Colorado College Defeats No. 10 Massachusetts 6-1 in Altitude
The No. 10 University of Massachusetts hockey team dropped a 6-1 decision to Colorado College at Ed Robson Arena on Saturday, falling to 0-2-0 on the young season. Colorado College capitalized on early offensive pressure in the Colorado Springs altitude, handing the Minutemen their second loss of the opening weekend series.
The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead for the second straight night, backed by a 39-23 advantage in total shots on goal. UMass head coach Greg Carvel pointed to inconsistent goaltending and early-season adjustments as major factors in the lopsided defeat.
Tobias Trejbal Pulled After Puck-Handling Mishap
Colorado College opened the scoring late in the first period when Riley Stuart collected a pass from Ty Halaburda alone at the net front and shovelled a backhander off the shoulder of freshman goaltender Tobias Trejbal at 18:17. The Tigers doubled their lead at the 10:03 mark of the second period when Drew Montgomery intercepted a loose puck behind the net, spun, and slid it through the five-hole after Trejbal misjudged his positioning in the trapezoid.
UMass cut the deficit in half at 14:59 of the second frame. Freshman Egor Barabanov cleaned up a rebound from the slot off a shot by classmate Barrett Dexheimer, lofting a wrist shot over goaltender Jackson Unger’s shoulder for his first career collegiate point. Junior Francesco Dell’Elce earned the secondary assist on the play.
The momentum proved short-lived. Just 53 seconds later, Philippe Blais-Savoie fired a one-timer from the blueline past Trejbal off feeds from Carmelo Crandell and Mats Lindgren. Carvel immediately replaced Trejbal with senior Jackson Irving, ending Trejbal’s night with 17 saves.
Third Period Penalties Seal the Tigers’ Victory
Looking to claw back into the contest early in the third period, UMass appeared to pull within one goal when freshman Max Curran scored, but a Colorado College challenge successfully overturned the play after video review determined Curran had kicked the puck in. The successful challenge shifted momentum firmly back to the hosts.
The Tigers pulled away midway through the final frame. Bret Link scored at 10:27, and Max Burkholder added another tally at 11:28. Discipline issues compounded the Minutemen’s struggles down the stretch; after taking only one penalty on Friday, UMass committed five penalties on Saturday. Connor Hvidston capped the scoring with a power-play goal at 16:54 off a clean pass from Owen Beckner, securing a 1-for-4 night on the power play for Colorado College while UMass went 0-for-2.
Jackson Irving finished with 16 saves in relief for the Minutemen, while Jackson Unger stopped 22 shots for the Tigers to secure a 2-0-0 start to their campaign.
Mullins Center Home Opener Against RIT Awaits
Carvel emphasized that the early-season road trip served as a valuable, if difficult, reality check for a lineup featuring six freshman forwards and two freshman defensemen. “We’re inconsistent right now, and I just said to the team, ‘I don’t really mind coming out here and getting humbled,'” Carvel said. “You know, we had a lot of talk about rankings and all this other stuff, and you know, we might have got away from ourselves a little bit. So we’ve been humbled, and we’ll learn from it.”
The Minutemen return to Amherst to host RIT for their home opener at the Mullins Center on Friday, Oct. 9, with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which goaltenders saw ice time for UMass over the opening weekend series against Colorado College?
Ethan Eskit played the entirety of Friday’s season-opening loss, while Tobias Trejbal and Jackson Irving split time in net during Saturday’s 6-1 defeat.
Who recorded their first collegiate points for the Minutemen on Saturday?
Freshmen Egor Barabanov and Barrett Dexheimer both registered their first career collegiate points on Barabanov’s second-period goal, with an additional secondary assist going to junior Francesco Dell’Elce.
When and where is the next game for the Massachusetts hockey team?
UMass plays its home opener against RIT on Friday, Oct. 9, at the Mullins Center in Amherst, with the game beginning at 7:30 p.m.
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