The No. 19 Massachusetts hockey team withstood 53 shots from No.13 UConn to pull out a thrilling shootout win on senior night, capturing five of six points on the weekend to keep pace in a tight Hockey East playoff picture.
After sending six shooters to take on Huskies (17-10-4, 11-8-3 HEA) netminder Tyler Muszelik, head coach Greg Carvel finally sent the Minutemen’s (19-12-1, 12-9-1 HEA) leading scorer over the boards. The crowd at the Mullins Center erupted accordingly, rising to its feet and cheering loudly as the junior forward approached the puck.
Musa swung out wide on the left wing, pulling Muszelik out of the center of the crease. A quick fake got the goaltender to drop down, and right as the senior started to regain his footing, Musa slipped a shot through the five-hole to win the shootout for UMass.
“That was surreal,” Musa said. “I’ve never heard Mullins that loud, and got scared a little bit before I even touched the puck because of the noise, but it was an awesome feeling after I saw it go in.”
Four minutes into the third period, Jake Percival’s wraparound attempt slid off his stick and off Lucas Ölvestad’s skates to give UConn a 3-2 lead. Just thirty seconds later, Musa responded.
Nick VanTassell lugged the puck into the offensive zone, skating wide down the right wing and using his long reach to keep the puck away from Brendan Dunphy. As the junior came around from behind the net, Musa crashed the far post. VanTassell’s pass landed right in Musa’s path, setting him up to hammer in the game-tying goal and steal back lost momentum.
“I thought [VanTassell] was one of our best players tonight,” Carvel said. “It’s good to see … He was playing like that when he left, and we need him to play like that down the stretch … That was a huge play by VanTassell to come right back … [Musa’s] goal brought it all right back pretty quickly.”
The Minutemen also dug themselves out of a 2-1 deficit, scoring with 46 seconds left to play in the second period to tie the game. Justin Kerr won the face off back to Ölvestad, who immediately darted into the slot. With no Huskies applying pressure, the senior defenseman ripped a wrist shot past Muszelik’s blocker.
After entering the second period in a 1-0 deficit, UConn generated 25 shots on goal, carrying play and hemming UMass in its defensive zone for much of the period. Michael Hrabal turned away 23 of the 25 shots in the second period and ended the game with a career-high 50 saves.
“I didn’t mind our first period,” Carvel said. “Then the second period, the game just fell apart on us … I wasn’t happy with the second period … I think UConn deserved that game [on Saturday], but [Hrabal] continues to be as good a goalie as I’ve had at this level.”
Justin Kerr opened the scoring with about a minute and a half remaining in the first period. Coleson Hanrahan’s drop pass gave Kerr time and space to glide down the left hash mark and whip a shot over Muszelik’s shoulder for the freshman’s sixth goal of the season.
Both of the Minutemen’s senior co-captains, Owen Murray and Ölvestad, fittingly made an impact on senior night. In addition to his goal, Ölvestad made several key defensive plays while weathering the onslaught of Husky offense in the second period. Murray almost scored halfway through the first period on a strong net drive, and continued to move the puck effectively throughout the game.
UMass’ senior class also includes defenseman Kennedy O’Connor, who has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries, and forward Michael Cameron, who was forced to medically retire after his junior year.
“[The senior class] is a very small class,” Carvel said. “[Murray is] the only one that’s had the full four year experience. [Ölvestad has been] an outstanding addition for two years, he’s been an exceptional captain … [Cameron] had to retire. That’s always tough to see … [O’Connor] has been an exceptional teammate. He’s a great kid, he’s a huge part of our culture.”
The Minutemen will look to maintain their momentum against Boston College on Thursday, March 5. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at the Mullins Center and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
James Rust can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @James__Rust.
