UMass Hockey Triumphs 5-3 Over Harvard in Thrilling Matchup
AMHERST – The No. 20 Massachusetts hockey team secured a hard-fought 5-3 victory against Harvard on Friday night at the Mullins Center, propelled by a standout performance from junior Cole O’Hara, who tallied four points in the contest. This win improves UMass’s record to 6-5-2, while the Crimson falls to 2-3-1.
UMass head coach Greg Carvel remarked on the team’s erratic performance, noting, “I don’t think I’ve ever coached a game where we dominated the first period so badly and got dominated in the second period.” He acknowledged a lapse in focus that contributed to Harvard’s comeback before the Minutemen rallied in the third period.
The scoring opened in the second frame, with sophomore Aydar Suniev netting a rebound at 2:59, assisted by O’Hara and senior Lucas Mercuri. Harvard quickly leveled the game when Marek Hejduk capitalized on a fortunate bounce at 8:31, followed swiftly by a goal from Mick Thompson just 23 seconds later, giving the Crimson a 2-1 lead.
The Minutemen responded strongly in the third period. O’Hara redirected a shot to tie the game at 2-2 before sophomore Dans Locmelis scored on the power play at 5:45, putting UMass ahead. Jack Musa extended the lead to 4-2 with a goal midway through the period, and O’Hara capped the scoring for UMass with a high shot from the left circle just moments later.
Harvard managed to score late in the game with Joe Miller’s goal at 19:18, but it was not enough to close the gap. UMass is poised for success as they prepare for upcoming challenges, buoyed by their strong finish against the Crimson.
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Photo credit www.masslive.com
