Senior Festivities Conclude With 4-3 Victory For Men's Hockey

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STORRS, Conn. (March 4, 2006) – Senior Chris Uber (Ithaca, N.Y.) commemorated his last home game as a UConn Husky with two points in the team’s 4-3 victory over Sacred Heart on Saturday night.  Uber tallied a goal and an assist in the win that improves the Huskies’ record to 10-22-2 overall and 9-18-1 in Atlantic Hockey play while the Pioneers drop to 21-11-2 overall and 18-8-2 in the AHA. 

The pre-game ceremony honoring the team’s three seniors, Uber, Ryan Palmer (Groton, Mass.) and Aaron Kakepetum (Balmertown, Ont.), set the atmosphere for the game.  Uber assisted on the game-winning goal at 1:08 in the third period in a fitting end to his career at the Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum.  The senior co-captain assisted his fellow captain Matt Scherer (Seattle, Wash.) on the play that would defeat the first place team in the AHA. 

Uber tallied the team’s third goal of the game on a power play in the second period.  The Pioneers were called for too many men on the ice and UConn took advantage of the penalty.  Uber slipped the puck past Pioneer goalie Jason Smith with help from freshman Ryan Hawkins (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and junior Scott McDougall (Mansfield, Mass.).

Sacred Heart had started the scoring in the first period with a goal at the 3:14 mark of the first stanza, but they would not be able to hold onto its lead.  Less than five minutes later, freshman Sean Erickson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) notched his fifth goal of the season with feeds from Hawkins and McDougall.

At 13:52 in the first period, the Pioneers recaptured the lead with an unassisted goal by Bernie Chmiel.  UConn once again responded within five minutes to tie the game at 2-2.  Junior Jarrett Scarpaci tallied his second goal in 11 games, unassisted.  Scarpaci took his shot from between the face-off circles and rifled the puck over the right shoulder of Smith.

Uber’s goal would put the Huskies at a 3-2 advantage at the start of the second period. Sacred Heart tied the game at 10:18 with a goal by Peter Giatrelis.  Giatrelis took feeds from Scott Marchesi and Andrew Billinghurst on the play that would tie the game at 3-3.

The score would stay at three-all until the final 1:08 when Scherer scored the game-winner to bring the final score to 4-3.

UConn goaltender Brad Smith (Detroit, Mich.) made a total of 34 saves during his time between the pipes for Connecticut.

The team will next compete in the first round of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament.  The team finished the regular season in sixth place with 19 points.  The tournament is set to begin on Saturday, March 11.