University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Maine
Huskies Head to Maine for Weekend Hockey East Series
11/4/2021 10:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Media Coverage
Video Stream: CollegeSportsLive.com/Hockey East
Radio: (Fri.) UConn Sports Network from Learfield - ESPN 97.9 / The Varsity Network App - Bob Joyce (pxp)
Live Stats: GoBlackBears.com
Twitter: @UConnMHOC
Ice Chips
The UConn Huskies close out a season-long seven game road swing this weekend with a two-game Hockey East series at the University of Maine.
The Huskies are coming off a 2-0 week where they got a 4-1 win at Dartmouth on Saturday and a Hockey East win on the road last Tuesday, knocking off No. 20 Northeastern, 5-3.
UConn leads the all-time series with Maine, 8-6-4 and are 4-3-2 all-time against the Black Bears on the road at Alfond Arena. This will be UConn's first trip up to Orono since splitting a weekend set in February of 2020. The Huskies and Black Bears were scheduled to meet in the Hockey East Quarterfinals at Alfond Arena in 2020 before the post season was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Senior forward Marc Gatcomb had a big week, scoring a goal in both wins at Northeastern and Dartmouth and adding an assist. On the season, Gatcomb has six points on four goals and two assists, sharing the team lead in goals scored with junior Vladislav Firstov and sophomore Ryan Tverberg. Gatcomb is a +6 for the season and is tops among UConn forwards with six blocked shots.
Tverberg finished last week with a goal and three assists in two games and is leading the Huskies in scoring with nine points on four goals and five assists. Tverberg has had a point in four of seven games, all multi-point efforts for the Huskies. He is tied for fourth in Hockey East in scoring and averaging 1.29 points per game.
Senior Jachym Kondelik has registered a point in six of the seven games this season and had eight points on two goals and a team-high six assists. He is a team-best +9 for the season. He is tied for sixth in the league in scoring and fourth in assists. Kondelik is coming off his third-straight season of 20-plus points, finishing with four goals and a team-best 18 assists last year. He is the Huskies leading active career point leader at 79 points (18g/61a).
UConn grad student goaltender Darion Hanson transferred in this season from Union, and has started all seven games. On the season, he owns a 2.27 goals against average and a .925 save percentage He has played the fourth most minutes in Hockey East and ranks sixth in goals against and fifth in save percentage.
In last Tuesday's win at Northeastern, sophomore Nick Capone had a break-out game scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist to pace the Huskies. After falling behind 1-0 early, UConn scored three times in the first period, two from Capone, and never trailed again on the way to a 5-3 win.
Senior Jonny Evans has four points on a goal and three assists through seven games. Evans 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 last season. He 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.
The Huskies were picked to finish sixth in this year's Hockey East Preseason Coaches' Poll, their highest ever spot in the preseason ranking. 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.
Last Meeting vs. Maine
February 26, 2021 @ Freitas Ice Forum - L, 6-4
- The UConn men's hockey team got a shorthanded goal and an assist from junior Marc Gatcomb but Maine scored three times in the second period to grab control on the way to a 6-4 win in the first game of a two-game series in Storrs..
- Maine's AJ Drobot scored twice and JD Greenway added a goal and an assist to pace the Black Bears. After a 2-2 first period, Maine put three on the board in the second and never trailed after that.
- The Huskies pulled within 5-3 in the third period on junior Jonny Evans' team-leading 13th goal of the season but Drobot put the stamp on the win with an empty net goal at 17:34 for his second on the night.
- Maine freshman goaltender Victor Ostman made 40 saves to collect the win. The Huskies held a 52-19 advantage on shots but where also 0-for-3 on the power play.
February 27, 2021 @ Freitas Ice Forum -W, 4-2
- UConn freshman Ryan Tverberg scored a power play goal at 17:44 in the third period and Gatcomb tacked on an empty net goal to push the Huskies past Maine, 4-2, in the series finale..
- UConn freshman Cassidy Bowes scored his first career goal and sophomore Carter Berger scored his first of the season in the win.
- The Huskies opened up a 2-0 lead after Berger's goal in the first and Bowes getting on the board midway through the second. Maine pulled the game even late in the second with a pair of power play goals from Adam Dawe.
- UConn had a pair of power play chances in the third period and came up with the game-winner on their second as Tverberg got a deflection on a Hudson Schandor shot to put the Huskies up 3-2.
