Huskies Open Season Saturday Against SHU at XL Center

Saturday, October 2

Hartford, Conn.

4:05 PM

University of Connecticut

Sacred Heart

Photo by: Stephen Slade

10/1/2021 10:09:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

Game Notes vs. Sacred Heart

Media Coverage

Video Stream: CollegeSportsLive.com/Hockey East (pxp) Randy Brochu

Live Stats: UConnHuskies.com (Stat Broadcast)

Twitter: @UConnMHOC

Game Notes: UConn Sacred Heart

Ice Chips

The UConn Huskies kick-off he 2021-22 season hosting state rival Sacred Heart at the XL Center on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies make their return to the downtown Hartford arena after playing all of last season on campus due to the pandemic.
This will be the 67th meeting between the Huskies and Pioneers, with SHU holding a 32-29-5 edge in the all-time series. Before joining Hockey East in 2014, the Huskies joined Sacred Heart as founding members of the MAAC and Atlantic Hockey. Under head coach Mike Cavanaugh, UConn is 2-7-1 against the Pioneers and are winless in their last seven (0-6-1).
In their last meeting, the season opener in 2018-19, Sacred Heart scored with three seconds left in the third period to earn a 3-3 tie at Webster Bank Arena.
The Huskies were picked to finish sixth in this year's Hockey East Preseason Coaches' Poll, their highest ever spot in the preseason ranking. UConn also received votes in the season opening USCHO Top-20 poll released earlier this week. In six of their seven seasons in Hockey East, the Huskies have outplayed their preseason prediction. Last season, UConn was tabbed seventh in the preseason poll and finished fourth in the final standings, their best-ever conference finish.
The leadership for this year's Huskies will be made up by a foursome of upperclassman. Seniors Carter Turnbull, an assistant captain last season, and Jachym Kondelik will wear the "C" on their jerseys this year while fellow senior Marc Gatcomb and junior Roman Kinal will serve as assistant captains.
Coming off a campaign were the Huskies averaged 3.0 goals per game and generated 35.6 shots per outing, UConn brings back plenty of offensive fire power in 2021-22, including their top-seven scorers who all posted double digit points.
UConn will be led by the program's first-ever Division I All-American in senior Jonny Evans. The senior forward was a CCM/AHCA second team All-American, UConn's first since 1998, after winning the Hockey East scoring title with 29 points on 14 goals and 15 assists. Evans also became the first UConn player to be named a Hockey East First All-Star. Evans was also a finalist for the Hockey East Player of the Year award as well as being a Hobey Baker candidate.
Fellow forward Jachym Kondelik is coming off his third-straight season of 20-plus points, finishing with four goals and a team-best 18 assists. On the face-off dot, Kondelik was one of the best in Hockey East, winning 264 face-offs at a .542 clip. Over his career, Kondelik has appeared in 90 games and is the Huskies leading active career point leader at 71 points (16g/55a).
Senior forward Carter Turnbull scored nine goals last season, second on the club, and had four goals on the power play. Over his three seasons he has scored 23 career goals, 21 coming in his sophomore and junior campaigns.
Eight new Huskies are in Storrs this season including a trio of graduate transfers. Forward Kevin O'Neil played three seasons at Yale where he played in 94 games, scoring 17 goals with 27 assists. He did not compete last season due to Yale opting out of the season due to the pandemic.
In net, goaltender Darion Hanson comes to UConn after three years at Union. He started 78 games with a 2.55 goals against average, a .913 save percentage while winning 30 games with seven shutouts. He did not compete last season due to Union opting out due to the pandemic.
Defenseman Jarrod Gourley comes to Storrs after three seasons in the desert with Arizona State. He played in 90 games and had 20 points on seven goals and 13 assists. He helped the Sun Devils to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearances

Last Meeting vs. Sacred Heart

October 5, 2019 @ Sacred Heart - T, 3-3 (ot)

UConn sophomore goaltender Tomas Vomacka made a career-high 45 saves in the 2019-20 season opener for both teams from the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport. A hat-trick by Sacred Heart's Matt Tugnutt, his third coming with 3.0 seconds left in the third, helped send both teams home with a 3-3 tie.
The Huskies end a six-game SHU winning streak in the all-time series with the tie. The Huskies got three goals from three different players in the second period. Sophomores Marc Gatcomb, Jachym Kondelik and Kale Howarth all found the back of the net in the second.
Tugnutt scored in each period, giving his team a 1-0 lead just 1:33 into the game. He put the Pioneers up 2-1 midway through the second and then provided the game-tying goal with an extra skater on the ice and three seconds left.
Vomacka was brilliant all night, stopping 20 shots in the second period alone, including a penalty shot. The Pioneers held a 48-20 shot advantage but UConn killed off all six of their power plays.