CANTLON: UCONN BLANKS PROVIDENCE COLLEGE 2-0 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

STORRS, CT – On the strength of Tomas Vomacka’s 37 saves, and Jonny Evans’ two-point performance, the UCONN Huskies earned a 2-0 shutout victory over the Providence College Friars win Monday afternoon at the Freitas Ice Forum.

The shutout was the first one for UCONN in two years.

UCONN’s record improves to (2-4-1) and snaps a three-game losing streak. Meanwhile, Providence sees its record drop below the .500 mark to (2-3-1).

UCONN has a home-and-home series with the University of New Hampshire on New Year’s Day at 4 PM which will be broadcast on NESN. Then, the next day, UCONN returns to Freitas Ice Forum for the return tilt with the Wildcats at 5 PM.

Providence College (PC) returns to Rhode Island and will take on the University of Vermont in a weekend series.

PC came into the game ranked 15th in the USHCO poll and 13th in the USA Today poll.

UCONN was down two forwards to start the third period as they lost Kale Howarth and Eric Linnell in the last minute of the second period. The team earned themselves an insurance tally from Evans which led the way to just their third win ever over PC and snapped a six-game losing streak against the Friars.

“I just said to the team it wasn’t, but it was gutsy. We were down two guys and played gutsy in the third period. We played hard and found a way to win the third period of the hockey game. It was typical UConn-Providence (a) tough, physical, Hockey East game,” remarked  UCONN Head Coach, Mike Cavanaugh.

Cavanaugh had to do some serious line reconstruction in the third period to compensate for the loss of his two players. The team continued to play a 200-foot game, led by Evans, who at times seemed like he was playing 215 feet.

UCONN put early pressure on the Friars goalie Jaxson Stauber including efforts from Adam Karachik, Brian Rigali, and Carter Turnbull that were all turned aside, followed by a John Spetz drive, and a Jachym Kondelik wraparound attempt as they tried to get the all-important second goal.

The Friars countered back, but Vomacka was spot on. Matt Tugnutt, Max Koopman, and Greg Printz had “Grade-A” chances rejected.

Turnbull with a strong left-wing rush denied by Stauber, but Evans finally put the puck in the net at 14:41.

He took a lead pass from Kondelik and went down the right-wing wall. As he ran out of real estate, he whistled a wrister over Stabber’s glove to the short-side for his third of the season.

“I just had a lucky stick,” Evans remarked with a wry smile.

Cavanaugh was impressed with another clutch play.

“That was a great shot short-side. It’s another area where we need to shoot more.”

Vomacka made a save on Jason O’Neil as PC had one last gasp to try and get on the scoreboard.

“(Vomacka) does so muck back there for us. We wanted to get this one for him. We owed him one,” Evans said.

UCONN played the remainder of the game on the powerplay after Karachik took a wicked elbow to the head from the Friars’ Nick Poisson. He earned a major penalty and a Game Misconduct, and likely a suspension upcoming from Hockey East.

The Huskies scored the game’s first goal early in the second period.

Evans kept charging behind the net, forcing the puck off a PC player’s stick and up the right-wing wall. His linemate, Kondelik, got the loose biscuit and flipped it up the right-wing boards at the right point to the team captain, Karachik.

Karaschik came off the boards and put a low wrist shot on net with traffic in front. The puck eluded Stauber at 2:01. It was Karaschik’s first goal in 80 games with what proved to be the eventual game-winner.

“It felt good getting the monkey off my back. I was actually shocked a bit because we had guys screening in front. It felt good coming out with a good bounce-back Hockey East win, then getting a goal,” remarked Karachik.

“He’s the heart and soul of this team. He’s a gritty player who plays a lot of minutes. I thought it hit something; maybe Tyce Thompson’s stick. He found a way to get it down there, and good things happen when you shoot the puck at the net.”

Evans’ effort didn’t go unnoticed.

“He made a commitment in the off-season with our strength coach, Mo Butler. He’s a lot stronger than when he got here. He’s playing a lot of minutes for us on both ends of the ice. Right from the beginning, he has been our best forward and most consistent player.”

Evans played it cool.

“The whole team was playing a 200-foot game. We cheated a bit in the second and got away from that (PC had 18 shots on net).”

O’Neil had a strong period. The only reason he didn’t register a hat trick was Vomacka’s steady, reliable effort in net.

O’Neil rushed in on the right-wing and his left-handed shot was denied. Later, as his shift was ending, he got another crack at a goal in the slot, but Vomacka gobbled it up. Then at 11:09, O’Neil burst down the left-wing side and Vomacka made a kick save to deny him once again.

The Huskies had a break-in chance as Marc Gatcomb sent Turnbull in behind the Friars’ defense. He got the shot at Stauber but got whacked for his troubles by Jamie Engelhart.

UCONN’s power-play continues to have its problems and couldn’t convert.

Kondelik used his size to swipe a clearing attempt and put it to the ice before snapping a wrister that led to a Stauber glove save.

Zac Robbins followed and made an important block inside the Huskies zone to keep a dangerous PC play from developing.

With 2:44 left in the period, O’Neil tried to get a shot to evade Vomacka but he kept the biscuit from the basket.

“Tomas made the first save look easy tonight. He did a great job controlling his rebounds, stopping the first shot, and we didn’t let then get too many second whacks,” Cavanaugh said. “Too many shots for my liking. It’s an area (we have to work on) as long as there one and done and not too many whacks at the puck, we can live with that.”

