UMass hockey team hangs on for 5-4 win over Bentley

By GARRETT COTE

Staff Writer

Published: 10-06-2024 7:15 PM

The UMass hockey team watched its commanding 5-1 lead slip away in the third period as Bentley netted three goals to pull within one.

But the Minutemen hung on — their four-goal second period the difference — to defeat Bentley 5-4 in their season opener in Waltham on Saturday night. UMass sophomore Aydar Suniev kicked off his campaign with a hat trick to lead the offense, picking up right where he left off a year ago.

Suniev got the scoring started just over five minutes into the opening period. He put the Minutemen up 1-0, lighting the lamp off assists from Owen Murray and Larry Keenan. Bentley’s Nick Bochen responded early in the second to knot things up before UMass erupted.

It was Suniev again finding the back of the net to put his team back in front less than two minutes following Bochen’s equalizer. Jack Musa and Daniel Jenčko joined the fun shortly after.

Musa scored off feeds from Kenny Connors and Finn Loftus while Jenčko was the beneficiary of passes from Lucas Mercuri and Ryan Lautenbach. Suniev notched his third of the night assisted by Dans Locmelis and Murray.

The four unanswered tallies put the Minutemen ahead 5-1 heading into the third period. A whopping 11 different UMass players recorded a point on Saturday.

An early Ryan Mansfield goal made it 5-2, then UMass let its foot off the gas down the stretch — and Bentley took advantage. Two goals in the final minute pulled it to within one, 5-4, but the Minutemen hung on for the victory in their first game of the 2024-25 season.

On Sunday, UMass fell 2-1 in overtime to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in an exhibition game at the Mullins Center in Amherst. UMass (1-0) will head to Las Vegas to play in the Ice Breaker Tournament. Its first matchup is with No. 15/17 Ohama on Friday night.

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