University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Massachusetts
Top-20 Match-Up with UMass This Weekend
2/17/2022 4:10:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
Media Coverage
TV: (Sat.) NESNplus - Brock Hines (pxp), Adam Frenier (color)
Video: (Fri.) CollegeSportsLive.com – Randy Brochu (pxp)
      (Sat.) NESN.com CollegeSportsLive.com (Outside New England)
Live Stats: (Fri.) UConnHuskies.com (Sat.) UMassAthletics.com
Radio: (Sat.) UConn Sports Network from Learfield ESPN 97.9 / The Varsity Network App - Bob Joyce (pxp), Adam Giardino (color)
Twitter: @UConnMHOC
Game Notes: UConn UMass
Ice Chips
The UConn Huskies will face defending national champion Massachusetts for the first time this season in a Hockey East home-and-home series this weekend in a match-up of two nationally ranked top-20 teams. The No. 20 ranked Huskies welcome the No. 10 ranked Minutemen to the XL Center on Friday night and head up to Amherst on Saturday to close the weekend set on NESN+.
The Huskies cracked the DCU/USCHO national poll for the first time this season, coming in at No. 20 after road wins at Merrimack and Boston College last week extended their winning streak to six-straight Hockey East victories. UConn has also won seven of their last eight heading into the weekend. The Minutemen come in at No. 10 in the USCHO poll and No. 9 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Top-15 Coaches' Poll. The Huskies have moved up to 19th in the current PairWise rankings while UMass is 8th.
UConn enters the weekend sitting tied for third place in the Hockey East standings with Boston University, both at 32 points. The Huskies are just two points behind the Minutemen and UMass Lowell for first place in the conference. The league standings currently see just seven points separating first and seventh place with three weekends to play in the regular season.
The Huskies six-game Hockey East winning streak ties their longest streak (2017-18) since joining the league. UConn's 12 league wins matches their highest conference win total from the 2019-20 season (12-10-2). The Huskies 16 overall wins are their highest wint total since Mike Cavanaugh's first season on the bench in 2013-14 (18-14-4), the program's last season in Atlantic Hockey.Â
Since the Huskies joined Hockey East in 2014-15, the Minutemen lead the all-time series, 9-6-2. Last season, UMass beat UConn twice on their home ice while the Huskies got a 2-2 tie and a shoot out win at home in Storrs.
The Huskies have put up six goals in three-straight games after last Friday's 6-4 win on the road at Boston College. Graduate student Jarrod Gourley scored twice in a four-goal first period for the Huskies, his first career multi-goal game as UConn won a season series with the Eagles for the first time since joining the conference. Gourley was named the Hockey East Defender of the Week on Monday.
Senior Jachym Kondelik is on a three-game point streak and has had a goal in three-straight as well. He has 11 goals on the year, hitting the double digit goal mark for the first time in his career. He has 26 points (11g/15a) on the season to lead the team and rank sixth in Hockey East in scoring.Â
Kondelik hit the 20-point mark for the fourth-straight season and is the Huskies leading active career point leader at 97 points (27g/70a). His 97 points are the most by a player during the Hockey East era (2014-present). Kondelik has moved up to tied for ninth on the Huskies Division I career points list. His 70 career assists is one away from tying the school record (71 - Sean Ambrosie 2009-13). If he hits the 100 point mark he will be the 29th Husky all-time to get to 100 career points, the eighth during the Division I era (1998-present) and the first since the 2013-14 season.
Sophomore Ryan Tverberg has 24 points on the season and has a point in four-straight games (3g/3a). He is tied for ninth in the league in scoring. His 12 goals leads the Huskies and is tied for seventh. Kondelik and Tverberg are candidates for the 2022 Hobey Baker Award. Fan voting is open now and will run through March 6. Fans can vote daily by visiting HobeyBaker.com/vote.
Junior Vladislav Firstov takes a four-game point streak into the weekend (2g/3a) and he has had a point in six of his last seven games (4g/5a). Senior Carter Turnbull has scored a goal in three-straight games with two assists as well over that stretch. Junior defenseman Jake Flynn has dished five assists in the last three games.
Last Season vs. UMass
November 20, 2020 @ Mullins Center - L, 5-1
- The Huskies opened their season at Massachusetts falling to the No. 7 nationally ranked Minutemen, 5-1 at the Mullins Center.
- UMass got goals from five different players and outshot the Huskies 46-22 on the night. The Minutemen killed off all five UConn power plays and were two-of-six with the extra skater.
- Oliver Chau had a goal and an assist while Bobby Trivigno and Aaron Bohlinger each had a pair of assists on the night.
- Goaltender Matt Murray made 21 saves to earn the win in net. For UConn, junior Kale Howarth scored the Huskies lone goal while junior goaltender Tomas Vomacka stopped 41 shots, 21 in the first period, in taking the loss.
November 21, 2020 @ Freitas Ice Forum - T, 2-2 (UConn won shoot out, 2-1)
- UConn rallied for a pair of goals in the third period to come away with a 2-2 tie with the Minutemen in Storrs.
- The Minutemen jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, on the power play on a Matthew Kessel goal just 3:25 in and Philip Lagunov made it 2-0 at the 12:40 mark.
- UConn surged back for a pair in the third from junior Carter Turnbull and then shorthanded by Brian Rigali goal with just 2:00 left in regulation.  A UMass overtime goal was waved off after review for too many men on the ice.Â
- The Huskies held a 37-36 edge on the shot chart but were 0-for-7 on the power play.
December 23, 2020 @ Mullins Center - L, 6-2
- The Huskies fell at No. 10 nationally UMass, 6-2, in the last of three meetings on the season. UMass won the battle on special teams, scoring three power play goals while killing off all five UConn power plays.
- UConn freshman Hudson Schandor and junior Jonny Evans provided the Huskies scoring.
- UMass built a 3-0 lead heading into the third period but UConn's goals came just over a minute apart to pull the Huskies to within a goal. The Minutemen would answer back with three-straight, two from Carson Gicewicz on the way to closing out the 6-2 win.
- Gicewicz added an assist while Bobby Trivigno also had a three-point game, scoring a goal and dishing out two assists. Matthew Kessel and Zac Jones both had power play goals and assists in the win.
- UConn outshot the Minutemen, 29-25, but couldn't score on their five power play chances. UMass went 3-for-6 with the extra skater while Matt Murray made 27 saves to earn the win. He also picked-up an assist.
