Niko Hildenbrand and Austin Plevy each scored on Saturday and UMass played 19th-ranked Saint Lawrence to a 2-2 draw during the consolation game of the Friendship Four in Northern Ireland.
The game finished in a draw, but in order to decide third place (for the sake of the tournament), the teams went to a shootout that Saint Lawrence won 2-1.
UMass took a 2-0 lead as Hildenbrand scored at the midpoint of the first period. The goal game after UMass freshman Griff Jeszka had his shot stopped by Saint Lawrence goalie Kyle Hayton, but Hildenbrand potted the rebound.
The Minutemen went up 2-0 two minutes into the second period when Plevy scored on the power play on assists from Kurt Keats and Steven Iacobellis.
Saint Lawrence got one back on the power play at 11:17 of the second period when Gavin Bayreuther scored, and the Saints got the equalizer 11:47 into the third when Carson Gicewicz pushed the puck home after a scramble in front of the UMass net.
Ryan Wischow made 26 saves in the UMass net, while Hayton stopped 35 shots for St. Lawrence.
The Minutemen lost to Vermont 4-2 in Friday’s semifinal.
UMass will host Notre Dame this weekend for a pair of games. Friday’s contest will start at 6 and be broadcast on NESN.
UMass women win
Freshman Hailey Leidel poured in a season-high 26 points to lead the UMass women’s basketball team to a 73-44 verdict over Merrimack on Sunday afternoon at the Mullins Center.
The Minutemen (4-2) won their third straight game.
Leidel — who added 8 rebounds and 4 assists— shot 9-of-12 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Maggie Mulligan recorded her Atlantic 10-leading fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds, while Jessica George chipped in with 10 points and 10 rebounds — both career highs. Freshman Ryan Holder added 13 points.
Lindsay Werner led the 2-4 Warriors with a game-high 27 points, all on 3-pointers.
UMass, which led 29-19 at intermission, went on a 16-2 run to start the third quarter to break it open. The Minutewomen also made 15 of 16 from the free throw line.
UMass travels to Hartford Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Worcester State clinics
Worcester State University is holding a number of upcoming baseball clinics:
• The inaugural Holiday Fun Baseball Clinic will take place Dec. 27 through 29 in the school gymnasium.
The clinic is open to players ages 8-18 and runs from 9 a.m. until noon each day. Players can sign up for one or all three days. Cost is $30 per day or $75 for all three.
• The 10th annual Friday Night Baseball School will run on six Friday nights beginning Jan. 27. The clinic is open to players in grades 1 through 12 and takes place in the multi-purpose gym. Hitting runs from 6 to 7 p.m., and pitching runs from 7 to 8. Cost is $100 per session or $165 for both.
• The 22nd annual Hitting Clinic will run from Feb. 20 through 22 in the multi-purpose gym.
The clinic is open to players ages 8-18 and runs from 9 a.m. until noon each day. Cost is $40 per day or $100 for all three. It is the longest continuous running clinic in New England.
For more information go to the Worcester State baseball website.
Dean College camp
Dean College in Franklin is hosting a four-week baseball camp starting Jan. 22.
The program is open to players in grades 1 through 12 and features sessions in advanced hitting, pitching, catching, fielding and baserunning. Space is limited to seven players per coach.
For more information, visit www.USBaseballAcademy.com or call 866-622-4487.