University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
American International
Huskies Put 3-1 Sting On Yellow Jackets
11/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 6, 2009
STORRS, Conn. - Three goals by three different skaters earned the University of Connecticut men's hockey team their first victory in their first home game of the 2009-10 season. The Huskies broke the game open in the first period and kept adding to their lead to finish with a 3-1 victory over American International, Friday.
With the win, the Huskies improve their record to 1-6-0 on the year, earning their first Atlantic Hockey victory of the season moving their record to 1-3-0. AIC falls to 1-4-1 on the season and 1-2-1 in AHA play.
The Huskies started the night off with a puck drop ceremony to commemorate their 50th year as a varsity program.
Freshman netminder Jeff Larson (Ballwin, Mo.) finished the night with 26 saves in net for the Huskies and earned the first victory of his collegiate career. AIC's Ben Meisner recorded 27 saves in the net.
Freshman Alex Gerke (Tomah, Wisc.) scored his first collegiate goal at the 17:36 mark of the first period to put the Huskies up 1-0 early in the Atlantic Hockey contest. Gerke received a pass at the blue line from junior Matt Miller (Bayonne, N.J.) and freshman Jim Gallagher (Marquette, Mich.) and fired a shot through the AIC defenders and into the top right corner of the net.
UConn extended its lead to 2-0 as junior Jeff Sapieha (Calgary, Alberta) recorded his first goal of the year at 10:18 in the second period. Miller earned his second assist on the night on Sapieha's goal, while junior Matt Turner (Colorado Springs, Colo) was also credited with as assist.
AIC answered back 45 seconds later to cut the UConn lead to one as Adam Pleskach scored an unassisted goal at the 11:03 mark. The Huskies outshot the Yellow Jackets 24-18 after two periods, including a 14-10 advantage in the second 20 minutes of play.
With 21 seconds left in the game junior assistant captain Andrew Olson (Alexandria, Minn.) scored his second goal of the year as he drilled a shot from the center ice and into the empty net to put the game away for the Huskies with a 3-1 victory.
UConn is back in action tomorrow night with another game at Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum against AIC. The AHA contest will begin at 7:05 p.m.
