wash.), but again the lead did not last. Yale scored its second goal with 4:39 remaining in the first period when Brad Mills skated the length of the ice to meet Tomes one-on-one, and fired a shot that found its way into the top of the net.
The Bulldogs then broke the tie just 31 seconds later, taking a lead into the break after Ryan Steeves scored by collecting a rebound with 4:08 remaining in the opening period. Steeves' goal was assisted by Zappala and Jeff Hristovski.
Yale increased its lead early in the second period with Zappala's second goal of the night, a slapshot from the right circle during a power play that found its way into the upper right corner of the net. Steeves and Jeff Dwyer assisted on the goal, which came with 4:14 elapsed in the second period. The Huskies came up with an answer a few short minutes later to pull within one at 4-3, when Beau McLaughin (Virginia Beach, Va.) broke away down the ice and passed to Koidahl who scored in front of the net on the left side.
UConn tied the score with 8:13 gone in the third period when McLaughin drove in a rebound off a shot by freshman J.R. Corkery (Salt Lake City, Utah). The tie stood until Zappala completed the hat trick with 7:27 remaining in the game. Yale scored an insurance goal a mere 17 seconds later as Murphy scored his fourth goal of the season off assists from Mike Kelma and Shawn Mole. That made the score 6-4 in favor of the Bulldogs, and it stood for the remainder of the contest.
Tomes stopped 22 shots in goal for UConn, while Gartner made 39 stops for Yale.
The Huskies will return to action on Friday, January 23 when they play host to Atlantic Hockey Association opponent Mercyhurst at 7:05 p.m. in Storrs.
