Sophomore defenseman Scott Morrow scored two goals for the Minutemen
Massachusetts Earns Weekend Sweep With 7-0 Win Over Union
Sophomore defenseman Scott Morrow scored two goals for the Minutemen

Box Score - Highlights

AMHERST, Mass. - No. 6 University of Massachusetts hockey used another all-around team effort to complete its weekend sweep of Union with a 7-0 victory at the Mullins Center on Saturday night. The win, which featured six goal scorers and 14 Minutemen with at least one point, moves UMass to 4-0-1 on the season, while the Dutchmen fall to 2-5-1.

"I wasn't crazy about our start tonight, but I thought the team responded in the second and third," said Massachusetts head coach Greg Carvel. "We got back to playing a good brand of hockey. Special teams were outstanding again tonight and were the big difference in the game. I think we can count on scoring throughout the lineup this year and that's a nice relief for a coach. Depth in goaltending and depth in scoring hopefully be consistent for us."

Graduate student Matt Koopman gave the Minutemen a 1-0 lead with the clock winding down in the opening period, punching home a rebound from junior Ryan Sullivan and senior Eric Faith at the 16:36 mark.

Massachusetts then broke the floodgates open in the second period with four goals, three coming on the power play. Sophomore Scott Morrow was the first to convert, picking a corner with the man advantage after collecting the puck from senior Reed Lebster and freshman Kenny Connors 3:22 into the stanza.

At the 11:49 mark, sophomore Lucas Mercuri was at the far post to tip in a feed from freshmen Tyson Dyck and Cole O'Hara for a power-play goal. Morrow followed up with another less than two minutes later with a slap shot from the point with sophomore Ryan Ufko and Connors picking up the assists 13:38 into the frame.

Freshman Michale Cameron capped the second period scoring with his first collegiate goal, firing home a pass from Lebster and senior Josh Nodler on an odd-man rush at 17:55.

Dyck added UMass' fourth power-play goal of the night at 7:31 of the third, deflecting in a Mercuri shot with Nodler earning the secondary helper.

Sophomore Taylor Makar tacked on the seventh and final tally for the Minutemen at 12:29, collecting a puck from Mercuri and junior Aaron Bohlinger in the defensive zone and using his speed to drive to the net for the finish in close.

UMass ended the night with a 38-32 shot advantage and saw junior Cole Brady stop all 32 in his Minuteman debut for his first collegiate shutout. The Massachusetts' special teams units had a near perfect evening, going 4-for-5 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the penalty kill.

Six players had mutli-point nights for UMass, led by Mercuri's three on a goal and two assists. Morrow (2g), Dyck (1g, 1a), Lebster (2a), Connors (2a), Nodler (2a) all registered two points apiece.

UMass returns to action next Friday, October 28, when the squad will host Merrimack for its Hockey East opener at 7 p.m. in the Mullins Center.