From UConn Huskies.com
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Six different Huskies found the back of the net as the UConn men's hockey team took down St. Lawrence 6-3 in the third place game of the Ice Vegas Invitational at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday night. The Huskies split the weekend and come home at 7-12-1 overall.
The Huskies built a 4-0 lead just under 10 minutes into the first period and never looked back, putting a season-high six goals on the board. Freshman Marc Gatcomb (Woborn, Mass.) scored his first collegiate goal in the win while seniorKarl El-Mir (Montreal, Quebec) had two assists and freshman Kale Howarth (Red Deer, Alberta) had a goal and an assist. Howarth was named to the Ice Vegas Invitational all-tournament team.
Senior Max Kalter (Highland Park, Ill.) opened the scoring in the win and was followed by Howarth, Gatcomb and freshman Jachym Kondelik (Budejovice, Czech Republic) in the first period. The Huskies tacked on two more in the second period, coming off the sticks of juniors Benjamin Freeman (Falmouth, Maine) and Alexander Payusov (Montreal, Quebec).
The Huskies put a season-high 44 shots on goal in the win. Junior goaltender Adam Huska (Zvolen, Slovakia) made 22 saves to earn his fifth win on the season.
1st Period:
The Huskies built a 4-0 lead just over nine minutes into the opening period and had a trio of freshmen find the back of the net. Kalter got things started just 2:25 into the game, burying a rebound off a Brian Rigali (Libertyville, Ill.) shot in front for his sixth goal on the season.
From there, the rookies took over. Howarth made it 2-0 UConn at the 5:59 mark, burying a pretty snipe from the left circle off a feed from classmate Roman Kinal (Waterford, Mich.). Gatcomb picked-up his first collegiate goal at 6:55 to make it 3-0. Sophomore Evan Wisocky (Hoboken, N.J.) put the puck on net from the left wing where classmate Zac Robbins(Glenview, Ill.) got a deflection but was denied. Gatcomb was sitting at the right post to clean up the rebound.
The Gatcomb goal chased starter Emil Zetterquist from goal and then Kondelik made it 4-0 Huskies at the 9:13 mark. Freshman Carter Turnbull (Nanaimo, British Columbia) and El-Mir dug the puck out of the right corner to Kondelik who put a wrister past Mannella from the circle for his second this season.
St. Lawrence got on the board just 30 seconds later as Gleekel found a loose puck in front of Huska and put it home to cut the Husky lead to 4-1.
2nd Period:
The Huskies tacked on the first goal of the second at 4:39, coming off an offensive zone face off. Howarth won the draw back to defenseman Corson Green (Potsdam,N.Y.) who left it for Freeman who weaved his shot through some traffic and past Mannella for his fourth on the year and a 5-1 lead.
The Saints pulled within 5-2 at 10:21 on Pickering's second of the season. SLU broke out on a 3-on-2 with Carson Dimoff leaving the puck for the trailing Pickering who buried it past Huska with a wrist shot.
UConn's Payusov became the sixth different Husky to find the back of the net with his team-leading 11th on the year at 17:27 to make it 6-2. El-Mir carried the puck up the left win on a break-out chance and set centered to Payusov who put a wrister past Mannella with a shot that took a bounce in front.
3rd Period:
The Saint got four power play chances in the third period and capitalized on the fourth, cutting the Husky lead to 6-3 at the 18:14 mark. Andrew McIntyre got his second on the season, deflecting a Jake Stevens shot past Huska top-shelf to close out the scoring on the night.
Up Next:
The Huskies return to Connecticut and return to Hockey East play with a trip to Merrimack on Friday, Jan. 12.