AMHERST – No. 20 University of Massachusetts hockey opened the scoring, but Vermont responded with the next three straight to slip past the Minutemen, 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at the Mullins Center. The loss leaves UMass at 6-6-2 on the year, 1-4-2 in Hockey East, while the Catamounts improve to 3-6-3 overall and 3-4-2 in league action.
“I’m kind of a broken record once again I feel like we probably deserved to win,” said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. “I thought we played hard. Our first and third periods were pretty strong. I think we out-shot them 33-to-9 in those two periods. That goaltender just played really well against us for two games and I give him a lot of credit. I thought our kids deserve better tonight.”
UMass opened the scoring when senior Ryan Lautenbach and freshman James Duerr began a flurry of shots in front of Vermont goaltender Axel Mangbo and sophomore Nick VanTassell put back his own rebound at the right post 9:11 into the first period.
The Catamounts pulled level with the Minutemen moments later. Max Strand won a battle for the puck behind the UMass net and Jens Richard sent a centering pass in front that Timofei Spitserov finished off at the top of the crease at 11:42.
Vermont pulled in front just before the first intermission, 2-1. Will Zapernick won a defensive zone faceoff and Luca Münzenberger cleared the puck up the boards to Isak Walther who found himself in behind the Minuteman defense for the score at the 18:49 mark.
The score remained at 2-1 until UMass sent goaltender Michael Hrabal to the bench for an extra attacker with 3:30 remaining in the third period. Walther added his second goal of the day, an empty-netter for UVM’s third, set up by Joel Maatta and Münzenberger.
The Minutemen responded with an extra attacker goal from senior Lucas Mercuri admidst a scramble in the crease with Dans Locmelis poking the puck free to Mercuri after Kenny Connors sent it through traffic from the perimeter at the 19:30 mark.
UMass kept pressing in the final 30 seconds, but was unable to come up with the equalizer.
The Minutemen finished with a 40-19 advantage in shots on goal and went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.
Hrabal finished with 16 saves and Mangbo totaled 38.
UMass will return to action on Friday, November 29, when the squad will play host to Army West Point at 4 p.m. at the Mullins Center.
