The top line exploded for the Massachusetts Hockey team in a 4-1 conference quarterfinal victory over Northeastern. Jack Musa and Václav Nestrašil combined for six points to help send their team to TD Garden for the semifinals. Each scored and had two assists.
“I’ve been here 10 years now, and this is another group that I’m very proud of that’s learned how to play the game the right way,” UMass head coach Greg Carvel said. “And they play for each other, and they play hard and they play with integrity.”
At the beginning of the third period, the Minutemen (22-12-1, 14-9-1 Hockey East) were up by just one goal with the Huskies’ (17-18-1, 11-13 HEA) Dylan Compton corralling the puck in his left defensive corner. Under pressure from Jack Galanek, Compton attempted a blind behind-the-back pass to the center of the ice right to Musa who was wide open in the slot.
He received the puck on his backhand, taking it towards the post while trying to get around Lawton Zacher. The goaltender bit the Florida natives deke move, and went sprawling to his right. Musa completed a drop pass to Nestrašil, who came in to support. The freshman took the puck across the top of the crease, moving it to his backhand, and slotted the puck into the open goal.
Nestrašil opened the season on fire, scoring seven goals in his first eight games, but since the break, he has struggled. Before this game, he had scored just one goal in his last 12 games. The first line has felt successful when they’ve kept the puck movement and style of play simple, and Saturday night’s victory was another example of that.
“What I see from [Nestrasil] now is a kid that’s committed to playing the game the right way,” Carvel said. “He’s blocking shots, he’s [working hard] on back checks and he’s trying hard.”
A few minutes into the game, both of the Minutemen’s second team Hockey East representatives, Musa and Larry Keenan, combined to take an early lead. Keenan dumped the puck into the Husky zone with Nestrašil on the forecheck to win the puck out from the corner. Musa pinched to the boards, helping the puck back to the point for Keenan. The defensemen swung a shot to the far post, glove side of Zacher with Jack Galanek screening him in front of the crease, for the opening goal.
“I’d rather praise [Keenan] for all the great things he does,” Carvel said. “He’s a very complete player. Second team, all league, with some really good defensemen in this league. He just keeps getting better. “
In net, Michael Hrabal kept up his Hockey East Goalie of the Year caliber form, making 30 saves. That marked the eighth time since the break that the Czech native has made 30 or more saves in a game.
“It doesn’t happen a lot as a coach, where you’ve got a goaltender who is just absolutely in the zone,” Carvel said. “The team knows it and feels it and allows you to play almost carefree.”
Cam O’Neill finished the game with the empty net goal, escorting the puck all the way down the ice after Lukáš Klečka knocked the puck up for him.
The Minutemen play their semifinal matchup on Friday, March 20, against No.8 seed Merrimack for a chance to play in the Hockey East final. Umass won both games against the Warriors this season. The game will be played at TD Garden at 4:00 p.m. and streamed on NESN.
Myles Donato can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @myles_donato.
