Weekly Roundup: UConn exorcises the Sacred Heart demon

The Huskies finally earned a win over their in-state rivals.

October 06, 2021

Welcome to the UConn Hockey Hub newsletter, which catches you up on all the stories, trends, and anything else you might have missed, along with some quick takes and leftover notes from the weekend.

Weekend thoughts

  • It took eight seasons but UConn finally beat Sacred Heart. The Huskies didn’t play their best but considering it was the season opener and it came against the Pioneers, there’s no complaining about a win.

  • Above all else, it was amazing to be back at the XL Center with fans in the seats. Even with the mask requirement, it felt like the old days.

  • UConn’s special teams proved to be the difference in the game. The penalty kill went 4/4 and looked the part, too. Sacred Heart was constantly retrieving the puck from its own end and never set up in the offensive zone for an extended stretch. UConn won 7/11 face-offs and only allowed eight shots during penalty kills.

  • The Huskies’ one power play was as good as it has ever looked. A face-off win, passing with purpose, and a quick goal. They executed to perfection.

  • UConn closed out the game well. With two minutes left, the Huskies pinned Sacred Heart in its defensive zone so the Pioneers couldn’t pull their goalie until there was one minute left. Once they did, UConn forced two quick turnovers and scored a pair of empty-netters. Those three goals — one power play and two empty-net — were the difference in the game.

  • The Huskies did make some very questionable passes late in the third period and nearly gifted Sacred Heart a breakaway or two. The defensemen need to make better decisions in that situation.

  • Neither Jonny Evans nor Carter Turnbull recorded a shot. Even though it’s only one game, that’s still mildly concerning. Those two players need to be focal points of the offense if UConn is going to be a legitimate Hockey East contender.

  • With the acknowledgment that it was the first game, the Huskies were too sloppy with the puck. There were a lot of turnovers in the defensive and neutral zones and moments where they struggled to get the puck out, especially in the second and third periods. Teams like BU will jump on those mistakes.

  • Darion Hanson wasn’t perfect in his debut in net but he was good enough to get the win. He should’ve stopped Sacred Heart’s first goal but there wasn’t much he could do on the other two — at least from my angle. Hanson appeared to get more comfortable as the game wore on and made some big saves to keep the Pioneers off the board. Overall, the Union transfer was good enough in the opener and should only get better with more action under his belt.

  • There weren’t any surprises with the lineup — which quickly became useless since UConn shook up its lines as the game went on. Chase Bradley, Cassidy Bowes, and Sasha Teleguine claimed the three undecided spots, though it’ll be interesting to see who gets dropped when Nick Capone returns from his injury. All three players are more than capable of contributing.

  • On defense, UConn went with balanced pairings: Jarrod Gourley and John Spetz, Ryan Wheeler and Jake Flynn, Carter Berger and Harrison Rees. Roman Kinal was the extra skater, continuing the Huskies’ trend of using that spot for a defenseman. Unless there’s an injury, those will be UConn’s seven defensemen every night.

  • Not that it’s relevant now but I was surprised Mike Cavanaugh mentioned in his roster breakdown that Ryan Keane was UConn’s backup goaltender last year. I wouldn’t have guessed that.A couple of leftover notes from the preseason:

  • Cavanaugh said the new arena is already helping in recruiting: “We've had some success on the recruiting trail with a couple kids that we probably wouldn't have gotten a look from three or four years ago.” While coaches can’t comment on unsigned recruits, UConn’s three ‘05 commitments — Thomas Klochkov, Jax Wismer, and especially Matthew Wood — are probably the players he’s referencing.

  • Was the coach surprised Jachym Kondelik didn’t sign with the Nashville Predators this offseason? “I was a little surprised, but I'm ecstatic to have him back… I think it's gonna be a great developmental year for Jachym and really help his transition into the NHL. I think it's going to be beneficial for him.”

Links

Three stars

Each week, we’ll highlight UConn’s top performers from the weekend.

First star: Vladislav Firstov

The best player on the ice on Saturday, Firstov scored UConn’s first goal of the season just 1:05 in and later tallied what is already a candidate for the best goal of the season when he used the goaltender as a backboard to put the puck in from behind the net. If Firstov can perform at that level every night, he’ll be one of the best players in Hockey East.

Second star: Ryan Tverberg

Tverberg finished with one goal, two assists and could’ve scored twice more if not for a tough save and a strong defensive play by Sacred Heart. He was dangerous with and without the puck and used his speed to create scoring opportunities. Tverberg also showed off his newfound strength with a couple of big open-ice hits.

The sophomore might be flying under the radar considering UConn’s incredible forward depth, but that won’t be the case for much longer.

Third star: Marc Gatcomb

While Firstov and Tverberg were more productive, Gatcomb had a great all-around day. Defensively, he blocked two shots — tied for most on the team — and took three shots of her own — third-most on the squad. Gatcomb also made a great read to intercept a pass which led to his game-sealing empty-net goal.