After playing from behind for two periods, the Massachusetts hockey team’s three goal third period gave it a 4-2 win over Alaska Fairbanks on Friday.
Six minutes into the third period, the Minutemen (12-10-2, 4-7-2 Hockey East) got a chance. On a pass from Nick VanTassell, Dans Locmelis skated from behind the net to the left post. The sophomore tucked it by goaltender Lassi Lehti for a tie game.
Francesco Dell’Elce was the one to give UMass its first lead of the game at the 11:24 mark of the third period. The freshman defenseman used puck control to get around the Nanooks’ (7-10-5) defense. After spinning around a defender, Dell’Elce shot the puck from the point for a 3-2 Minutemen lead.
“I think we just wanted to create some more offensive zone possession,” Dell’Elce said about the third period. “Keep playing hard, playing fast, our style of hockey, throw pucks on the net with traffic.”
To put the dagger in the coffin for UMass, Kenny Connors scored an empty netter to cement a comeback win.
“Slow start but as the game went along we got better and better,” head coach Greg Carvel said. “I liked our second, I really liked our third. I thought we did a good job of just wearing them down. They’re a well coached team, they play the right way.”
The Minutemen came out flat footed, fighting to get quality chances on Lehti in the first frame. Alaska Fairbanks looked to be the more confident team, scoring two goals in the first 20 minutes.
After sustained possession in the zone, Caelum Dick sent a d-to-d pass to Broten Sabo. The sophomore defenseman shot the puck from the point on goaltender Michael Hrabal through traffic. The puck bounced off Hrabal’s shoulder and into the goal for a Nanooks lead less than three minutes into the period.
UMass tried to even out the score after Bo Cosman was sent to the penalty box on a boarding call. As the penalty expired, Cosman came out of the box and caught an across ice pass. Cosman shot the puck to Michael Cameron as he used his speed to get past the Alaska Fairbanks players. The junior skated around the net and tried to tuck the puck behind Lehti. With Lehti blocking the goal, Cameron threw it to the crease where Lucas Mercuri was set up. With the goaltender out of his net, Mercuri tapped it in to knot the game at one goal apiece.
Despite the Minutemen’s attempts at finding momentum, the Nanooks grabbed another lamp lighter to go into the second period up by a goal. With UMass’ defense struggling to cover Alaska Fairbanks, Brendan Ross found Kyle Gaffney across the ice. With Matt Hubbarde set up in front of the crease, he quickly tapped the puck in from his knee despite Linden Alger defending him.
In the second frame, the Minutemen out chanced the Nanooks 10-7 but the Alaska Fairbanks goaltenders stood tall in net. When UMass was put on a power play with 8:33 left in the period, the Minutemen tried to capitalize.
Locmelis passed to Ryan Lautenbach who wasn’t far from the left side of the crease with five seconds left in the extra man advantage. The senior settled the puck before sending a wrist shot pass past the goaltender.
After the Minutemen celebrated what was thought to be a goal, the Nanooks head coach challenged the play. After a review, it was determined that Connors screen was goaltender interference, overturning Lautenbach’s goal.
“I think that power play goal in the second would have really gave us some juice but it got called back,” Carvel said.
Throughout the period, Hrabal looked to have bounced back from the fluke goals allowed in the first period. The goaltender turned away eight shots in the period, with some of the shots pressuring him. Gaffney skated on the crease and attempted a hard backhand on Hrabal but the sophomore stayed with Gaffney, easily making the blocker save.
On top of Hrabal, the defense played a more solid game in the second period compared to the first. UMass went without defenseman Owen Murray who stayed on the bench for all 60 minutes. Without one of the Minutemen’s most consistent blue liners, Kennedy O’Connor and Finn Loftus were on the third pairing, bumping Alger up with Lucas Ölvestad on the top pairing. O’Connor made a big play after Joey Musa turned over the puck in the third. Skating with a Nanooks player one-on-one, O’Connor used his stick to tap away the puck in front of Hrabal’s crease.
“[Murray] is dealing with a small injury that he could very well be back tomorrow but he’s a big part of our back end,” Carvel said. “He’s top pair and you lose your top pair guy, that’s tough but I thought Finn Loftus did a nice job, he got a lot of minutes tonight, more than he’s used to but the whole group played well.”
UMass and Alaska Fairbanks will play the second game of the series on Saturday, Jan. 25. The game is set for 6:00 p.m. at the Mullins Center and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Kayla Gregoire can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @Kaygregoire.