{"id":89031,"date":"2018-11-10T21:40:07","date_gmt":"2018-11-11T03:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/?p=89031"},"modified":"2020-08-24T14:03:45","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T19:03:45","slug":"game-of-the-week-no-9-massachusetts-finding-ways-to-be-in-the-winning-side-of-the-scoreboard-beat-no-4-providence-to-earn-two-game-sweep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/2018\/11\/10\/game-of-the-week-no-9-massachusetts-finding-ways-to-be-in-the-winning-side-of-the-scoreboard-beat-no-4-providence-to-earn-two-game-sweep\/","title":{"rendered":"GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 9 Massachusetts ‘finding ways’ to be on the winning side of the scoreboard, beat No. 4 Providence to earn two-game sweep"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"PROVIDENCE,<\/a>
Freshman Anthony Del Gaizo (c.) celebrates the game-winner for No. 9 Massachusetts in the closing minutes of regulation as the Minutemen swept No. 4 Providence, 3-2. (Photo by Rich Gagnon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PROVIDENCE, R.I. \u2013 <\/strong>Massachusetts coach Greg Carvel remembers too well the number of times he\u2019s walked into post-game press conferences and told the media how proud he was of his team\u2019s efforts but, on that night, the result just wasn\u2019t what his club wanted.<\/p>\n

This weekend, that changed.<\/p>\n

Facing an early-season battle against what most believe will be a Hockey East power, Providence, the Minutemen twice survived onslaughts late in the game from its opposition only to find a way to score the game-winning goal late in regulation to earn identical 3-2 victories in the Thursday-Saturday series.<\/p>\n

The two-game sweep of the No. 4 Friars pushed No. 9 UMass to an 8-1-0 mark on the young season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year, time and again, we\u2019re finding ways to win games we didn\u2019t deserve to,\u201d said Carvel. \u201cIt was a bit of an ugly game [on Saturday] and it was going to come down to which team could grind that extra puck into the net.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Saturday, that grinder goal came from highly-touted rookie Anthony Del Gaizo. Nothing pretty about it, for certain. This was a goal where Del Gaizo drove the net trying to take the eyes away from Friars goalie Hayden Hakwey. Colin Felix\u2019s shot from the point simply hit Del Gaizo in front.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid they give him the goal?\u201d asked Carvel when told Del Gaizo was credited with the game-winner. \u201cIt\u2019s good for him. He needs that. It\u2019s not easy when you\u2019re a high-profile kid coming in, when you\u2019re the MVP of the USHL and you\u2019re playing on the fourth line. That\u2019s quite a transition.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe played well tonight. I bumped him up quite a few times and had him out there late in the game on a different line. I looked like a smart coach there for a second.\u201d<\/p>\n

To get to a point that Del Gaizo could even be there hero took momentus work on the defensive end, particularly from UMass goaltender Matt Murray. After the Minutemen scored twice in the first period on a Philip Lagunov power play goal and a Brett Boeing shorthanded tally, the Friars rallied in the middle frame.<\/p>\n

Jack Dugan scored on a wrister off a faceoff while 4-on-4 before Greg Printz got a step on the UMass defense and fired a shot high over Murray.<\/p>\n

An identical script to Thursday, Providence again seemed poised to find that magical game-winner. Two power plays in the third gave the Friars opportunities galore, most notably a Spenser Young bid with 3:55 remaining. But that\u2019s when Murray was at his best.<\/p>\n

\"PROVIDENCE,<\/a>
UMass goalie Matt Murray hurls to his right to make a game-saving blocker save on Providence’s Spenser Young with 3:55 remaining to keep the game tied at 2. (Photo by Rich Gagnon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cProvidence throws a lot of pucks at the net; they do a really good job of it,\u201d said Carvel. \u201c[Murray] made a lot of big saves, especially down the stretch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve gone back and forth with the two goalies all year and figured we would for a while because [Filip] Lindberg\u2019s played fine too. But what we\u2019ve seen from Murray here, it was a no brainer to go back to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

While UMass is jubilant after the two wins, Providence walks away from the two-game series frustrated, knowing both efforts were solid and enough to win yet the weekend feels lost.<\/p>\n

The common thread is what frustrates Friars coach Nate Leaman.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a repeat of the game Thursday night; we spotted them two goals,\u201d said Leaman. \u201cWe fought back and I was proud of the way we fought back.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day it comes down to one shot. We only gave up two [shots] in the third, but one of them went in.\u201d<\/p>\n

UMass\u2019 8-1-0 start is the best since the program became a full-fledged Division I hockey program in 1994, surpassing a mark of 7-2-0 in 2009-10. As the team consistently ascends the national rankings, one might think this team, with a top three winning percentage, could expect to garner votes for number one in the next USCHO.com poll.<\/p>\n

Carvel is certainly bullish on this team, but stopped way short of calling this the nation\u2019s best club.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely [a statement weekend],\u201d said Carvel. \u201cThat\u2019s what everybody said after we beat [No. 1] Ohio State. That\u2019s what everyone said when we beat New Hampshire for the first time in 12 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve made a couple of statements, but it\u2019s now in the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut no [we\u2019re not a number one team]. Not the way we played. We don\u2019t deserve that. We\u2019re a good team. We\u2019re a top 10 team, maybe better. But we snuck by with these two wins.\u201d<\/p>\n

No. 2 St. Cloud State 4, No. 5 Denver 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the second consecutive night, St. Cloud State rallied from an early deficit, this time a 2-0 hole, to skate past Denver, 4-3.<\/p>\n

Three straight goals from Nick Perbix, Blake Lizotte and Easton Brodzinski erased the two-goal deficit late in the second.<\/p>\n

After Denver tied it on a Cole Guttman goal, Kevin Fitzgerald potted the game-winner with 10:53 left.<\/p>\n

St. Cloud State sweeps the two-game series with the Pioneers and improves to 9-1-0 on the season, the best mark of any team in the nation.<\/p>\n

\n

SCSU vs. DU – Nov. 10 highlights:https:\/\/t.co\/B8GcxHH47B<\/a>#unleashSCSU<\/a> #StCloudState<\/a>#NCHCHockey<\/a> #NCAAHockey<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SCSU Men’s Hockey (@SCSUHUSKIES_MH) November 11, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n