Men’s Hockey Splits Series As the No. 20 Minutemen Return Fire

On a Friday night at the Mullins Center, Harvard men’s ice hockey suffered its first defeat under head coach Rob Rassey, losing 4-2 to the UMass Minutemen in the second half of a back-to-back contest.

The contest between the Crimson (1-1) and No. 20 UMass (4-4-1, 1-0 HE) was closer than the final score might suggest, but the Minutemen got the last laugh in a back-and-forth game that included an empty-net goal.

Harvard and UMass played a frantic opening frame, trading chances early before the pace gradually settled down.

A hooking penalty on Minutemen freshman forward Egor Barabanov led to a Crimson power play three minutes in. Harvard quickly capitalized, with sophomore forward Aidan Lane firing a seeing-eye shot that eked past the host’s senior goaltender Jackson Irving.

UMass did not wait long to respond. Junior forward Mikey DeAngelo sniped a long-distance shot past the Crimson’s freshman goalie Rudy Guimond, but luckily for Harvard, the tying tally was overturned following a review for offsides.

A penalty on captain Michael Callow ended Harvard’s good fortune, though, as the Minutemen capitalized on the ensuing power play. After a crisp passing sequence, UMass freshman defenseman Samu Alalauri blasted a one-timer past Guimond’s right shoulder to veritably knot the score at one apiece.

Guimond began to find a rhythm after a slow start, with a post-to-post slide to save a one-timer from Minutemen junior defenseman Larry Keenan during another UMass power play. The chippy, physical style of play continued as both teams exchanged offsetting infractions to end the period.

Rush offense defined the second period, with sophomore forward Heikki Ruohonen and Callow connecting for a particularly good chance off an odd-man break.

A holding penalty on Crimson captain Matthew Morden, who scored the game-winning goal in last night’s victory over the Minutemen, set up a UMass power play with 8:43 remaining in the frame. Guimond, who had found his footing by then, fended off four shots during the kill, including back-to-back opportunities from Minutemen freshman forward Maxim Massé.

The momentum shifted yet again with seven minutes remaining in the frame. The Crimson’s fourth line hemmed in an exhausted UMass defense with a strong forecheck, and Irving was forced to come up with brilliant save after brilliant save, matching his opposing netminder.

But the floodgates eventually opened, and they favored the Minutemen. Sophomore defenseman Landon Nycz completed a stretch pass to sophomore forward Jack Galanek, who sent an equally impressive saucer to freshman forward Melvin Novotny for his first collegiate goal.

The theme of firsts would continue on the other end of the ice, as Harvard junior forward Will McDonough also notched his first collegiate tally. In a solo effort, McDonough streaked into the offensive zone and sniped the puck over Irving to tie the game at 2-2 only 24 seconds after Novotny’s goal.

McDonough, along with fellow junior forwards Justin Solovey and Will Hughes, consistently found success by outworking the Minutemen. For Rassey, who emphasized an “open mind” entering the season, forward depth and contributions across the lineup will be crucial.

The second period may have ended in a deadlock, but Harvard held a definitive lead over UMass in shots on goal at 24-15.

The Crimson continued to get quality scoring looks, but its inability to convert proved definitive. Standout junior forward Mick Thompson couldn’t capitalize on a shorthanded two-on-one opportunity, and then Minutemen senior forward Jack Musa made Harvard pay on the other end. Receiving a dish from below the goal line, Musa finessed a snap shot into the top left corner of the net, regaining the lead for UMass with less than 16 minutes remaining.

A penalty on Massé for tripping with time dwindling ultimately gave the Crimson its best chance to find the tying goal. Harvard had multiple chances to shoot but could not find the trigger, much to the relief of Irving.

In a messy final sequence, Rassey did not pull Guimond until about a minute and a half left in the game. Sloppy point play, a delayed offsides penalty, and a probable missed call against the Minutemen for slashing Ruohonen’s stick enabled Keenan to ice the game. The defenseman launched the puck from his own goal line, where it traveled 185 feet and found the twine of the empty net.

Harvard will face off against Brown next Friday in a home game at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center for its first ECAC matchup of the season. The 7 P.M. matchup can be streamed on ESPN+.

—Staff writer Kai I. Russell can be reached at [email protected].