FARGO, N.D — The No. 13 Massachusetts hockey team mounted a comeback in the NCAA Regional Semifinals against No. 5 Minnesota on Thursday night, with plenty of vocal help from tournament veteran Lucas Ölvestad.
Ölvestad suited up Thursday night for the first time since March 8 against Maine, when he injured his hand and was forced to miss the Hockey East Playoffs.
In his absence, the Minuteman (21-13-5) defensive core was down one of its leaders both on and off the ice, leaving a void against Vermont and Boston. Thursday night, his leadership in the locker room as someone who was under the bright lights during his time in Denver shined through to give the Minutemen a boost when they needed it most.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the third period, Ölvestad was unhappy with the way his team was performing. He took the situation his team was in and used it to light a fire under his teammates.
“I pointed out Lucas Ölvestad, who won a National Championship last year. He was the one guy that was like ‘come on guys, this is not us. We’ve got to get going,’” head coach Greg Carvel said.
With his team now fired up, the Stockholm, Sweden native brought his fire onto the ice.
After a failed zone entry led to a potential breakout for the Golden Gophers, Ölvestad stood his ground at the blue line and batted the puck into the zone, denying Minnesota an easy exit and a potential odd-man rush. Daniel Jenčko recovered the puck and found his linemate Aydar Suniev in front of the net where he buried his first of the game to bring UMass within a goal midway through the third period.
“I pointed him out after the game, he’s been a great addition to our team,” Carvel said. “He’s an older guy that’s been through it. He was the leader tonight.”
Though defense wasn’t the strong-suit of either team Thursday night, Ölvestad’s role in the lineup got UMass back to its usual rotation, allowing the other defensemen to conserve their energy a little bit more than they had been in the games without him. The defensive unit was essential to the offensive production the Minutemen were able to create, with Francesco Dell’Elce and Larry Keenan scoring a goal each and Ölvestad and Owen Murray each chipping in an assist.
Ölvestad spent his first two years in college playing with the reigning National Champion Denver, where he was a key piece of their defensive unit. Though the 2024 Pioneers were known for their high-octane offense, they allowed just three goals in their four NCAA Tournament games last year, with Ölvestad as a member of that core. He knows what it takes for a defense to click against top offenses, and the responsibility will be on him to lead his younger counterparts in the right direction come Saturday night in the Regional Final.
Now facing down the barrel of the highest scoring team in the country in Western Michigan, Ölvestad’s on-ice and locker room presence will be crucial in a battle against such a potent offense. Coming from the NCHC, Ölvestad is the only member of the Minutemen with extensive experience against the Broncos. He will play a pivotal role in getting his unit ready for the test and help send UMass to the Frozen Four.
Puck drop for the Regional Final in Fargo is set for 5:32 p.m. CDT/6:32 p.m. EDT on Saturday, March 29.
Matt Skillings can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @matt_skillings.
