Despite holding a 3-2 lead, the Massachusetts hockey team surrendered a tying goal with seconds remaining in the third period against Northeastern on Friday.
Braden Pimm scored with two seconds left in regulation for the Huskies (0-0-1, 0-0-1 Hockey East) as Northeastern pulled goalie Chris Rawlings with one minute left in the period.
UMass went scoreless in overtime, leaving Northeastern with a 3-3 draw to open up its 2011-12 season.
“At the end of the day, you’ll take the point, but that’s two points that we had,” said UMass coach Don Cahoon to UMassAthletics.com following the game. “We battled like Hell to have that lead at the end of two [periods] and [Northeastern] carried the play in the third. I was disappointed in the third in that we let it get away from us.”
The Minutemen (0-0-1, 0-0-1HEA) will be back in action Saturday when they take on Bentley at the Mullins Center in their home opener.
Colin Shea gave UMass the early lead on a Minutemen power play when he netted the team’s first goal of the season.
After Michael Marcou passed across the crease to Conor Sheary along the left of the goal, Shea slipped into the circle at the net. Sheary then passed to Shea, who netted the goal to give UMass a 1-0 advantage with 13 minutes, 12 seconds left in the opening period.
Northeastern responded later in the period when Justin Daniels scored off a rebound in front of a crowded net. Minutemen goaltender Kevin Boyle wasn’t able to secure the puck, consequently allowing the Huskies to tie the game at 1-1 at the 16:03 mark in the first period.
Nearly two minutes later, Daniels scored his second goal of the game when he swooped in on the left side just outside the circle, rifling home a rebound to give Northeastern a 2-1 lead.
After three combined goals to open the game, the scoring spree continued just nine seconds later when UMass tied the game at two apiece.
On the ensuing faceoff after Daniel’s second goal, Branden Gracel received a pass, cleared the blue line and rushed to the net along the right. Gracel’s rising wrist shot from 10 feet out just cleared Rawlings’ stick to tie the game as the four-goal period came to a close.
With sound defense, the Minutemen held Northeastern to just seven shots in the second period.
UMass took a lead after four minutes of play in the second period.
Following a pass finding T.J. Syner at the top of the offensive zone, the senior forward closed in on the net and wristed a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle, finding the back of the goal to give the Minutemen a 3-2 lead.
With plenty of time for the Huskies to create a tying goal, UMass fought off Northeastern for all but the final seconds of the game. However, 11 shots by the Huskies proved to be one too many.
“The point is better to have than to not have,” said Cahoon. “But we need to get that much better and that’s what we’re going to strive for … to get those two points.”
Boyle stopped 29 shots in his first collegiate debut for the Minutemen. Marcou and Sheary each posted two assists in the game, while Emerson Auvenshine also contributed with an assist for UMass.
Scott Cournoyer can be reached at [email protected].
