ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Despite two late goals from junior Matt Crasa (South Setauket, N.Y.) to tie the game, the UMass Lowell hockey team (0-1-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East) fell just short in overtime, 3-2, to Alaska Anchorage (1-0-0) in its season opener Friday night at Avis Sports Complex in Anchorage.
Junior Owen Cole (Dunnville, Ontario) assisted both of Crasa's goals in the third period, with fellow junior Isac Jonsson (Angelholm, Sweden) earning the secondary assist on the game-tying goal. Sophomore TJ Schweighardt (Manahawkin, N.J.) led the squad with two blocks, while senior goaltender Henry Welsch (Lakeville, Minn.) finished the night with 17 saves between the pipes.
One of the stories of the night came in the penalty department, as the River Hawks drew five penalties, opposed to Alaska Anchorage's one. Neither team could capitalize on the man-up opportunities, however, as they were a combined 0-for-6 on the power play.
Welsch helped keep the Seawolves at bay with four saves in the first period, while the teams each killed off a penalty successfully. Sophomore Scout Truman (Lethbridge, Alberta) got called for interference early, and Alaska Anchorage's Carter Belitski got called for a holding later in the period to give the River Hawks the man advantage for the remainder. The River Hawks gave the net a good scare with five shots on goal during the power play, but the mix of Alaska Anchorage's goalie Jared Whale and the Anchorage defense disrupted any scoring chance.
It was the Seawolves who kept Welsch busy early in the second period, firing off two pairs of rapid fire shots. Schweighardt blocked the first two, before Welsch made crucial saves on back-to-back shots at the 5:50 mark. The River Hawks collected another power play on an Anchorage holding to gain some steam, and although it was killed, Crasa buzzed by a defender just after to create a clear backhand shot, but could not find the back of the net, as it was saved.
Despite the River Hawks' shot advantage again, it was Alaska Anchorage who drew the first blood at 16:13 on a quick one-timer in front of the net from Ben Almquist to Porter Schachle to make it 1-0. Almquist possessed the puck behind the net and sent a short pass to Schachle who managed to push it by Welsch. The teams went back and forth for the remaining minutes, but ultimately, the Seawolves maintained the 1-0 advantage heading into the second intermission.
The start of the third was all River Hawks, as the offense intensified, and sophomore Nick Rhéaume (Trois-Rivieres, Quebec), freshman Jaiden Moriello (Saugus, Mass.) and graduate student Alex Peterson (Collegeville, Pa.) each fired off early shots that were snagged by Whale. Once again Welsch made an athletic save shortly after on an Alaska Anchorage breakaway, halting a prime scoring opportunity, before Whale moved in front of a Cole-to-Truman pass in front of the net to continue the string of goalie stops. Alaska Anchorage took control of the momentum once again at 11:21, as Gunnar VanDamme found Matt Allen, who teamed up with Riley Thompson on a two-on-one, as Riley sent a shot past Welsch's blocker to make it a two-goal game.
The puck eventually found its way home for the River Hawks at 14:41, as Crasa took a feed from Cole and sent it past Whale to cut the Anchorage deficit to just one. With time and hope dwindling away, the River Hawks pulled Welsch from the net to get a man advantage, a move that would pay off, as Crasa did it again in dramatic fashion with 1:08 remaining in the game, tying the game and sending it to overtime. Cole found him again, collecting a loose puck as the two were both in front of the net, and delivering a soft pass to Crasa, who finished it off.
Although sophomore Dillan Bentley (Peoria, Ill.), junior Stefan Owens (Midlothian, Va.), Jonsson and senior Brehdan Engum (Burnsville, Minn.) had some prime shots on goal during the five-minute overtime period, the Seawolves earned the final say with a goal at the 4:09 mark to end the action.
The River Hawks return to Avis Sports Complex tomorrow, Saturday, October 8 for the second of the two-game set at 8:07 p.m. EST/4:07 p.m. AKST.
