BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
BRIDGEPORT, CT – Despite a furious final six-minute push to tie the game the UCONN Huskies (9-11-4) came up short 3-2 to the Quinnipiac University Bobcats (14-8-1) in the first game of the SNY College Cup Championhip.at the CT Ice Festival at the Webster Bank Arena.
“I was certainly disappointed because I thought we played a pretty good hockey game. We carried the play in the first, Quinnipiac carried the play in the second period and in the third period especially over the last part of the period we played really, really well.
They have been in a lot of big (NCAA) tournament games. I was happy with your kids how they competed all night long, just disappointed we didn’t get that tying goal to force overtime,”.
The Bobcats team defense over the last seven minutes bent, but never broke holding UCONN to just two shots (seven for the period) despite the wild action and intense pressure and so many near misses by the Huskies.
“We had two really good hockey team and you have to weather some storms,” said Cavanaugh so appropriately on a rainy Saturday “every now and again they score. They scored on theirs and in third period we took it back I don’t think it was one thing they did, but that’s how some hockey games go,” remarked a demure Cavanaugh.
UCONN had a great chance with a late powerplay and had everything you wanted possession, puck movement and opportunity, but the red light never went on.
The Bobcats got the lead back in the middle of the second period.
Nick Jermain was able to get to the loose puck behind the UCONN net on shot attempt he just chipped from behind the net it went of Vomacka’s pads for his eighth goal of the year at 12:03 give QU a 3-2 lead they protected like a bobcat does its pups.
“I saw the whole area behind the net open and put out front hoping something good will happen,” said Jermain and that he did.
From that point, QU put strong pressure on UCONN seeking the fourth goal.
Joe O’ Connor (Hamden) off the right-wing, Alex Whelan and Jermain had two more quality chances that Tomas Vomacka turned away in a two-minute span
Then late in the period center blue line Peter DiLibertore let one fly Vomacka swallowed up.
UCONN got a late powerplay as Wyatt Bongiovanni caught Iskhakov in the head just the two-minute variety and the Huskies got the setup, but no quality shots before the expired leaving just 22 seconds left to start the third period.
The first-ever goal of the SNY College Cup CT Ice Festival came off the stick of the Huskies Ruslan Iskhakov.
Standing at the left side of the net he converted a rebound of a Wyatt Newpower right point blast and got enough of rolling puck to put in the open right of Bobcats for Keith Petruzzelli at 4:59.
The Bobcats answered back to tie the game at one by winning a faceoff in the offensive.
Center William Fallstrom at 5’11 got his stick underneath the much bigger 6’6 Jachym Kondelik and got it back to Latvian senior Karlis Cukste who then zipped a shot from the left point past Vomacka.
The Bobcats took a forced turnover and immediately turned into a goal.
Pressured the Huskies Harrison Rees lifted his stick, swiped the puck and then left a neat short drop pass and step into it for his and giving Quinnipiac a 2-1 edge.
Then UCONN got that fortuitous bounce any hockey team hopes for.
The Bobcats Logan Britt sent a backward forehand pass meant to evade the forechecking of Carter Turnbull behind the net.
The blind pass went off the backboards came out in front and Turnbull was right there to retrieve the lonely puck and notched his eighth goal of the season at 17:45 and tied the game at two.
“He’s been terrific all year long and consistent. Last year he played injured a bit and this year he has been healthy and it shows in his play,” said Cavanaugh.
NOTES:
-Tomorrow UCONN will Yale at 3:30 pm in the consolation game of the tourney. Sacred Heart blitzed Yale 6-2 with Mike Lee having two assists and ex-UCONN Evan Wisocky with a goal for the Pioneers who scored four in the first period.
Sacred Heart will play Quinnipiac for the title at 7 pm.
-The Hartford Wolf Pack went into the AHL All-Star break with a 4-2 win over Lehigh Valley Phantoms after falling behinds 2-0.
Ryan Gropp scored twice including the game-winner. Before a season-best 6,027.
The Wolf Pack are still in first place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 25-10-4-5 for 59 points percentage points ahead of Hershey who won 3-2 in OT in Providence.
-In Portland, Maine Friday former UCONN goalie Adam Huska stopped 44 of 45 shots in his ECHL debut in an 8-1 rout over the Worcester Railers.
The two teams met again in Worcester last night at the DCU Center with the Raiklers winning 2-1 with Huska making 25 saves.
Huska will be back in Hartford when Igor Shesterkin is recalled back to the Rangers following the end of the NHL All-Star break.
While former QU Bobcat Jordan Samuels-Thomas (West Hartford) had a tough night for Worcester going a team-worst minus-four.
-Former QU Bobcat Sam Anas of the Iowa Wild with 45 points in 45 games and is the third-leading scorer in the AHL was added to AHL All-Star Classic roster.
-Thoughts and prayers are with UMASS-Lowell sophomore Hockey East defenseman Nolan Sawchuk who suffered a broken vertebra in a game against last weekend in a Hockey East game against Merrimack,
No penalty was called on the play.
The school announced his season is obviously over and a cloud hangs over his collegiate career as to whether he will be able to continue because of the severity of the injury.
The good news is he will recover and suffered no paralysis of any kind.
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