After a slow start to their season, the UMass Boston men’s hockey team came to life in a big way on Friday, Nov. 4, rolling past New England College by a score of 5–2, and earning their first victory of the young season along with their first win in conference play (1). The Beacons tallied three goals in the second period alone after scoring just three total in their first two games.
After falling in their first two matchups, the Beacons wasted no time getting off the schneid. Freshman forward, Grady Friedman, gave UMass Boston a 1–0 lead less than a minute into the game. Friedman took a feed from fellow freshman forward, Mike Manzo, behind the net, circled around the crease and sent the puck past New England College goalie, Spencer Kozlowski, for the early 1–0 advantage (2).
The Beacons’ defense stifled the Pilgrims for the first five or so minutes of the game, before New England could even put a shot on net against senior goalie Sam Best. Pilgrims forward, Anthony Cintano, finally got one at about the 5:30 mark of the first period, which Best stopped. After the first period was over, the Beacons held a 21–6 advantage in shots on net (2).
Junior forward Owen Bourdow would add another tally for UMass Boston early in the second period, after having a strong drive into the attacking zone. Bourdow sent a skip pass over to sophomore forward Kolye Bankauskas on the right side, which Bankauskas then passed back to Bourdow, who tapped it into a wide-open net to make it 2–0 Beacons (2).
Just four minutes later, the Beacons would take a commanding 3–0 lead. Sophomore forward Alex Duncan and senior defenseman Ryan Bogan made a couple of slick passes to one another, with the puck deflecting off the stick of a New England player. The friendly bounce went to junior forward Corey Clifton, who ripped a beauty past Kozlowski and gave the Beacons a 3–0 lead (2).
UMass Boston would score yet another goal in the second period to increase the lead to four, after junior forward Gino Carabelli took a bouncing feed from Bogan and Bankauskas to extend the lead even further. New England would finally get on the board when the last five minutes of the period came about. Cinato made a nifty move around the Beacon defense during four-on-four gameplay, and in the end, tallied his first goal of the season (2).
The Pilgrims didn’t let the three-goal deficit on the scoreboard dissuade them from fighting back, either; they cut it to 4–2 with fourteen minutes left in regulation. Pilgrims’ forward Linus Udd Hellgren won a face-off in his attacking zone and quickly ricocheted a shot off Best’s pad, to which fellow forward, Manny Cabral, buried on the rebound to keep the Pilgrims alive.
New England made a valiant effort over the last 14 minutes to get back in the game, peppering the UMass Boston defensive zone and pressuring Best with dozens of shots and scoring chances. However, the Beacons did not fold, and sophomore forward Ty Matthews scored the fifth and final goal of the contest, which was assisted by junior forward Evan Googins. UMass Boston has now beaten New England College in three consecutive games and have won four of their last five bouts, which date back to the 2019-2020 season.
Men’s hockey will take on Elmira College and Hobart College in back-to-back games on Nov. 18 and 19 at Barry ice rink (3). Puck drop is at 7 p.m. against Elmira and 4 p.m. the following day against Hobart; make sure you come and root for the team and take in the energetic atmosphere. Help yourself to witnessing the Beacons put on a show as they try to repeat history by once again beating Elmira at home, and try to rewrite history by beating Hobart after tying them at home last season (4).
1. http://beaconsathletics.com/news/2022/11/4/offensive-firepower-propels-mens-ice-hockey-to-big-first-win-of-season-at-home.aspx
2. https://youtu.be/iagdll7xZuQ
3. http://beaconsathletics.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/schedule?path=mhockey
4. 2021-22 Men’s Ice Hockey Schedule – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)