Through a three-game series with UMass Lowell, the No. 19 Massachusetts hockey team found consistency on the forward lines from freshman Justin Kerr, who contributed a goal in every game, extending his scoring to a four-game streak.
“[I’m] just kind of sticking to what’s working in practice and just getting better every day,” Kerr said. “Once I got the first [goal], it’s kind of just keep rolling.”
Kerr scored the game-winning goal on Saturday for the Minutemen (17-11, 10-8 Hockey East) for the second time in four games, collecting the winning tally on Saturday after netting an overtime goal against Northeastern last weekend.
In the defensive zone, Larry Keenan skillfully picked the puck up off a River Hawk (10-18, 6-12 HEA) forward, bringing it up through the neutral zone with momentum before passing it off to Kerr, who skated up at his right. The 6-foot-5 forward continued to the right circle before whipping a low shot past Austin Elliott, finding a gap just above his left leg pad.
“He’s got a really good shot … We’ve been watching him in practice every day; the kid can shoot the puck,” head coach Greg Carvel said. “We’ve had high hopes for [Kerr], and I’m glad he’s getting great experience … He just needs to learn to play the game better without the puck … The goals are great, but to me, you’ve got to be able to play without the puck.”
With Saturday’s tally, which came after Kerr had a goal called off for goaltender interference in the first period, the freshman also reached a five-game point streak, the longest such streak of any UMass player this season. He picked up an assist against Vermont as well, accounting for five of his eight total points on the season, through five goals and three assists. His first goal came against Merrimack, placing all of his scoring productivity to the second half of the season.
On Monday, amidst his commanding performances over Lowell, the Grand Rapids, Minn. native received the Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors.
“He hasn’t played a lot of games at a high level where you have to think the game without the puck, and when he starts doing that, he’s going to be a huge player for us,” Carvel said. “He’s a 6-foot-5 freshman … he’s going to be a factor for us, so it’s great to see him having success.”
Coming into the second half of the season, Nick VanTassell was injured, and Kerr was called up to fill in his big-bodied role on the forward lines. The freshman quickly settled into his position centering the second line, shining on offense and continuously delivering to the point sheet while providing a physical presence.
“It’s definitely tough,” Kerr said about playing without several of the team’s more experienced forwards. “I think it also shows how deep we are as a group and how well we are connected that we’ve switched lines constantly and we still always find a way to produce.
Kerr and the rest of the Minutemen will be back in the Mullins Center on Friday, Feb. 20 to open their series against UNH, where the freshman will look to build his consecutive litany of lamp-lighters. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. and ESPN+ will stream the matchup.
Caroline Burge can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @Caroline_Burge
