LAS VEGAS - No. 14 University of Massachusetts hockey used a three-goal second period to help the squad skate to a 5-1 win over Air Force in the consolation game at the Ice Breaker Tournament at Orleans Arena on Saturday. With the win, the Minutemen move to 2-1-0 on the year, while the Falcons fall to 1-3-0.
"I was really happy with most of the game, a solid 60-minute effort," said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. "Really the only parts of the game I didn't like were turnovers by our defensemen and the penalties in the third period, but I thought Michael Hrabal was outstanding. I thought the group played hard in the consolation game. I guess not always easy to get up, but they did. They played a solid 60 minutes. I really liked the way we played all weekend. This time of the year, we're making mistakes that aren't unusual, but there's a lot of positives that I'm taking away again after our second weekend."
UMass opened the scoring 2:44 into the second period after Lucas Ölvestad collected the puck from Michael Cameron at the Minutemen's defensive blueline and beat a pair of defenders on the rush for a quick wrister into the back of the Air Force net.
The Minutemen broke the game open with a pair of goals on a five-minute power play, which included a portion of 5-on-3, midway through the frame. Junior Cole O'Hara quickly capitalized on the two-man advantage, scoring 13 seconds in off a feed from sophomore Aydar Suniev and Kenny Connors at 7:45. Suniev then followed with his own power-play goal at the 10:59 mark, whipping the puck home from the high slot.
Sophomore Nick VanTassell later pushed the margin to 4-0 for UMass, going to the net front for the finish at 10:59 with graduate student Joey Musa and junior Kennedy O'Connor picking up the assists.
Air Force managed to spoil the shutout bid, converting on a 5-on-3 of its own 15:04 into the third. Chris Hedden drove a puck through traffic off a dish from Clayton Cosentino and Nick Remissong.
O'Hara later capped the scoring with an empty net goal for his third point of the game (2g,1a) at the 18:48 mark of the third. Suniev and Connors also put up multi point efforts, with a goal and an assist and two assists, respectively.
The Minutemen out-shot the Falcons 37-34 on the day and went 2-for-3 on the power play, while Air Force finished 1-for-5 with the man advantage.
Hrabal totaled 33 saves in net for UMass and his counterpart, Guy Blessing, turned aside 32 in net for the Falcons.
The Minutemen will return to action next Friday, October 18, when the squad will play host to Sacred Heart at 7 p.m. in their regular season home opener at the Mullins Center.
