In first career start, Callum Tung leads UConn to victory

Callum Tung’s collegiate career got off to a delayed start. Brought in to compete for the starting goaltender job as a top prospect out of the BCHL, he was instead sidelined for the first 12 games of the season with an upper-body issue.

Without him, UConn rolled with just two goalies: UNH transfer Tyler Muszelik, who started every contest that he was healthy, and freshman Tommy Heaney, brought in to be the third string only to be called into action for four periods against Boston University and Boston College.

But the Huskies found themselves facing a crisis. Muszelik suffered a lower-body injury in their last contest which will likely keep him out the rest of the first half, leaving them with Heaney as the only healthy goalie. While he’d done well given the circumstances, he still held a 5.39 goals against average and .837 save percentage in four periods, albeit against BU and BC.

Enter Tung. The freshman returned to practice the Monday after Muszelik’s injury and won the starting job during the following week of competition.

“He had a great week of practice,” head coach Mike Cavanaugh said. “He really did.”

Tung led UConn out of the tunnel before the game, then led the team to victory with a stellar 26-save performance against the No. 15 UMass Lowell River Hawks.

“The moment wasn't too big for him,” Cavanaugh said.

“I've been playing hockey for a long time,” he said. “Can't treat it like any other game.”

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