University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
American International
Winter Leads Huskies Past AIC, 5-4
11/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 20, 2010
Storrs, Conn. - After suffering a 3-2 defeat at Bentley the night before, The UConn men's hockey program turned around and defeated American International College, 5-4, at Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn. Sophomore Miles Winter (Horsham, Pa.) tallied a goal and an assist while classmate Sean Ambrosie (Moorhead, Minn.) put home the game-winning goal midway through the third period. UConn improves to 3-4-3 (3-3-1 AHA) while AIC falls to 1-7-0 (1-7-0 AHA). Sophomore goaltender Garrett Bartus (St. Charles, Ill.) finished the game with 24 saves.
Winter saved his best play of the night for the third period to close out the game. After putting home a highlight-reel goal at 3:44, he set up Ambrosie with a perfect pass while on the power play to secure the victory.
The game was back and forth throughout with action starting soon after the opening face off.
The first period saw both teams light the lamp as five goals were scored between the two squads. AIC opened the scoring just 1:16 into the period with a slap shot from the left point into the top-left corner by Nick Grasso.
The Huskies responded with a nearly identical goal from junior Chris Waterstradt (Tulsa, Okla.) at 3:35. Waterstradt collected the puck along the left wall and wristed a shot over AIC goaltender Ben Meisner's right shoulder to even the score at 1-1.
The Yellow Jackets took their last lead of the night with a power-play goal at 6:50 from Tom Mele. Mele collected a loose puck on the right side of the cage after a blocked shot from Mike Penny and stuffed home the go-ahead goal. The lead would only last four minutes before the Huskies once again tied the score, this time with a goal from freshman Jordan Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.).
Sophomore Jim Gallagher (Marquette, Mich.) sent a pass to Billy Latta (West Chester, Pa.) skating across the blue line. Latta beat a defender in the high slot before sliding a pass to an onrushing Sims at the right doorstep. Sims slammed home his third goal of the season to even the score at 2-2.
Senior Andrew Olson (Alexandria, Minn.) gave UConn its first lead of the game at 14:11 when he wristed home a shot from the bottom of the right face-off circle into the top-right corner for his third goal of the season.
After one period, AIC held the edge in shots, 14-12, but the Huskies were on top in the scoring, 3-2.
The second period produced just one goal for AIC. Nielsson Arcibal one-timed a shot from the bottom of the right face-off circle at 18:16 after a pass through the slot from Adam Pleskach. Arcibal's tally made it 3-3 after two periods.
The two teams went into the locker room tied, 3-3, with AIC holding a slight lead in shots, 22-20.
UConn took the lead for good with a pair of goals in the third period from Winter and Ambrosie.
Winter put home his second goal of the season with a brilliant individual effort. Winter collected the puck in the neutral zone and stick-handled past an AIC defender before maneuvering around the goaltender and sliding the puck into the net with his backhand.
Ambrosie put home what would be the game-winning goal as he was the benefactor of a pair of great passes while on the power-play. Junior Daniel Naurato (Northville, Mich.) found Winter stationed in the slot from the left wall. Winter quickly slid a pass to his right to Ambrosie for the one-timer. The goal was Ambrosie's third of the season while Winter and Naurato earned their sixth and second assists, respectively.
AIC pulled its goalie and made it interesting when Pleskach slammed home a rebound following his own wrap-around with just one second left on the clock. The desperate attempt wasn't enough as time ran out and UConn earned a 5-4 victory. For the game, the Huskies outshot the Yellow Jackets, 34-28.
The Huskies will now travel to Troy, N.Y. for the RPI Thanksgiving Tournament held on Friday and Saturday, November 26 and 27. UConn will face the hosts at 7 p.m. on Friday. Connecticut will play either Bowling Green State or Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday at 4 p.m.
UConn will be on the road until the 18th Annual Toyota UConn Hockey Classic on December 29 and 30.
