FARGO, N.D. — The Massachusetts hockey team came up short on Saturday night in the NCAA Quarterfinals against Western Michigan, falling 2-1. The end of the second period with two back-to-back penalties on Aydar Suniev, including a five-minute major that ejected the sophomore from the game, was the turning point that blew the wind out of the Minutemen’s (21-14-5) sails.
Suniev was first called for boarding in the neutral zone, giving the Broncos (32-7-1) their first power play of the night.
While UMass successfully killed the penalty, five-on-five didn’t last long as Suniev was then sent to the box again. He was called initially for boarding again, but upon Western Michigan’s coaching challenge, the referees updated the call to checking-from-behind and a game misconduct. The sophomore forward was sent back into the locker room for the rest of the night and Bo Cosman sat in the box as the Minutemen went on the penalty kill.
“Seven minutes in a row there and their power play’s good,” head coach Greg Carvel said. “… That was the whole game to me.”
With 1:46 left of the second period and the Broncos finding a rhythm for the game, Liam Valente led his team into the second intermission on a high note.
After goaltender Michael Hrabal made a leg pad save that sent the puck out to the circle on his left, Samuel Sjolund met the puck as it crossed through. He circled around and dumped the puck back behind him as he went past the blue line. Valente picked it up and created space, passing it back to Begley. He just stepped into the circle to set up for a one-timer. The puck flew through the Minutemen and eventually behind Hrabal’s right side.
Coming out into the third period, the Minutemen’s energy deflated after clearing the puck a few times and graduate Tim Washe capitalized on it.
Joona Väisänen passed the puck from the boards to Brian Kramer. At the top of the circle on Hrabal’s left, Washe corralled the puck and sent it past the sophomore goaltender to secure the Broncos’ first and final lead of the night to send them to St. Louis.
“We were able to just keep the puck in,” Washe said. “[UMass] got out of sorts a little bit there and then [Kramer] made a great fake shot. I pulled around the defender and then I just was able to get a stick on it.”
While this was only the second five-minute major the Minutemen took this season, undisciplined penalties were part of the hump UMass had to overcome from the first half of the season. Suniev was one of three Minutemen, alongside Lucas Mercuri and Lucas Ölvestad, to take 11 penalties for 22 minutes in the regular season.
“It’s funny, you get into the NCAA Tournament and it’s like five-minute penalties are everywhere,” Carvel said. “… We hadn’t taken a five-minute penalty all year – all year. We took one back in October … you get here and they hand them out like candy. It’s unfortunate.”
These were the only two goals Hrabal let in on Saturday, nodding to the successful five-on-five action UMass constructed throughout the night. The Minutemen were also unable to find the back of the net on two power plays, one of which was also a five-minute major.
“We didn’t give up a five-on-five goal. I thought five-on-five we were a very good team,” Carvel said. “Special teams – they were better.”
After struggling to regroup on a scoreless five-minute power play and playing the rest of the game without one of its top forwards, it was the end of the road for UMass’ 2024-25 season.
“[On Saturday] with a little more discipline in our game, maybe we[‘d be] head[ing] to the Frozen Four,” Carvel said. “… But they were the better team … better special teams, but I loved our game [on Saturday]. Very proud of our kids.”
Sydney Ciano can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @SydneyCiano.
