Box Score
BOSTON, Mass.—Junior captain Albee Daley (Averill Park, N.Y.) recorded his first collegiate hat trick, to lead UMass Boston men's hockey to their first title game since 2009, with a 6-3 win over fourth-seeded University of New England (UNE).
THE BASICS
#9/10 UMass Boston 6, University of New England 3
(#9/10 UMass Boston 20-4-3)
(University of New England 14-10-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Daley scored a power-play goal, a short-handed goal and a empty-netter, to lift UMass Boston to an exhilarating win over the Nor'Easters, in front of a near capacity crowd.
With the win, UMass Boston secured a date with second-seeded Babson College for a fourth-straight season. The Beacons and Beavers will meet in the New England Hockey Conference Championship Game on Saturday at 7 p.m. Babson ended UMass Boston's season in the ECAC East Semifinals in each of the past three seasons.
With the loss, the Nor'Easters end their most successful season in program history 14-10-3. The University of New England will head to the Commonwealth Coast Conference next season.
Defensemen Andrew Crawford (Medford, Mass.) and John Bonno (Kennesaw, Ga.) each recorded their first collegiate goals in the win, while freshman Drew Gannon (Plano, Texas) was credited with his first collegiate game-winner.
Freshman Garrison Sanipass (Northbrook, Ill.) finished with a team-high two assists in the win.
In net, senior Billy Faust (Alta Loma, Calif.) was a brick wall in the third period, as the Beacons' netminder made 12 of his 25 saves in the third stanza.
Nor'Easters' freshman goalie Connor Maloney put together another huge showing, as the freshman stopped 42 of 47 shots. Maloney posted his two highest save total against the Beacons this year, as he made a career-high 49 saves on 54 shots in January.
Freshman Armand Uomoleale and Brady Fleurent both found the net for UNE, wile senior Ryan Quinn added a tally in his final collegiate game.
The Nor'Easters came out firing against UMass Boston and grabbed a 1-0 lead at 11:34 with a power-play tally. The team's top power-play unit sliced up the Beacons' penalty kill, as Trevor Fleurent and Dylan Bengston started a series of tic-tac-toe passes, that led to a wide-open net for Uomoleale who easily scored.
UMass Boston responded at 16:32 to cut the momentum that was heavily in UNE's favor. Sanipass created a turnover behind the Nor'Easters net and fed Bonno, who roofed a shot over Maloney's shoulder for a 1-1 tie.
Daley made it 2-1 moments later, as the junior tipped home a Tyler Bishop (Ramsey, N.J.) shot just 10 seconds into a power-play. Frankie DeAugustine (Pittsburgh, Pa.) picked up the second assist on the play.
After failing to score on the power-play to close the period, the Beacons found themselves tied 2-2 just 2:59 into the second on a UNE power-play goal. Nick Wirth won a face-off back to Tucker Ross and Ross fed Ryan Quinn, who sent a no-look shot past Faust from the far circle.
UMass Boston needed just 42 seconds to grab the lead right back, as Crawford rifled a shot off a UNE player and in, for his first collegiate goal in his 68th collegiate game.
The Nor'Easters weren't going down with a fight, as B. Fleurent tied the game at 3-3 midway through the period. The freshman struggled to control the puck through traffic but tipped it through Faust's five-hole for his team-leading 13th goal.
Gannon made it 4-3 less than two minutes later, as the fourth-line came through with the go-ahead goal. Zach Lindsay's (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) forced a turnover and while his initial shot was saved, off the scramble in front Jeremy Finger (Orlando, Fla.) tipped the puck over to Gannon, who slid it just inside the far post at 12:19.
UMass Boston grabbed their first two-goal advantage of the contest at 16:53, as Daley potted his team-leading second short-handed goal of the year. The junior captain came in on a two-on-one rush and sniped a shot past Maloney from the far circle for a 5-3 lead.
The Nor'Easters were the aggressors in the third period, but couldn't find a way past Faust and the Beacons' defense. Time after time Beacons defenders laid out in front of Faust, as the Beacons totaled 14 blocked shots on the day.
The visitors pulled their goalie with 2:56 to play, but couldn't get a goal back. Daley put the icing on the cake with six second left, as his pass went off a UNE player and into the net for his first collegiate shutout.
BY THE NUMBERS
- With the win, UMass Boston reaches a conference championship game for just the third time in program history.
- UMass Boston reached the 20-win mark for the second-straight year and just the third time in program history.
- The Beacons ended the day 1-for-4 on the man advantage, while UNE went 2-for-5.
- On the day, the Beacons earned a 48-28 shot advantage and 46-37 advantage in the face-off dot.
- With the win, UMass Boston stayed unbeaten against the Nor'Easters at 19-0-1.
WHO'S NEXT
#9/10 UMass Boston will host #9/10 Babson College on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the NEHC Championship Game. The winner of Saturday's contest will earn the conference automatic bid and a spot in the 11-team NCAA Tournament.
