BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
BOSTON, MA – The UCONN Huskies were fearless in a critical 5-1 Hockey East win over Boston University. In the process spoiled the Terriers’ home opener while also attaining a split of the weekend series.
The Huskies travel next weekend to the midwest to face the Ohio State Buckeyes.
UCONN (1-1-0 Conference, 2-1-0 Overall) has soundly outscored the Terriers on the road in one of the most feared college hockey locations. Over the last two years, whether they were playing in either the venerable Walter Brown Arena or at Agganis Arena, the location for Saturday evening’s game was held. The Huskies have outscored the Terriers 11-2.
“It’s a tough place to play,” Cavanaugh said with a laugh. The UCONN bench boss spent ten years on Commonwealth Avenue enjoying the particular rivalry. “We did a good job getting offensive zone play, and Darion (Hanson) was excellent in net both nights and kept it 2-1. He makes a ridiculous save, and we were able to make it 3-1.”
THE SAVE
The save Cavanaugh refers to was on Matt Brown at 1:09 of the third period as he rolled on his back to make the save.
“The save (on them), but we had a great second period; a solid 60-minute win,” stated Cavanaugh.
In the lineup in his first game was UCONN freshmen Sasha Telgiune. While up 3-1, Telgiune was on the forecheck and swiped the puck in the BU end of the ice. He retrieved the puck and circled to the blue lineup on the right-wing side. Telgiune put the puck on Ryan Tverberg’s stick. Tverberg was aiming for a wide-open Jachym Kondelik, who was located on the back door. The puck, however, went off a BU defender’s skate at 5:05 of the third period to give UCONN breathing space at 3-1.
“We were a pretty good team last night for 55 minutes; we just let the last five minutes get away from us. We didn’t let that happen to us tonight. The key to our game was to play like last night, just finish.”
Hanson turned in another sterling performance in the net. He stopped Robert Mastrisimone’s’ early breakaway with his left pad and got help from teammate Chase Bradley, who raced back and took out the trailing winger Jay O’Brien to preserve the lead. Hanson turned in another 30-plus effort (36 saves) as he transitioned to playing again and coming over to Hockey East from the ECACHL.
REACTION
“The guys have been so welcoming in the locker room. It’s been great. Coming in has not been much different, just some little things. In this Conference, there are more skill plays than in the ECAC. I might have seen some go (off the glass) or underneath (the pad), or they make a pass.”
The Huskies chased BU goalie Drew Commesso with the fifth goal. John Spetz went from the right side, around the net found his defensive partner open. Carter Berger did the rest starting with deking the BU player and launching a high wrist shot into the top shelf. The goal came at 11:50 and gave the Huskies a 5-1 lead.
The Huskies had good fortune on their side as a goal was disallowed on the night. They also won a video challenge and a slight on-ice delay to handle an issue near the BU net before the fourth goal.
At 2:34, Max Kaufman’s wraparound went top-shelf, but the finisher was waived off as Tyler Boucher’s pushed down of Artem Schlaine in the crease. However, it was spotted by the back-official, and over two-and-a-half minutes later, UCONN scored.
SECOND PERIOD
To start the second period, a rejuvenated Jonny Evans, who had four shots in the first period, took a left-wing backhanded pass from Marc Gatcomb, and with speed and open space, Evans buried his first of the season 47 seconds in.
“He had a great game for us, kept his feet moving, but he did take a foolish late penalty that almost gave them the momentum back; luckily, it didn’t hurt us, but we have to be aware of that going forward. On the goal, he had great speed and a great finish. We got some puck luck on the first goal, and that’s what goal scorers can do.”
BU contested the play as Jarrod Gourley, their grad transfer from ASU, tried to get his first point, pitched it back to Kondelik in the neutral zone. Next, BU contended that his bank pass off the boards to Gatcomb caught Ethan Phillips’ pants leg as he was exiting for a line change stopping the play, but the referee’s review nullified that argument, and UCONN had a 3-1 lead.
The call and goal were a critical turning point for UCONN and the penalty that started the third.
THIRD PERIOD
“It’s OK to have aggressive penalties just between the whistles (not after),” said Cavanaugh.
The Huskies took a three-goal lead at the midway point of the period, Hudson Schandor broke up Domenick Fensore’s rush, and the loose puck caromed off the right wing boards to Tverberg as BU was in the midst of a line change. Tverberg swooped in all alone. He went to his backhand, moving across, which forced Commesso to open up his legs, where he slipped it through the five-hole for the goal. It was his second of the night and third on the young season.
The BU Coach had seen enough, and Commesso was brought to the bench, and that brought in Vinny Duplessis of Quebec City.
As the road team, UCONN was in its blue uniforms, and while BU took the lead, it was the Huskies who had control of a physical first period.
FIRST
UMASS-Lowell transfer Matt Brown scored his first Terrier goal when he was wide open on the right-wing and put home a puck off the stick of junior hockey addition James Campelito’s LW shot off a three-on-two rush at 13:13.
UCONN took the lead as a shot went off the side of the net right to a buoyant Evans, who got puck luck. Kondelik got the black biscuit and spotted Marc Gatcomb open. He quickly deposited his first goal of the season and gave UCONN its first lead halfway through the first at 9:52.
LINES
MARC GATCOMB – JACHYM KONDELIK – JONNY EVANS
VLADISLAV FIRSTOV – ARTEM SCHLAINE – NICK CAPONE
SASHA TELGUINE – HUDSON SCHANDOR – RYAN TVERBERG
CHASE BRADLEY – KEVIN O’NEIL – CARTER TURNBULL
ROMAN KINAL – JOHN SPETZ
RYAN WHEELER – JAKE FLYNN
CARTER BERGER – HARRISON REES
JARROD GOURLEY
GOALIES
DARION HANSON
MATT PASQUALE