The Huskies had a late chance with 38 seconds left that was stopped by Stauber, and in the waning seconds, Vomacka stopped Michael Callahan and Printz on the rebound.

The first period was a scoreless duel. UCONN goalie and PC’s were both tested and both kept the red light off.

UCONN continued its problem of early game penalty issues. They forced them to kill two minors in the first ten minutes. The second one came from East Haven and Salisbury School’s, Nick Capone, who escaped being called for a major penalty on a borderline hit.

UCONN’s PK rose up to the challenge. Evans, who was without his stick, blocked Thompson’s attempt. Rigali was on the back-end of that PK kill with a strong, center ice hit that separated the player from the puck and sent it down the ice.

Robbins came off the bench only to be stopped from 15 feet out. Just prior to that chance, Stauber kept Kondelik’s wraparound attempt out of the cage.

PC’s Cam McDonald was then denied by Vomacka with 5:33 to go. Mike Needham, who played well against UCONN last year, was stopped. Printz tried to send one past Vomacka but was denied.

With 2:23 left in the period, Turnbull was deep on the right-wing side and had his shot swept aside by Stauber.

With 1:48 to go, Howarth had a strong period using his stick on the forecheck. PC’s Max Crozier nailed him with a tough hit and received a penalty for it.

Printz tested Vomacka with 1:04 to go, but the slick Czech goalie kept the scoreboard reflecting zero for the Friars.

NOTES:

Howarth was hit by PC’s, Parker Ford, with 45 seconds left in the second period and was hurt by it. His condition was still under post-game medical evaluation. Cavanaugh had no report.

Linnell, a winger, was taken down with 1:38 to go with what appeared to be an apparent slew foot. After a review, it was decided that it wasn’t and there was no call. He could have returned, but the team chose to err on the side of caution.

PC was also down a player in the third because winger, Uula Ruikka, was too banged up to continue.

UCONN LINES:

Howarth-Kondelik-Evans

Gatcomb-Artem Schlaine-Turnbull

Robbins-Hudson Schandor-Rigali

Linnell-Cassidy Bowes-Capone

Jake Flynn- Karachik

Carter Berger-Spetz

Roman Kinal-Harrison Rees

Ryan Wheeler

NOTES:

UCONN will add a depth forward in the second semester as recently committed Ryan Tverberg, a seventh-round choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs this past October will join the team. His Toronto Jr. Canadians (OJHL) have yet to play with the Ontario province in a one-month lockdown.

UCONN had three NHL picks in their lineup, and now have six total and eight since joining Hockey East.

WORLD JUNIORS

UCONN is without Yan Kuznetsov and Vladislav Firstov who are playing with the WJC Russian team that spanked the USA, 4-1 in the first game of the preliminary rounds. They were shutout 2-0 by the Czech Republic in an exciting game the following night.

UCONN has had three other WJC representatives. They were Tage Thompson (USA gold – 2011), Kondelik (Czech Republic – 2016), and Adam Huska (Slovakia – 2016-2017).

Huska’s game against Canada in 2016 is still one of the Top 10 performances in the history of the tournament.

The US plays the Czech Republic and Canada plays Switzerland. Both games are on the NHL Network as are all the WJC games as they pick up the TSN feed out of Canada.

Germany, an under-manned squad, picked up a 4-3 OT win over Slovakia, which pushed Canada hard in a 3-1 loss.

PC head coach, Nate Leamans, is off coaching the US WJC entry in Edmonton. His associate coach, Ron Rolston, is a veteran in running things in his absence.

Rolston has a very long and extensive professional and collegiate resume. He was the head coach for the last edition of the Springfield Falcons (AHL) and an assistant at Boston College, Clarkson, Harvard, and Lake Superior State.

He played at Michigan Tech and had pro stints in Buffalo with the Sabres and in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. He also worked with USA Hockey for the WJC U-20 with Leeman’s winning gold in 2011 and captured medals with the U-18 and U-17 teams.

PC features a few CT connections in their lineup. Their captain, Thompson (Milford/Salisbury Prep), is the son of ex-Hartford Wolf Pack and current AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers Head Coach, Brent Thompson. His brother is former UCONN Husky, Tage Thompson, who is now in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres.

PC senior defenseman, Ben Mirgaes (Avon Old Farms), is a NY Islanders draft pick and senior, John McDermott (Darien/Westminster Prep). Not in the lineup and off at the WJC Tournament in Edmonton are freshmen forward, Brett Berard, a New York Rangers draft pick, is the son of one-time UCONN assistant coach, David Berard, who is now the head coach at Holy Cross (AHA).

PC also featured Tugnutt, a Sacred Heart University (AHA) grad transfer and the son of former Ton Tugnutt, a 16-year NHL goalie, who played for half of the NHL teams in Canada. They were the Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens. He also had stints with the Anaheim Ducks, the Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Dallas Stars.

Printz is from Selects Academy at South Kent Prep.

Stauber is from the Minnesota State-Mankato. He is the son of former New Haven Nighthawk and Hartford Wolf Pack netminder, Robb Stauber.

Stauber the elder, won the Hobey Baker Award in 1988 with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He was the coach of the 2018 US Olympic women’s gold medal team.

His cousins are Levi Stauber, who is committed to Michigan Tech (WCHA) next year and will play in the new CCCHA conference. Willy Stauber is playing in Division III at the University Wisconsin-Eau Claire (WIAC).