Freshmen stood out in the No. 15 Massachusetts hockey team’s season-opening 5-3 victory over Northern Michigan. Of the three first-years on the frontline, two notched their first collegiate goals while the third picked up an assist.
Heavily-anticipated newcomer Vaclav Nestrasil found the tying tally for the Minutemen (1-0) in the third period, pushing the game to 3-3 and building momentum for the team’s next two goals. As the No. 25 overall selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, Nestrasil made quick work of proving his offensive prowess in his debut game.
Five minutes into the third period, Owen Murray carried the puck up the right circle, sending it back for Nestrasil’s linemate, Jack Galanek. The freshman quickly generated a scoring opportunity, sending the puck up to the net with speed. There, Nestrasil was struggling to get his stick in place, so, thinking on his feet, he caught the puck with his skate. The move deflected the puck past goaltender William Gramme’s right side before he could reach the post with his blocker.
“Feels good. Feels better than I expected,” Nestrasil said. “I mean everything: the fans, the team. It’s all been great so far, and it kind of showed today and I’m happy I got my first one over with. We’ve got to focus on the next one.”
In addition to his goal, the Czech native recorded eight shots in the match, leading all players from both teams on the night.
“[The main takeaway] is to play faster, play more physical, get to the level we want to get to,” Nestrasil said. “Obviously, there’s older guys who kind of set the standard and us freshmen, we’ve got to keep up to it and play as they wanted to play. That’s what I’m trying to focus on, and I think other freshmen as well.”
Nestrasil wasn’t the first of the newcomers to put up a point. When UMass was down 2-1 in the second period, Lukas Klecka evened the score.
Junior Bo Cosman picked up the puck along the boards, immediately connecting with Klecka, who carried it up through the right circle and drove towards the crease. Out in front of Gramme, he switched the puck over to his backhand and lofted it over the goaltender’s right leg pad.
With early offensive momentum for the freshmen, the outlook for the rest of the season is promising. With time to develop, the young frontline could prove to be huge producers for the Minutemen. If Saturday’s game is any indication, they’re wasting no time putting up points.
Beyond his goal, Nestrasil made his most notable play in the second period. On a long pass between two Wildcat (0-1) players on the blueline of UMass’ defensive zone, the freshman made good use of his 6-foot-6 frame, reaching out with his stick to intercept the puck. From there, he drove the net, heading up to the right post. At the last second, he passed to Matthew Wilde, who couldn’t quite control the puck to take advantage of the open net.
Although it didn’t factor into a goal, the move proved Nestrasil’s ability to create opportunities and work the ice.
“[Nestrasil] wants to shoot. He wants to score,” head coach Greg Carvel said. “I thought he had some opportunities to pass, he had odd man rushes and I grabbed him near the end of the second and I said ‘Hey, I know you want to score your first goal, get it out of the way, but just make the plays, the natural plays, and you’ll find your goal.’”
The freshmen Minutemen hit the ice on Sunday, Oct. 5 for their return to play against NMU. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. at the Mullins Center and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Caroline Burge can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @Caroline_Burge
