University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Massachusetts
Huskies Blanked by No. 2 UMass, 3-0
2/21/2019 9:52:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
AMHERST, Mass. – The UConn Huskies made the short trip up to No. 2 nationally ranked Massachusetts on Thursday night but came up empty, falling to the Minutemen 3-0 in a Hockey East match-up.
The Huskies fall to 10-19-2 overall and 5-14-2 in Hockey East and have been officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. UMass ran their record to 24-6-0 overall and 16-4-0 in Hockey East.
UConn was shutout for the fifth time this season and suffered back-to-back shutouts for the first time since last January. UConn freshman goaltender Tomas Vomacka (Trutnov, Czech Republic) stopped a career-high 33 shots for the Huskies in the loss.
The Minutemen scored a goal in each period and twice on the power play in the win. Sophomore John Leonard provided the game-winner in the first period and classmate Mario Ferraro scored in the second, both on the power play. Freshman Marc Del Gaizo sealed away the win with an empty netter in the third.
UMass sophomore goaltender Matt Murray made 21 saves to record his first shutout of the season and also set a new program record for wins.
The Huskies finished 0-for-3 on the power plays.
1st Period:
The Minutemen took the game's first lead on their first power play chance of the night. With time running down on the extra man opportunity, sophomore Cale Maker took the puck to the front of the net and then fed Leonard at the left post and he shoveled it home for his 13th on the year and a 1-0 lead at 10:58.
2nd Period:
The UMass special teams struck again in the second period as Ferraro produced his first goal on the season. The sophomore took a feed from freshman Ty Farmer in the high slot and blasted a one-timer past Vomacka just as time expired on a power play for a 2-0 lead at 16:13.
3rd Period:
UMass put the finishing touches on the shutout win with 3:27 left as Del Gaizo broke up a play in the netural zone and threw it on the empty net from mid-ice for his 11th on the season and a 3-0 lead.
Up Next:
The Huskies will have three home games left to close out the 2018-19 season starting on Tuesday night, February 26 when they host nationally ranked Providence at the XL Center.
