Sophomore right wing Tim Turner scored the game-winning goal with 14 seconds left in overtime as UMass-Amherst defeated UMass-Lowell, 5-4, in front of 1,896 Friday night at the Tsongas Arena.
With the victory, the Minutemen improved to 2-3-1 overall and 2-1-0 in Hockey East. The River Hawks suffered their third straight loss and slipped to 2-3-0, 0-3-0 in Hockey East.
UMass-Amherst exploded for four goals in the first period and carried a 4-0 cushion into the first intermission. Turner scored his first goal just one minute, seven seconds into the game off the assist from junior left wing Martin Miljko.
Freshman right wing Scott Horvath gave the Minutemen a 2-0 lead at 7:23 by way of assists from sophomore left wing Jimmy Callahan and freshman center Thomas Pock.
Pock then assisted on a power-play goal by Brad Nizwantowski at 9:07, and Jeff Turner set up Callahan’s power-play strike at 13:33 to cap the first-period onslaught.
Sophomore defenseman Ron Hainsey scored his first goal of the year 14:32 into the second period on a slapshot from just inside the blue line on a power play. At 18:29, Hainsey set up sophomore left wing Ed McGrane for a power-play goal, and junior R.J. Tolan scored 27 seconds later off an assist from junior left wing Dan Fontas to cut the lead to 4-3.
Fontas evened the score 5:03 into the third period off feeds from Hainsey and Concannon. Tim Turner scored the game-winner on a two-on-one break with Jeff Turner and Miljko assisting.
Sophomore goaltender Jimi St. John took the loss after replacing junior Cam McCormick with 5:29 left in the first period. St. John halted 12 of 13 shots on goal, while junior Mike Johnson had 35 saves for the Minutemen.
Lowell outshot the Minutemen 39-17.
