The Forecheck: UConn finding balance across the lineup

The Huskies are off to their best start in program history without a standout point-producer through six games.

October 17, 2022

Welcome to the UConn Hockey Hub newsletter, which catches you up on all the stories, trends, and anything else you might have missed, along with some quick takes and leftover notes from the weekend.

Balanced scoring key to UConn’s early season success

After tying then beating Ohio State this weekend, UConn men’s hockey is off to the best start in program history at 5-0-1 — and the Huskies are doing it without a standout point-producer.

Matthew Wood currently leads the team with seven points but four other players are tied for second with five. All but four players who have seen action in every game have recorded at least a point and the ones who haven’t — Adam Dawe, Harrison Rees, Tabor Heaslip, and Jake Veilleux — have still been contributors.

Rees is UConn’s best defensive defenseman through six games and leads the team with 14 blocks — only John Spetz (10) has more than four. Heaslip has been a sparkplug fourth liner (until moving up to the third line on Saturday) and has taken the second-most shots on the team with 14. He’s kept himself out of the penalty box, too.

Meanwhile, Veilleux continues to do the dirty work on the fourth line and also has a spotless record when it comes to penalties. While Dawe’s lack of points is a bit of a surprise, he’s been lauded by teammates for making plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet.

The Huskies have also gotten goals from across the lineup. Wood, Ty Amonte, Chase Bradley, Nick Capone, and Jake Percival are all tied for the team lead with three goals apiece while four other players have found the back of the net as well. Until Amonte netted two on Saturday, UConn hadn’t had a multi-goal scorer in a single game.

Even the defensemen have chipped in with offense. Andrew Lucas has five assists, John Spetz has four and Jake Flynn notched his second goal of the year to cap off the win over Ohio State.

That depth has been a key part of UConn’s hot start. Every player who steps on the ice is capable of impacting the game, whether it’s by scoring, defending, or something else. The fourth line is no longer just a group of the team’s weakest players who try to hold down the fort until the next line comes on. This year’s fourth line has provided a shot of energy at crucial times in each game so far.

While Wood and Tverberg might be the team’s most talented players, defenses can’t just key in on them and expect to shut the Huskies’ entire offense down.

There are plenty of reasons for UConn’s record to this point — special teams, lockdown defense, and strong goaltending, to name a few — but the balance on the scoresheet is the most evident through six games.

Week in review

From the UConn Hockey Hub:

From The UConn Blog:

Last week’s Forecheck:

Elsewhere:

Three stars

First star: The goalies

Across two games, UConn’s two goaltenders faced 71 shots and allowed just a single goal. Logan Terness earned his first collegiate shutout with a 43-save effort on Friday night while Arsenii Sergeev followed that up with 28 saves en route to a win on Saturday. Any worries about the goaltender position entering the season are gone. The Huskies have two strong options between the pipes.

Second star: Matthew Wood

Wood finally broke through on Ohio State goalie Jakub Dobes with the first goal of the weekend on Saturday then helped set up Ty Amonte’s first goal by putting the initial shot on net. Later, Wood earned his third point of the game when he got the second assist on Amonte’s second score. The freshman is up to a team-best seven points on the year and is tied for the team lead with three goals.

Third star: Ty Amonte

From the youngest player in college hockey to the oldest, Amonte notched his first multi-goal game of the season on Saturday and now has three scores on the year — more than he had in each of the last three seasons combined.

Play of the Week

Best of social media

Relive the blowout on Saturday:

A few notable stats through three weeks:

The week ahead

UConn men’s hockey will travel up to Agganis Arena for a two-game series at No. 9 Boston University on Friday and Saturday, while UConn women’s hockey will look to get back in the win column with a home-and-home against Merrimack. All four games will be broadcast on ESPN+.