UMass-Amherst Hockey Crushes RPI In Home Opener

The University of Massachusetts-Amherst men’s ice hockey team opened their season Friday night vs RPI. Expectations in Amherst are high this year due to only losing 2 seniors from last season’s 8th place squad, but mainly because of who they didn’t lose. Sophomore Cale Makar put his NHL dreams on hold to return for his 2nd year in Amherst. RPI probably wishes he didn’t. The Colorado Avalanche pick (4th overall in 2017) had 4 points last night in a 6-1 drubbing of the Engineers. Makar assisted on the team’s first 2 goals, both on the power play. The first, which came on a 5 on 3, was a cross ice pass from the low circle to senior Jacob Pritchard in the high slot, who wristed the puck past RPI goalie Linden Marshall @ 11:03. The second followed just :67 later when freshman Marc Del Gaizo slammed home a rebound for his first career goal. RPI would pull to within one after freshman Jakub Lacka poked home a lose puck in front of UMass goalie Matt Murray. Sophomore Mitchell Chaffee scored UMass’ 3rd PPG @ 19:04 to put the Minutemen up 3-1 as the 1st period was winding down. The Engineers must have felt like the game was over never mind the period. However Makar caught them sleepwalking into the intermission to all but slam the door on the UMass home opener. He picked up a lose puck around the redline and split the RPI defensemen, walked in on Mitchell and lifted the 4th goal past the RPI keeper, all while being interfered with by back-checking defender.

Murray would go on to stop 16 more RPI shots over he next two periods. UMass would notch another PPG in the 2nd when freshman Ty Farmer would jam it in from a scrum in the crease @ 14:15. Makar would add his second goal off the night in the 3rd period when he cheated in from the point to put one past back-up goalie, freshman Owen Savory. 6-1 Minutemen was how this one would end. UM outshot RPI 37-28. The 4157 in attendance were treated to what should be the first of many awesome displays by Makar and his talented teammates. The two teams square off again tonight in Troy, NY at RPI’s Houston Fieldhouse at 7:00pm.