Over the weekend, the UConn men’s hockey team (6-4-2) beat the Northeastern Huskies (7-3-0) for a pair of wins.
In Connecticut’s Friday night 4-2 victory, forward Jake Percival dominated the ice. The senior scored a hat trick after finishing three of his four shot attempts.
When it comes to targeting the net, both programs launched a total of 35 pucks, but Connecticut registered more accurately with a shooting percentage of .114.
In the first period, both teams showcased a stellar defensive performance. Northeastern pressured UConn’s goaltender with 17 shots, while Connecticut could only find the net eight times.
Heading into the second period, the contest stayed close as neither squad could drain a goal. With four minutes remaining in the second period, the game stayed 0-0 until Northeastern forward Griffin Erdman committed a slashing foul. This gave Connecticut a two-minute power play, but they could not cash in any points.
The difference maker came seconds after the power play. With two minutes left in the second period, UConn’s forward Ethan Gardula slipped behind Northeastern’s defense and deflected a shot into the net.
Seconds later, Percival nailed his first of the night. The forward Tristan Fraser slid the puck across the goaltender for Percival to punch it in, giving UConn a 2-0 lead.
It seemed as if Connecticut sealed the win, but Northeastern fought back. Within four and a half minutes into the final period, Dylan Compton ripped the puck from long range and banked his first career goal.
With seven and a half minutes left in the battle, Northeastern tied the clash 2-2. Defensive man Kai Janviriya connected with Jack Pechar to his left, who sniped it in the bottom right bin.
Thirty seconds later, Connecticut’s forward Tabor Heaslip nailed a shot, which led to Percival tipping it in for his second goal. With less than a minute left in the contest, the puck landed in front of Percival after players fought for it in the right corner. This resulted in the senior chipping it into the empty net.
Turning to UConn’s Saturday night 4-3 overtime duel, the program mounted a third-quarter comeback. By the end of the final meeting, four players had accumulated three-plus shots on the net. Percival looked aggressive as he paved the way with six shots.
Collectively, Connecticut outshot Northeastern by 14 tries, but the constant pressure did not pay off. After a quarter and a half of hockey, Connecticut quickly saw themselves down 3-0.
At the 10-minute mark of the first period, Compton slapped in the first netter of the battle for Northeastern. Dylan Hryckowian passed the puck to the freshman, who drained it in from long range.
With a minute and a half remaining in the first period, UConn’s forward Jake Richard conceded a two-minute power play for tripping. Northeastern exploited the four-on-five advantage as Tyler Muszelik saved a shot that tumbled next to him, allowing Giacomo Martino to tap the puck in.
Going into the second quarter, Northeastern did not let off the gas. Erdman stole the puck from a botched pass and buried it with no defenders around.
Midway through the second quarter, Connecticut finally found the back of the net. Thanks to a power play, Gardula sniped the puck in. With nearly five minutes, UConn was not done. From behind, Ryan Tattle snagged the puck, slid it to wide-open Kaden Shahan, who splashed it in.
In need of a tying goal, Percival answered the phone for UConn. With just under five minutes left in the game, Viking Gustafsson Nyberg pitched into the middle of Northeastern’s net. This gave Percival the opportunity to knock it in and deadlock the clash at three apiece.
In overtime, Connecticut wasted no time. After a miscued pass that left the puck up for grabs in enemy territory, Joey Muldowney was off to the races. The forward controlled the puck and shot it past goaltender Lawton Zacher for the victory.
Next up, UConn will travel to face the New Hampshire Wildcats on Friday at 7 p.m. and then will host on Saturday at the Toscano Family Ice Forum at 6:30 p.m.