UMass hockey: Jackson Irving pitches shutout, Minutemen explode for season-high 8 goals in 8-0 drubbing of Robert Morris

Staff Reports

Published: 01-04-2025 7:52 PM

The UMass hockey team’s offense came alive on Saturday afternoon at the Desert Hockey Classic in Tempe, Arizona, as eight goals and 40 shots led the Minutemen to an 8-0 drubbing of Robert Morris in a game they desperately needed to win.

Six different UMass players lit the lamp, with Aydar Suniev getting the scoring party started a little over five minutes into the first period on a power-play goal – assisted by Jack Musa and goalie Jackson Irving, who started in the crease with Michael Hrabal still playing in the World Junior Championship.

After heading into the first intermission ahead 1-0, UMass began pouring it on in the second period. Michael Cameron, Francesco Dell’Elce and Owen Murray all scored even-strength goals within 49 seconds of one another not even three minutes into the frame. Cameron’s goal was unassisted while Daniel Jencko, back from playing for Slovakia at the World Juniors, and Kenny Connors recorded assists on Dell’Elce’s goal and Lucas Olvestad and Suniev set up Murray’s.

UMass added a fourth second-period goal midway through, as Suniev buried his second goal of the game assisted by Dans Locmelis. Suniev’s tallies stood as his 14th and 15th goals of the season as the sophomore continues to shine for the Minutemen.

Ryan Lautenbach jumped on the score sheet early in the third, netting a pair of goals just 3 minutes, 15 seconds apart. Suniev picked up his second assist to add on to his monster game and Lucas Mercuri added one as well on Lautenbach’s first goal. His second came off feeds from Olvestad and Jencko – each being their second assist of the afternoon.

Cole O’Hara capped off the abundance of goals with his eighth of the year 11 minutes into the final period. Musa and Locmelis tallied each of their second assists on the goal. UMass was 2-for-4 on the power play and killed off all three of Robert Morris’ man-advantage opportunities.

Irving saved all 22 shots that came his way to earn the shutout – the first of his career and the first of the season for the Minutemen.

UMass (9-8-1) next travels to Boston to take on Northeastern in Hockey East action on Friday night at 7 p.m.

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