UConn battles to 3-3 tie at Maine

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Despite getting outshot 53-23, UConn men’s hockey battled to a 3-3 tie with the Maine Black Bears at Alfond Arena on Saturday night. The Huskies won the ensuing shootout 2-0 to earn an extra point towards the Hockey East standings.

53 shots is the most UConn has allowed since joining Hockey East in 2014 and just the second time it’s given up more than 50. Providence held the previous record, putting 52 shots on in a 4-3 defeat for the Huskies on Feb. 10, 2017.

UConn played from ahead the entire night. Joey Muldowney scored a shorthanded goal to kick off the scoring, Jake Richard added the second of the night in the middle stanza while Ryan Tattle converted on the power play in the third period. Trey Scott finished with two assists and also scored the winner in the shootout.

In goal, Tyler Muszelik set a Hockey East Era program record with 50 stops, finishing with a .943 save percentage.

Special teams came up big for the Huskies for the second consecutive game. They scored a power play goal in addition to the shorty while holding the hosts to a lone goal on the man-advantage.

After a perfect 5-5 performance the previous night, UConn’s penalty kill carried that momentum into Saturday. Richard went to the box for interference just 1:24 into the contest, sending the unit over the boards for the first time. While Maine had the extra skater, the Huskies struck first on a shorthanded goal from Muldowney.

The Black Bears’ power play eventually came through, though. 10 minutes later, UConn took another interference penalty and this time, the hosts converted. Muszelik made the initial save but Miguel Marques buried the rebound. The 1-1 scoreline held into the first intermission.

In the middle frame, Maine took it to the Huskies. The hosts had a 20-7 edge in shots and tilted the ice in their favor.

Despite that, UConn pulled back ahead. With 4:13 left in the stanza, Richard fired a shot that took a fortunate bounce up and over Maine goaltender Albin Boija to give the Huskies a 2-1 lead.

It didn’t last long, though. Just 1:29 into the third period, the Black Bears tied it when William Gerrior snuck the puck between the posts and the pads to tie the game at two goals apiece.

Undeterred, UConn answered back. On their first power play of the night, the Huskies needed just five seconds to go back ahead. Tattle won the initial face-off to Scott then redirected a shot from the defenseman into the back of the net. That made it 3-2 with 13:20 remaining.

Three goals weren’t enough to earn the win, though. With 6:32 left to play, Maine tied it again. Muszelik turned away a shot on the zone entry but the Black Bears retrieved the puck and eventually found twine. Just like that, it was a 3-3 game.

Neither side found a winner in regulation, which sent them to 3×3 overtime.

In the extra period, Maine had a clear look at the back post but couldn’t get a clean stick on the puck. Soon after, Tattle ended up on a breakaway but the officials blew the play dead and called penalties on both teams. Later, Ethan Gardula had a good look in front of the net but failed to capitalize.

The five minutes of OT came and went without a goal, which locked in the tie. In the shootout, Richard scored on UConn’s first attempt and Scott finished it on the third try. Muszelik turned away Maine’s two chances.

The Huskies move to 17-7-4 on the season and 11-5-2 in Hockey East. Next, they’ll take on Boston College in a home-and-home series with major league and NPI implications. UConn will travel to Chestnut Hill on Friday before hosting the Eagles in Hartford on Saturday.

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