UConn slogs out 3-3 tie with Stonehill

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UConn men’s hockey sleepwalked to a 3-3 tie with the Stonehill Skyhawks on Tuesday night at PeoplesBank Arena. Facing a team that came in with a 1-12-0 record, the Huskies started flat and never turned it around. They went up 1-0 early before getting out-scored 3-1 in the second period. UConn did just enough to tie it in the third but couldn’t find the game-winner.

Carlin Dezainde scored twice while Kaden Shahan also found the back of the net. Stonehill won the special teams battling, going 2-6 on the power play compared to the Huskies’ 1-5 effort with the extra skater.

UConn jumped out to a 1-0 lead on the power play. Mike Murtagh found Dezainde in the slot, who buried the shot for his fourth goal of the season. Beyond that, the Huskies didn’t play particularly well in the opening 20 minutes.

That caught up to them in the second period. UConn killed a penalty that carried over from the first stanza but then went right back to the box. Stonehill used the ensuing power play to tie the game at 1-1 when a shot bounced off the back boards to Joe Lehtinen, who converted.

The Huskies needed just 38 seconds to answer back. Shahan fired a shot at an impossible angle that snuck between the goalie and the post to put UConn back ahead, 2-1.

From there, the Huskies had plenty of chances to extend the lead but couldn’t capitalize — continuing a main theme of the season so far. That left the door open for the visitors, who took advantage.

First, Stonehill tied it off a face-off. The Skyhawks won the draw and Justin Gibson fired a long-range shot that found the back of the net. Muszelik never saw it.

From there, UConn continued to get in its own way. Tabor Heaslip took a boarding penalty with less than minutes left in the second period to put Stonehill on the power play. The Skyhawks caught two UConn penalty killers napping and got the puck down low to Justin Mexico for the go-ahead goal.

Out of the final intermission, the Huskies had a golden chance to tie it with an early power play but came up empty. They followed that up with back-to-back penalties but, despite some shaky moments, killed both to keep the deficit at one.

Finally, UConn found the equalizer. Alexandre Blais took the puck towards the goal line and patiently waited for a passing lane to open. He eventually found a streaking Dezainde, who buried his second goal of the night to pull the Huskies even at 3-3 with 9:45 remaining.

UConn had one final power play but couldn’t capitalize to steal the win. In the dying seconds, Stonehill had three chances around the net but all of them dribbled wide.

In overtime, the teams traded opportunities — the Huskies had a puck roll along the goal line — but neither could find the back of the net. The Skyhawks won the exhibition shootout for the bonus bump of pride.

The Huskies move to 7-5-3 on the season and fall four spots in the NPI to No. 28. Next, UConn will get a much-needed weekend off before returning to action on Friday, Dec. 5 with a trip to Merrimack.

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