UConn surrenders two-goal lead in 5-4 loss to UMass

UConn men’s hockey surrendered a two-goal lead en route to a 5-3 loss to the UMass Minutemen at Toscano Family Ice Forum on Friday night.

The Huskies jumped out to a 2-0 advantage thanks to a pair of goals Joey Muldowney and even remained ahead 3-2 entering the third period. Then UMass scored three goals in seven minutes — part of four unanswered by the visitors — to go ahead 5-3. UConn scored with 53 seconds left but couldn’t find the equalizer and ultimately fell.

With the loss, the Huskies are now winless in their last three games — their longest such stretch of the season.

Muldowney got UConn off to a quick start with two goals in the first seven minutes. On the first, he deked through a pair of defensemen and then fired a back-handed shot past a sprawling goaltender to give the Huskies an early lead. A few minutes later, Hudson Schandor delivered a perfect pass from behind the net and Muldowney ripped it top-shelf to double the advantage.

From there, UConn stunted its own momentum. John Spetz took a hooking penalty then Viking Gustafsson Nyberg followed him there for the same reason, which put UMass on a 1:09-long 5-on-3. As if being down two men wasn’t enough, Jake Percival’s twig broke then Tabor Heaslip’s snapped in solidarity, which meant the Huskies had just one skater with a stick. UConn eventually got a stoppage and killed the penalties to remain up 2-0.

The Minutemen finally got on the board thanks to a power play that carried over from the end of the first period. The Huskies couldn’t clear the puck from the net-front and Jack Musa buried a rebound to cut the lead to 2-1.

UConn’s man-advantage answered on its first opportunity of the day. Kaden Shahan found a wide-open Whitcomb on the back post, who ripped a shot near-side high to push the gap back out to two.

It wouldn’t stay that way long, though. Just 1:08 later, UMass responded to pull back within a single goal. Even though the Huskies had another power play — including a long delayed penalty that preceded it — the 3-2 scoreline held into the second intermission.

In the third, the Minutemen needed just five minutes to take the lead. They tied it on a shot from the circle that beat Muszelik near-side then Jack Musa notched a hat trick with a re-direct that put UMass ahead, 4-3.

It didn’t end there. UConn lost a puck battle on its own blue line and Kenny Connors ripped a shot off the post and in to give the Minutemen a two-goal lead.

The Huskies pulled the goalie with 2:15 remaining and scored with the extra skater to make it a 5-4 game with 53 seconds left. Despite giving themselves life, they couldn’t find the equalizer in the remaining time.

UConn drops to 14-10-3 on the season and 7-8-3 in Hockey East with the loss. Next, the Huskies will try to stop the skid on Saturday when they take on UMass Lowell at the XL Center.