The Minutemen came into to the Mullins Center Friday night after losing for the first time this season to the Providence College Friars. The Friars played a solid road game, in which they played well defensively, and got great goaltending.  Despite getting 29 shots in the third period, the Minutemen were not able to mount a comeback and lost 2-1.

Niagara came into the match up at the Mullins center winless in six games. The Minutemen, however, had their share of adversity with significant injuries. Rocco Carzo, T/J. Syner and Eddie Olczyk were all out of the lineup. In the first period Paul Dainton made a few big saves to keep UMass in the game while his teammates were still trying to find their legs. Niagara scored first at the beginning of the second period, but UMass rallied to win the game 4-1. The first goal was Michael Lacomte’s first of the season. Will Ortiz set him up at in the low slot for a easy one-timer into the open side. Only minutes later, Danny Hobbs deflected a waist high shot taken by Martin Nolet from the point to beat the Niagara goalie and take the lead. Niagara tried to climb back, but with the net empty with a minute remaining in the third, Michael Lacomte stole the puck from a defenseman at the point at got a breakaway at the empty cage. David Boehm, a native of Naples, Florida, added his first career goal on another empty net with twenty seconds left to seal the win for the Minutemen.

The Minutemen now head to Niagara for a matinee match up the Purple Eagles on Sunday, where they will lay their unbeaten road record on the line