It was a ‘get right’ weekend for the UMass hockey team.
The 11th-ranked Minutemen climbed back into the Hockey East fray, capping a weekend sweep of Maine with a 4-1 win on Saturday night in front of 3,545 fans at the Mullins Center.
With the win, UMass improved to 11-4-1 overall, 6-3-1 in Hockey East. The Black Bears fell to 8-7-3, 4-6-2 in Hockey East.
UMass will be back in action one final time before the holiday break with a Tuesday trip to Providence, Rhode Island to face Brown University in a non-conference matchup at 7 p.m.
“That was a very solid weekend for our team,” said UMass head coach Greg Carvel, whose team also won the opener on Friday night, 5-1. “I think this team is maturing where they were desperate for 60 minutes for both games and competed and executed and really, I thought, controlled the tempo of the games for both nights, scored on the power play both nights and just took care of business. Real good signs for us and the four points in the league were huge. I’m very happy with this weekend.”
Junior Mitchell Chaffee put UMass on the board at the 12:57 mark of the second period, cleaning up a bouncing puck at the net front from classmate Oliver Chau and sophomore Marc Del Gaizo for his 12th of the season to open the scoring.
Later in the frame with the Minutemen on the power play, junior John Leonard managed to sweep the puck into an open net off a rebound from Chaffee and Del Gaizo at 18:14 to push the lead to 2-0.
Niko Hildenbrand’s first of the season followed 18 seconds after Leonard’s tally as the senior crashed the net and buried a feed from junior Jake Gaudet and freshman Peyton Reeves.
For a second straight night, Maine spoiled the shutout bid with a power-play goal as Adam Dawe knocked home the lone tally of the night for the Black Bears at 4:27 of the third from Levi Kleiboer and Mitchell Fossier.
UMass capped the scoring at the 17:22 mark with junior Philip Lagunov’s empty net goal from sophomore Ty Famer and senior Jake McLaughlin that went the length of the ice.
The Minutemen ended the contest with a 34-24 shot advantage and were 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Black Bears were 1-for-1. Junior Matt Murray logged 23 saves to pick up the win (7-1-0) in net for UMass, while Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves for Maine.
Chaffee finished the night with two points on a goal and an assist, while Del Gaizo added two helpers to pace the Minutemen. Reeves’ assist marked his first collegiate point.
Women’s basketball
UMass women’s basketball freshman Maeve Donnelly had her first career double-double with 12 rebounds and a single-game program record 10 blocks, as the Minutewomen earned a 75-72 win over Holy Cross on Sunday at the Mullins Center. It is UMass’ third straight win, sixth in the last seven games and fourth in a row on the home hardwood.
The triumph improves UMass to 6-3 on the season, while the Crusaders fall to 4-3.
Four Minutewomen turned in double-figure scoring performances in senior Vashnie Perry (career-high 20), senior Hailey Leidel (19), sophomore Destiney Philoxy (15) and junior Bre Hampton-Bey (10). Philoxy added five dimes and Hampton-Bey came up with a game-high three steals. Leidel also finished the day with 1,502 career points, jumping up two spots to No. 5 on the UMass career scoring list. Kate Mills (2004-08) is fourth with 1,525 career points.
Suburban League
Josh Wood poured in 23 points to lift Pioneer past Turners Falls, 64-19, in a Suburban League Grades 7 and 8 boys basketball game played on Saturday in Northfield.
Kurt Redeker (12 points), Brayden Thayer (11) and Gavin Gammell (10) made it four players in double figures for Pioneer.
Devon Sloan had eight points to lead Turners.
• In Grades 5 and 6 action on Saturday, Turners Falls sponsored by St. Stanislaus Society picked up a 40-33 win over Pioneer in Northfield.
Colin Broderick’s 13 points powered Turners, while Kainen Stevens added 10 points and Danny Widmer chipped in with seven.
Pioneer’s Colin Woodward led all scorers with 15 points.
FCHA
Trailing 5-2 in the third period, the FCHA Squirt Green hockey team sprung to life on Sunday. The club roared back for an 8-5 win over Holy Name in action at Collins-Moylan Arena.
Chase Zraunig’s four goals propelled the comeback victory, while Desmond Drake found the back of the net twice. Nico Siano (goal, assist), Wayde Bardwell (goal), Carter Schloat (assist) and Nolan Kalinowski (assist) also contributed offensively, and Ryan Capen earned the victory between the pipes.
Shotgun Deer Hunting
Here’s a list of the deer reported from the weekend as we reach the halfway point of the Massachusetts Shotgun Deer Hunting Season (note: any deer not reported from other checking stations should be available in Tuesday’s edition):
Bitzer Hatchery (15)
Sunday (3): Tom Furtado III, Montague, 126 pounds, 6 points; Walter Fisher, Northfield, 102, doe; Alexander Ross, Whately, 136, doe.
Saturday (12): Samuel Chmyzinski, New Salem, 118, doe; William Hildreth, South Deerfield, 91, 4; Joe Otto, Greenfield, 101, 2; Shane Jackson, Turners Falls, 116, doe; Kevin Anderson, Northfield, 70, doe; Christopher French, Montague, 65, doe; Kelly Cardaropoli, Erving, 64, button buck; Joseph Dodge, Orange, 125, 8; Barry Kuzmeskus, Conway, 117, doe; Bruin Pratt, Ashfield, 53, button buck; Erik Bardwell, Bernardston, 106, 5; Michael Brown, Gill, 127, 8.
Sunderland Hatchery (10)
Sunday (4): Michael Pfister, Ware, 165, 8; Rowan Cignoni, South Burlington, Vt., 132, 5; Gary Savard, Hatfield, 113, 3; Robert Barnicle, Conway, 135, 8.
Saturday (6): Philip Rocasan, Sunderland, 145, 10; Cameron Chase, Conway, 155, 8; Dennis Russel, Sunderland, 115, doe; Justin Baronas, Whately, 106, 5; Raymond Garlick, Whately, 69, doe; Robert Sadoski, Greenfield, 106, doe.
Overwatch Outpost (16)
Sunday (3): Lucas Donahue, Colrain, 151, 10; Kenneth Shippee, Rowe, 100, doe; John Tietgens, Williamstown, 124, 3.
Saturday (13): Jayme Gay, Charlemont, 152, 8; Todd Poirot, Florida, 133, 7; Jeremy Erho, Rowe, 138, doe; Dan Brown, Colrain, 141, 6; Walter Martin, Charlemont, 102, 4; Jeremy Lanoue, Hawley, 165, 10; Christopher Baker Jr., Hawley, 103, 2; Luke Inman, Hawley, 112, doe; Todd Aubrey, Hawley, 96, doe; William Lawless, Conway, 145, 9; Ronald Stanford, Rowe, 102, 2; Brendon Putnam, Buckland, 103, doe; Levin Hardison, Rowe, 50, doe.