University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
14-13-4, 11-8-2HEA
Boston University
12-11-8, 9-7-5HEA
Payusov Hat Trick Powers Sweep Over BU
2/22/2020 10:08:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
BOSTON, Mass. – UConn senior Alexander Payusov (Montreal, Quebec) recorded his second career hat trick to pace the Huskies to a 6-1 win at Boston University Saturday night to sweep the weekend Hockey East series over the Terriers.
UConn improves to 11-8-2 in Hockey East with the win and sit at 24 points in the standings, their highest-ever point total since joining the conference in 2014-15. The Huskies are now 7-1-0 over their last eight Hockey East games and improve to 14-13-4 overall.
BU falls to 12-11-8 overall and 9-7-5 in the league with the loss.
Payusov scored one in the second and twice in the third as the Huskies put four on the board in the final period to blow open a 2-1 game. Classmate Benjamin Freeman (Falmouth, Maine) finished with a career-high four points coming on a goal and three assists. Over the two-game series, Freeman finished with two goals and five assists.
Sophomore Carter Turnbull (Nanaimo, British Columbia) matched his career-high with three assists in the win. Senior Justin Howell (Saint Paul, Minn.) and junior Zac Robbins (Glenview, Ill.) had the other Husky goals on the night.
UConn finished with a 38-21 advantage on shots and both teams scored on the power play. Sophomore goaltender Tomas Vomacka (Trutnov, Czech Republic) made 20 saves to record his 14th win on the season in net.
1st Period:
For the second-straight night, the Huskies jumped out to the early lead. Sophomore Marc Gatcomb (Woburn, Mass.) chipped the puck up to Robbins in the neutral zone and he was loose up the right wing on a two-on-one chance. Robbins picked his spot and sniped one top left corner for his third on the year and a 1-0 lead at 7:48.
UConn GOAL!!!! Huskies strike first for the second-straight night. Zac Robbins picks his spot and buries it for a 1-0 lead.#IceBus pic.twitter.com/p4gSmgyQEs
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) February 23, 2020
2nd Period:
UConn went up 2-0 on Payusov's first of the night, coming at 7:41. Turnbull played the puck to Payusov at the high point who shot, collected his own rebound and snuck it through some bodies in front past Abel.
BU got one back at the 11:00 mark, scoring on the power play as Patrick Curry collected his 17th on the season. Trevor Zegras fed the senior in the slot for a one-timer and he buried the pass to pull the Terriers within a goal.
3rd Period:
The Huskies wasted little time of grabbing a two-goal lead back in the third, scoring just 41 seconds in on Payusov's second goal. Freeman tipped the puck to a streaking Payusov coming up the middle. The senior broke to the right wing and when the defense closed, snapped a shot that fooled Abel, top-shelf to the short side for a 3-1 lead.
The senior forward completed the hat trick at the 6:14 mark, putting the Huskies up 4-1. Freeman broke up a BU pass at the blue line and fed Payusov for a break-away chance. The senior buried it for his second career hat trick.
Freeman got in on the scoring act at the 12:48 mark, picking up a power play goal for his career-best fourth point of the night. Sophomore Jonny Evans (North Delta, British Columbia) fired from the high point with Turnbull collecting the loose puck and finding Freeman at the far circle who buried it on the empty net for a 5-1 lead.
Howell closed out the scoring on the night at 19:12, coming off the boards and driving to the left circle where he sniped one into the top left corner for his third on the year to produce the 6-1 final.
HUSKY HAT TRICK!!!! Payusov makes it 4-1 and the #IceBus is ROLLING! pic.twitter.com/zhc8Xel7Vm
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) February 23, 2020
Up Next:
UConn will face nationally ranked Massachusetts next weekend in a Hockey East home and home. The Huskies will host the Minutemen on Friday night, February 28 at the XL Center on "Senior Night" to open the series.
