TEMPE, Arizona - University of Massachusetts hockey wrapped up its trip to the Desert Hockey Classic with convincing 8-0 victory over Robert Morris on Saturday afternoon at Mullett Arena. With the win, the Minutemen improve to 9-8-2, while the Colonials fall to 9-8-2 overall.
"It wasn't the level of competition as last night, but I thought our game was really solid," said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. "Those games you can start cheating the game, but I thought we played the way you're supposed to play for 60 minutes. A lot of goals, feels good, good energy and I'm really happy with the full 60 minutes."
UMass opened the scoring 5:33 into the first period when sophomore Aydar Suniev went to the net front on the rush to finish off a centering feed from Cole O'Hara with Jackson Irving picking up the secondary helper.
The Minutemen then broke the game open with three goals in 49 seconds in the opening moments of the second period. First, junior Michael Cameron netted his second of the weekend, burying a turnover from the slot at 2:03. Then, freshman Francesco Dell'Elce pinched in from the left point to connect with a pass across the slot from freshman Daniel Jencko after Kenny Connors won a puck battle in the corner, resulting in the second goal of the flurry at 2:21.
Thirty one seconds later, junior Owen Murray sent a shot through a crowd that found the back of the net, set up by junior Lucas Olvestad and Suniev.
Suniev collected his second power-play goal of the contest 9:39 into the second period off a centering feed by sophomore Dans Locmelis and Jack Musa, the final tally of the frame, which brought the score to 5-0.
At the 2:01 mark of the third, Ryan Lautenbach finished off a pass from Suniev on the rush at the far post after senior Lucas Mercuri started the play up the ice. Lautenbach added another 5:16 into the frame, knocking home a cross-slot feed from Olvestad with Jencko picking up the secondary helper.
O'Hara then capped the scoring at the 11:05 mark off a pass from Musa and Locmelis.
UMass finished with a 40-22 shot advantage and went 2-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Seven Minutemen had multi-point performances, led by Suniev's four on two goals and two assists. Olvestad, Musa, Locmelis and Jencko had two helpers apiece, Lautenbach scored twice and O'Hara chipped in with a goal and an assist.
Sophomore Jackson Irving totaled 22 saves in his first collegiate win and shutout. Croix Kochendorfer made 32 stops for Robert Morris.
UMass will be back in action next Friday, January 10, when the squad resumes Hockey East play at Northeastern at 7 p.m.
