Box Score NORTHFIELD, Vt.—#1 Norwich University scored two extra-attacker goals in the final 1:23 of regulation to force UMass Boston men's hockey to settle for a 3-3 overtime tie in their 2021-22 New England Hockey Conference opener.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 3, #1 Norwich University 3 (OT)
(UMass Boston 1-1-1, NEHC 0-0-1)
(Norwich 1-0-1, NEHC 0-0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED
After giving up a goal in the opening 65 seconds, UMass Boston controlled the next 58 minutes and consistently went right at the preseason #1 team in Division III.
Junior
Dakota Concannon (Warwick, N.Y.) scored a goal and added an assist to pace the Beacons offensively.
Jeffrey Skinner (Katy, Texas) and
Joe Petruzzella (Scottsdale, Ariz.) also scored for the Beacons in the team's first-ever tie against the Cadets.
Owen Bourdow (Saginaw, Mich.),
Ryan Rowland (Manahawkin, N.J.) and
Nolan Barrett (Wayne, N.J.) each picked up assists for the Beacons.
In net, junior
Sam Best (Woburn, Mass.) made 26 saves on 29 shots to stay unbeaten on the season (1-0-1).
Norwich's Noah Williams and Clark Kerner each scored extra-attacker goals for the hosts. Phil Elgstam scored the first goal of the night for Norwich.
Norwich's Drennen Atherton made at least 11 saves in each of the first three periods and finished the night with 39 saves.
The Cadets took a 1-0 lead just 1:05 into the game. After an intial shot got blocked, Elgstam sent a shot through a sea of bodies that found the back of the net.
UMass Boston quickly grew into the game and ended up outshooting the hosts 12-8 for the period. Petruzzella tied the game at 11:36, when Concannon found him wide-open in the face-off circle and he ripped a shot over Atherton's shoulder.
The Beacons took the lead 9:21 into the second period. Atherton made the initial save on a shot from distance, but Skinner pounced on the rebound just outside the crease and poked it in for a 2-1 lead.
UMass Boston put the hosts on upset watch 7:26 into the third period when Concannon scored his first collegiate goal.
Norwich started upping the pressure late in the third and used a ton of traffic in front of Best to get back into the game. Williams cut the deficit to 3-2 with 1:23 left and the Cadets tied the game with 10 seconds left in regulation on a Kerner goal.
UMass Boston bounced right back and outshot the Cadets 6-4 in the extra session. Senior
Ethan Nitkin (Miami Beach, Fla.) had a great one-one-one chance with Atherton, but the goalie was able to get a piece of it.
BY THE NUMBERS
- UMass Boston outshot the Cadets 42-29, while Norwich led 48-27 on face-offs.
- Concannon recorded his first collegiate goal and first multi-point game in his season debut.
- With the tie, UMass Boston snapped a 12-game losing streak (11 against Norwich) at Kreitzberg Arena. The Beacons are 2-29-1 all-time against Norwich on the road.
- Both teams finished 0-2 on the power-play.
- Bourdow recorded his first collegiate point (an assist) in the contest.
- Friday's tie was the first conference-opening tie in program history.
- Junior Ryan Bogan (Brick, N.J.) and senior Evan Rochowiak (Livonia, Mich.) each made their season debut in the game.
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston will travel to take on New England College Saturday at 4 p.m. in another conference tilt.
