Back From Another Shutdown, UNH Hockey Suffers 4-0 Loss To UMass

The University of New Hampshire men's hockey team suffered a 4-0 loss to the University of Massachusetts on Wednesday at Whittemore Center in Durham.

The Wildcats went 0 for 6 on the power play in the first two periods (0 for 7 on the game) and were shut out by Minutemen goaltender Matt Murray, who made 27 saves in the win.

"I thought our guys competed hard given that some only had one practice, some guys had two," UNH head coach Mike Souza said after the game, referencing the program's second shut-down due to a player(s) testing positive for COVID-19. "I was proud of the way we competed but obviously we didn't get the result we wanted."

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Neither team scored until 11:58 of the second period when UMass forward Matthew Kessel scored to give the Minutemen a lead they would not relinquish. Kessel finished with a goal and two assists in the game, factoring in on three of UMass' four goals.

UNH senior goaltender Mike Robinson, a native of Bedford, New Hampshire, made 19 saves in the loss. The Wildcats outshot the Minutemen, 27-23, in the game.

"It certainly wasn't from a lack of opportunities," Souza said. "Our power play wasn't good today and it needs to be better. I've got to do a better job of coaching it, and they've got to do a better job of executing it."

The Wildcats will return to Whittemore Center on Friday to take on the University of Connecticut. That game will be broadcast at 4 p.m. on NESN.