University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
20-15-0
Northeastern
25-12-1
Huskies Headed to Hockey East Title Game
3/18/2022 8:14:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
BOSTON, Mass. - The No. 19 nationally ranked UConn men's hockey team advanced to the program's first-ever Hockey East Championship game thanks to a 4-1 win over No. 10/11 nationally ranked and top-seeded Northeastern on Friday at TD Garden. The Huskies will face either defending national champion and Hockey East Champion Massachusetts or UMass Lowell in Saturday night's final at 7 pm.
The Huskies win their 20th game on the season, improving to 20-15-0 on the year. It is UConn's first 20 win season since the 1998-99 campaign, tying the UConn Division I record for wins.Â
UConn got the game's first goal as junior Vladislav Firstov (Yaroslavl, Russia) scored his 11th at 11:39 in the first. Northeastern tied it up on a power play goal from Aidan McDonough at 14:13.
From their it was all UConn as the Huskies scored one in the second from junior Roman Kinal (Waterford, Mich.) and took a 3-1 lead early in the third off the stick of sophomore Ryan Tverberg (Richmond Hill, Ontario), his team leading 14th on the year. Senior Marc Gatcomb (Woburn, Mass.) but the finishing touches on the semifinal win with an empty net goal at 17:52.
UConn grad student Darion Hanson (East Bethel, Minn.) got his 20th win of the season, stopping 33 shots and keeping Northeastern off the scoreboard in the second and third. UConn held a 37-25 shot edge.
1st Period:
Firstov open the scoring with his 11th on the year coming at 11:39. Freshman Chase Bradley (St. Louis, Mo.) burst into the zone and threw the puck in deep where sophomore Nick Capone (East Haven, Conn.) was there to touch a pass to Firstov in front who poked it home before Devon Levi could recover his spot.
Northeastern tied the game up on their first power play chance of the night as MCDonough got his 24th of the season. Jordan Harris fed the puck to McDonough in the right circle and he buried a one-timer on a tough angle to even it up at 1-1 at 14:13.
All ?? on Vlad! Huskies take the 1-0 lead here at @TDGarden
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) March 18, 2022
Assists to Nick Capone and Chase Bradley. #IceBus pic.twitter.com/v1RC1iN1Zp
2nd Period:
UConn's Bradley again helped the Huskies create a scoring chance, peppering a pair of shots on Levi on the rush into the zone with a rebound finding the stick of a crahsing Kinal who buried it for his third of the season at 13:47, the night's game-winner.
Here it is...Kinal buries his 3rd on the year to give UConn back the lead. #IceBus pic.twitter.com/Fw2hVTB9sH
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) March 18, 2022
3rd Period:
UConn took advantage of a Northeastern turnover for their third goal as Tverberg picked-off a clearing chance and got to the net, beating a Northeastern defender and holding the puck with patience to get Levi out of position to tuck his shot just inside the post at 4:32. It was Tverber's 14th for a 3-1 lead.
With Levi off lat for the extra skater, UConn's Gatcomb broke up a NU's pass and chipped the puck up to skate it into the empty net at 17:52 to seal away the win with his eighth of the year.
The patience. The silky smooth hands. Pure ??
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) March 18, 2022
Tverberg's 14th gives the #IceBus a 3-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/uzGMWY5pNg
Up Next:
The Huskies will await the winner of the second semifinal to find out Saturday night's opponent. Opening face-off is at 7 pm and will air live on NESN.
