BOSTON, MA (January 20, 2024) – First-year forward
Jakob Teply sent the number 13 nationally ranked Cadets of Norwich University packing with a third-period game-winner in a 1-0 New England Hockey Conference thriller from the Edward T. Barry Rink to cap off an unforgettable night in Beaconville. To cap off the win, graduate goalie
Sam Best earned his seventh career shutout for UMass Boston, a new record for Beacons men's ice hockey, and the most in school history.
Teply led the Beacons offensively in the upset, putting a team-high six shots toward net, but he only needed the one miracle shot to break the score sheet. Norwich was strong from the faceoff circle, winning the lion's share of puck drops on the night, however first-year
Jack Mortson supplied the Beacons with the most wins from the faceoff circle, winning 11 of the 21 faceoffs he stepped into. The Beacons blocked 18 shots as a team in the win, with more than half of the active players stepping up to keep the win alive. Senior defender
Kevin Sadovski and sophomore forward
Jude Kurtas served as the playmakers for the Teply's game-winner, each registering an assist on the goal.
The Beacons continued their trend from Friday's win against New England College, coming out in the first period with the heat, as they registered a total of 18 shots in the first period, compared to the Cadets' six shots. Best made easy work of all six shots in the first period. Senior defenseman Blake Colemen had the green light, as he led the Beacs from the defensive end in shots through the first period, letting it rip three times in the Beacons' fiery first period. Despite the onslaught, the Beacons' best chances were smothered by self-inflicted mistakes, as the 0-0 score did not reflect the momentum of the game.
The second period found the cadets gain back some of the momentum they lost in the first period. They managed to bring the shot totals even at 25 following the second period. The Cadets, led by Jed Brazo's five shots, managed to let 19 shots rip toward goal, but Best lived up to his name, putting a stop to each and every shot he faced throughout two periods. UMass Boston would knock but would come up empty in their efforts through this period, only tallying seven shots on net. The score still showed 0-0 despite the back and forth. With tensions rising throughout the two periods, all signs pointed towards a nail-biter finish.
Senior forward Connor Foley started off the third period with a win from the faceoff circle to get things started for the Beacons. Sophomore Jazz Krivstov and Teply were the first to knock on victory's door, stitching together three shots within ten seconds, each unsuccessfully breaking the Cadets' goalie. With time winding down, and the game clock halfway expired in the final period, the scoreboard still read 0-0 and the pressure was at an all time high for the Cadets. The Beacons carried the momentum they had lost from the first period into the second, as they skated with an offensive fire that would ultimately give them the winning edge.
With overtime on the horizon, the game clock read just over four minutes when Sadovski received possession in the Norwich defensive end. His pass along the frame found Kurtas who ripped a shot from the point so hard, his follow-through created havoc that stunned the exhausted Cadets'. The defense, along with the Cadets goalie, wasn't prepared for the cannon, as Kurtas' shot snuck passed the defense, and was deflected from the goalies pads to find Teply, who took who touch to settle, and another to score. Teply was surrounded by a sea of his teammates as they surrounded him to celebrate the upset. The final four minutes were the longest four-minute stretch of the new year for the Beacons, as Best was able to hold on even with an extra forward in the final minute and a half of the game.
The Beacs keep on rolling, going undefeated this weekend including tonight's upset to improve to 7-10-2 on the season, while going 5-7 in conference play. The Beacs face their next challenge on Friday, January 26 against the Beavers of Babson College from Babson Park, MA. Live stats and video coverage can be found at
UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website (beaconsathletics.com).
--BEACONS--
