FARGO, N.D — The Massachusetts hockey team couldn’t battle back after an early third period goal, falling to Western Michigan 2-1 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
With UMass (21-14-5) up 1-0, its momentum carried into the second period. Momentum shifted, though, when Aydar Suniev was handed two straight penalties. The first was a two-minute penalty for boarding but the second one was what cost the Minutemen. A five-minute major for hitting from behind shortly after his first penalty expired kicked Suniev out of the game and put UMass down a man for five minutes.
The Broncos (32-7-1) quickly capitalized, scoring 20 seconds after Suniev was kicked out. Sam Sjolund from up top passed to Liam Valente. With his stick up, Valente slapped a one-timer passed goaltender Michael Hrabal to tie the game.
To start the third period, Tim Washe netted a goal to give Western Michigan the lead.
After the goal, the Minutemen tried to battle back but couldn’t find the equalizer. Western Michigan was whistled for a five-minute major, but UMass couldn’t capitalize.
“Always tough when your season comes to an end, when careers come to an end for kids you’ve gone through so much with so it’s tough,” head coach Greg Carvel said.
Hrabal was pulled with 1:47 left in the game to give UMass a man advantage. While the Minutemen had a handful of chances, Bronco goaltender Hampton Slukynsky stood tall.
Slukynsky was a difference maker for the Broncos, totaling 28 saves through three periods. In the first period when UMass was at its best, the goaltender made swift saves. With 30 seconds left in the first period, Cole O’Hara quickly shot the puck as he skated with Locmelis, but Slukynsky blocked it away. The sophomore was in front of the goal and tried to get the rebound with a wide-open net, but a Broncos defender stayed on him to eliminate the chance.
Playing on the Fargo Force and winning a Unites States Hockey League championship at Scheels Arena, Slukynsky was comfortable coming into the game.
“I smiled a little when we were coming back to Fargo,” Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler said. “The boys are not afraid to say it’s the house [Slukynsky] built, so he felt comfortable here, we were real comfortable with him being comfortable.”
Before the penalties, UMass looked to be the stronger team, producing a number of offensive opportunities while up a goal.
“I think Western Michigan is the number one offensive team in the country and we didn’t give up a five-on-five goal,” Carvel said. “On five on five we were a very good team.”
In the first 10 minutes of play, the Minutemen struggled to make their way towards the net. The Broncos defense held strong, especially in the neutral zone, forcing UMass to dump and chase the puck.
Despite the slow start, the second line continued their hot streak, scoring 11 minutes into the game. Daniel Jenčko retrieved the puck in the neutral zone, passing the puck to Locmelis on a bounce off the boards. Locmelis grabbed the puck, skating to Slukynsky, tapping the puck to his right side to give the Minutemen a 1-0 lead.
After the goal, UMass played better in all areas of the game, playing with more confidence. The team totaled 12 shots compared to Western Michigan’s five.
“It’s unfortunate because five-on-five, our kids, we had a really good game plan and the kids were executing,” Carvel said. “The kids believed because we had been winning a lot and you get to that point where whatever you tell them to do, they are just doing it.”
UMass excelled on the dot, winning 60.3 percent of its faceoffs, going 38 for 63. Lucas Mercuri led the charge, winning 10, losing just five.
With the first line being offensively quiet, the second and third lines stepped up for the Minutemen. Joey Musa was a big part of creating offense for UMass, using his speed to move ahead of Western Michigan. Ryan Lautenbach also used his speed to win puck battles and drive to the net.
The Minutemen end their season while the Broncos will move on to the Frozen Four in Saint Louis. They will take on the winner of Boston College vs Denver on Thursday, April 10 on a time TBD.
Kayla Gregoire can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X/Twitter @Kaygregoire.
