UConn rolls over Colorado College, 5-1

UConn men’s hockey notched its first victory of the season with a resounding 5-1 win at Colorado College on Saturday night. The Huskies gave up the opening goal before answering with five unanswered from five different players.

Ryan Tattle got it started late in the first period, Tom Messineo, Alexandre Blais and Joey Muldowney added on in the middle stanza, then Kaden Shahan notched the fifth in the third. In goal, Tyler Muszelik started for the second straight night and put together a stellar performance, stopping 26 of the 27 shots that came his way.

The special teams battle was dominated by UConn. The power play went 2-6 and the penalty kill pitched a shoutout with a 5-5 effort — including a lengthy 5-on-3.

UConn nearly scored early for the second straight game when Jake Richard and Tattle combined for a 2v1 but the chance was turned away. Tattle was then called for goaltender interference after being pushed into the net-minder, which gave Colorado College an early power play.

Even though the Huskies’ top penalty killers were on the ice for the first 1:42, they ultimately held strong to keep the game scoreless.

UConn quickly wrestled back control of the game and put together a long shift in the offensive zone but couldn’t capitalize. Then, against the run of play, the Tigers sprung a breakaway and scored to pull ahead 1-0. The Huskies still owned much of the puck afterwards but they couldn’t find a way past CC goalie Kaidan Mbereko.

As it turned out, UConn just needed some help with an extra skater. On a delayed penalty, Tattle tucked a shot from the face-off dot under the crossbar to even the game at 1-1 with 1:25 left in the opening period.

The Huskies carried that momentum through intermission. 1:05 in, Mike Murtagh found a wide-open Messineo on the backside, who skated in and ripped a shot off the post and in to put UConn ahead, 2-1.

Midway through the stanza, the Huskies capitalized on a 1:19-long 5-on-3 power play when Blais blasted a one-timer from the slot home — thanks in part to a screen from fellow freshman Carlin Dezainde — to double the advantage.

Two minutes later, UConn’s firepower line piled on. Richard threaded the puck to a streaking Tattle up the left wing, who then sent a surgical pass to Muldowney on the back post for an easy tap-in. That made it 4-1 Huskies, which held into the second intermission.

UConn had another 5-on-3 opportunity early in the third period and again converted with a one-timer. This time, Shahan buried it — again thanks to a screen from Dezainde.

Despite a flurry of penalties down the stretch, the 5-1 ended up becoming the final. The Huskies return home with a 1-1-0 record and will take next weekend off before hosting Ohio State in their home opener on Oct. 17 at Toscano Family Ice Forum.