Maine Hockey Journal

Colby battles to a draw with No. 9 UMass-Boston

(PHOTO: Colby College)

(PHOTO: Colby College)

WATERVILLE – The final two saves of the game were Emerson Verrier’s biggest stops of the night.

The Colby College’s sophomore goalkeeper stopped a breakaway attempt from Derek Colucci with time was winding down in overtime, followed by a penalty shot to hang on to a 1-1 tie with ninth-ranked UMass-Boston Saturday evening at Alfond Rink.

“I thought he was the best player in the building,” Colby College men’s coach Blaise MacDonald said of Verrier. “He moved the puck around. He transitioned (the puck). He was an offensive goalie, and he made some great saves, controlled his rebounds. He played very well tonight.

Verrier made 31 saves. MacDonald said the reason there was a penalty shot awarded was because a Colby player knocked off the net off it’s mooring. He said he had no issue with the call as he saw it clearly.

“Obviously we were yelling from the bench that we saw it knocked off,” UMass-Boston coach Peter Belisle said. “I thought on the initial (breakaway) as (Colucci) was going in, he was kind of getting hooked too. So I didn’t know if that was the call or the net.”

MacDonald was pleased how his team handled the challenge.

“We knew we had a real good challenge against a real good team that won 22 games last year and returned 17 players,” MacDonald said. “So, I think we had to really heighten our awareness and play well in all three zones. I just like how the guys competed for the entire game. With a little puck luck, we could easily have three or four (goals) I think.”

After a scoreless first period, the Mules that got on the board first when Griffin McFadden snapped one past UMass-Boston goalie Billy Faust. It was his first career NCAA goal. Jonathan Sdao and Geoff Sullivan assisted with the goal coming at the 2:37 mark.

“We knew we weren’t playing well,” Belisle said. “They were taking it to us, and it was a matter of time that they would score, and they did. I think it did wake us up a little bit. After the first period, even the first five-ten minutes, they were coming pretty strong. We got better in the second that helped build a little momentum into the third. Then it was just a track meet on bad ice.”

The Beacons were the ones who controlled the bulk of the play in the middle frame. Their efforts were rewarded at the 7:30 mark when Garrison Sanipass found the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season with Colucci notching the assist.

UMass-Boston had a chance to extend their lead on two power plays in the middle frame, but Verrier made a couple outstanding saves to keep the game tied at one heading into the third period.

Both teams were 0-for-4 on the power play.

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