AMHERST – The promise and problem of relying on so many freshmen presented itself at the Mullins Center.
Two UMass first years found the net against No. 14 Providence, but an untimely penalty and a poor overtime decision cost the No. 5 Minutemen in a 4-3 overtime Hockey East loss Saturday.
“Playing the freshmen a lot because they are the ones who score the goals and provide us offense, but they’re also making a lot of young mistakes, which aren’t too unexpected,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said.
UMass (5-3-1, 1-3 Hockey East) led the Friars (6-2, 4-0-1) 3-1 after a domineering second period. Michael Cameron scored 3 minutes, 50 seconds in from Reed Lebster to give UMass its first lead, and freshman defenseman Mikey Adamson tipped a Cal Kiefuk pass in at 12:04 that extended the advantage.
Adamson became the sixth freshman in UMass’ eight-player class to score his first goal, converting in his collegiate debut.
“Kind of a blur, really. Just happened to bear down and bury,” said Adamson, a Quincy native. “I don’t think I played great. It was cool to get the first one. Would have rathered a win.”
UMass’ third goal awakened the Friars willingness to work. After the Minutemen out shot them 19-11 in the first two periods, Providence peppered the UMass net with 22 shots and allowed just three in the third.
“We’re down two goals, so we had to get going. We got our legs a little bit. We were a little too passive in the second and especially in the first,” Providence coach Nate Leaman said. “We weren’t working to get the spot. The legs came around a little bit.”
Freshman Tyson Dyck took a roughing penalty 9:05 into the third that Providence converted into a power play goal five seconds later. Patrick Moynihan tapped in a goal from Max Crozier and Parker ford.
Ford netted the tying goal two minutes later from Brett Berard cleaning up a rebound.
“We took a really selfish penalty, which allowed them to score, gave them life and then they took the game over,” Carvel said. “We never really got back into it.”
The 3-3 scoreline after the third sent UMass to overtime for the third time in four Hockey East games. Defenseman Scott Morrow and freshmen Michael Connors and Dyck controlled the puck for the first minute of the 3-on-3 extra period.
Dyck tried to push the puck back into the offensive zone too aggressively and met two Friars. Nick Poisson dispossessed him and fed Berard up the boards. He beat UMass goalie Luke Pavicich 1-on-1 to hand the Minutemen their third loss in a row, their longest skid since 2018.
“Giving up a two-goal lead at home is not something you need to learn. You don’t need to learn lessons from it. It shouldn’t happen,” Carvel said. “These guys have played enough hockey. It’s not acceptable. At anytime.”
UMass originally trailed 11:31 in when Jamie Englebert opened a clear lane to Pavicich (30 saves) and rifled the puck past him. Liam Valente and Max Crozier received assists.
The Minutemen responded after Taige Harding’s high stick gave UMass a power play. Ryan Ufko ripped a low laser from Kiefiuk and Morrow just nine seconds into the man advantage.
UMass scored three goals in a row before the Friars responded with the same. They swept UMass for the first time 2017, when Providence beat the Minutemen four times in a row to end the season.
“We have to realize that we are defending Hockey East champions,” Ufko said. “Every team that we play, they’re gonna prepare the same way when we played Denver when they were the No. 1 team in the country. We have to respect that, and we have to realize that and prepare like that for every weekend and every game that we play.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.