The Massachusetts club hockey team finished its season opening weekend 2-0, with another commanding victory, this time a 9-1 defeat of the Massachusetts Lowell club team.
It was another offensive outburst from the Minutemen as they finish the weekend with a jarring 21 total goals. Goals were spread out across the lineup tonight, with seven different goal scorers, two being freshmen who notched their first career goals.
Similar to game one against UConn on Friday night, Saturday’s game saw dominant play from the Minutemen, as UMass set the tone of the game by the end of the first period. Starting the scoring for the second night in a row was Scott Shorrock, who grabbed the puck on the opening faceoff, took it through two Lowell defenders and beat the goalie wide, just 10 seconds into the game.
The Minutemen were strong on the forecheck all night, giving the Riverhawks little space to escape the defensive zone. This forecheck would allow UMass to grab four more goals before the period ended. Freshman Dom Boccelli would net goal number two, the first of his UMass club hockey career, with a tip-in off of a point shot from defenseman Andrew Gilbert. Boccelli would add another later on in the period to give himself a two-goal game.
UMass would run the score up in the third period, with goals from Will Trischitta, Dylan LaMonica, Mitch Rickert, and Cam Ryan’s second of the game. The Riverhawks managed to put one in the back of the net during a 5-on-3 power-play, showing some light on offense in what was a dark game for Lowell.
In an uneventful second period with no goals scored, UMass stayed staunch on defense. Lowell was stifled offensively, never gaining significant zone time. The Riverhawks managed in the defensive zone, not allowing a ton of fast breaks or quality opportunities, but the Minutemen were simply too fast and strong to allow Lowell any space on the ice.
Senior goalie Thomas Haley was only tested a few times but came up big when he was needed. He got his first win of the season after Trey Peterson picked up last night’s win for the Minutemen. Seniors Zach Reiser and Cam Ryan both light the lamp in the first period, Reiser on a wicked wrister from the point and Ryan on a deflection.
It was an overwhelmingly dominant weekend for the Minutemen, who outscored their opponents 21-3 across their first 120 minutes of hockey this season. They will look to continue their winning ways next Friday, October 7th at 8:30 p.m., when they take on Rider University at home.
Matt Skillings can be reached at [email protected].
