The Daily Campus

Issue date: 2/16/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Ryan Sayers Michael Coppola looks to attack the Mercyhurst net in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Lakers.

The games were within reach. The losing streak looked like it had a chance to be over. However, the end results were fairly typical of what's now the worst regular season the UConn men's ice hockey team has ever had under coach Bruce Marshall, as Mercyhurst pulled away to hand UConn back-to-back loses by three goals in Atlantic Hockey action over the weekend at the Freitas Ice Forum.

Friday night's game saw the Huskies (6-24-1, 5-17-1) dominate the first period offensively without scoring a goal. The Lakers (16-13-3, 14-7-3) struck for the game's first score with under a minute remaining in the first despite being outshot 14-8 over that span. They added another goal early in the second period off the stick of sophomore forward Brandon Coccimiglio.

UConn responded on the power play at eight minutes and 13 seconds in the second, when freshman defenseman Chris Waterstradt fired the puck in from the point past Mercyhurst goalie Ryan Zapolski to cut the deficit to one. Coccimiglio added another goal to push the Lakers' lead back to two as the second drew to a close.

Junior forward Chris Ochoa took the initiative offensively for UConn in the third period, scoring twice, on a top-shelf wrist shot and a beautifully executed one-timer. Ochoa streaked to the near post and put home a perfect feed from the Huskies' assist leader, Jason Krispel, on a 5-on-3 advantage for UConn. At that point, the Huskies trailed 4-3 and looked to have all the momentum, but Mercyhurst was able to pick up another goal for their third two-goal advantage of the game.

It was ultimately too much for UConn to fight back from. An empty-netter made the final score 6-3 in a game that the Huskies were competitive in from the start and outshot their opponents by 13.

Marshall has steadfastly maintained all year that his club plays much better than their record would indicate. After Friday's loss - with the playoffs on the horizon - he likened the talent level in the UConn locker room to a worst-to-first success story from another sport.

"We're a pretty good hockey team," Marshall said. "I'll give you the old adages, you know, you create your own breaks, but after a while it gets old saying the same stuff. We just want to get a couple under our belt before the playoffs and I think we can beat anyone in the playoffs. It's no different than Tampa Bay falling to the bottom of the American League East every year, and the next thing you know, they're in the seventh game and they're in the World Series."

Continued...

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