STORRS, Conn. - Sophomore Jack Musa's first collegiate hat trick helped No. 18 University of Massachusetts hockey rally from a 2-0 first period deficit for a 5-4 win over the Huskies at Toscano Family Ice Forum on Friday afternoon. The win, which marked UMass head coach Greg Carvel's 250th career victory, moves the Minutemen to 15-11-2 on the season, 6-8-2 in league action, while the Huskies fall to 14-10-3, 7-8-3 in league play.
"Outstanding 50 minutes for us," said Carvel. "The last fifty minutes of the game, I thought we were outstanding and we deserved that win. Real solid. All the way around. We're getting scoring from a lot of players that weren't scoring earlier in the year. Jack Musa had a huge night for us, he's heating up. Our young defensemen are playing better. Just a lot of good things and now they're all coming together."
UConn opened the scoring just 3:38 into the contest as Joey Muldowney cleaned up a loose puck in front, knocking it in at the back post with Jake Richard and Hudson Schandor collecting the assists.
Muldowney struck again at the 6:29 mark, one-timing home a feed from Schandor below the goal line. Richard earned the secondary helper on the play.
In the opening minute of the second period, Musa cut the deficit in half for UMass on the power play. Freshman Daniel Jencko drove the puck into the slot where it hit off senior Lucas Mercuri and Musa was there to knock it home 34 seconds into the frame.
The Huskies responded with a power-play goal of their own to regain their two-goal cushion. Ethan Whitcomb deposited his shot from the top of the left faceoff circle over the right shoulder of Michael Hrabal for the tally from Kaden Shahan and Ethan Gardula 8:48 into the period.
Moments later, Musa responded with his second of the night, driving to the net to redirect a centering feed from Cole O'Hara and Mercuri at the 9:56 mark.
Trailing by one in the third period, sophomore Dans Locmelis came through with the equalizer at the 1:50 mark, cutting across the offensive zone and burying a wrister after junior Owen Murray set up the play by keeping the puck in the zone.
Musa then completed his hat trick to five UMass its first lead 4:24 into the third, tipping home a shot from the left point by junior Lucas Ölvestad. O'Hara earned an assist on the play as well, his second of the night.
Junior Kenny Connors gave UMass a two-goal cushion at 6:38, corralling a loose puck just inside the UConn zone and ripping a wrister just inside the near post to make the score 5-3.
Shahan scored an extra attacker goal for the Huskies in the final minute of play, but UConn was unable to complete the comeback, despite finishing with a 46-34 shot advantage.
UMass went 1-for-4 on the power play on the night and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Hrabal had 42 saves in the win for the Minutemen and Tyler Muszelik turned aside 29 shots for UConn.
UMass will be back in action next Friday, February 14, when the squad travels to No. 1 Boston College for a 7 p.m. puck drop against the Eagles.
