Late UMass-Lowell goal stuns No. 8 UMass

LOWELL – They don’t give style points in hockey.

That was the lesson taken away by UMass-Lowell, which used an awkwardlooking shot from a bad angle by unsung fourth-line right wing Chris Schutz with 27.5 seconds on the clock to stun No. 8 UMass, 3-2, in front of a raucous Tsongas Center crowd of 6,474 that included a bevy of state and local political bigwigs.

Schutz, from the hockey hotbed Keller, Texas, corralled the puck along the boards and fired a shot with barely a glance in the direction of the UMass net. The puck slid along the ice and eluded junior goalie Matt Murray (19 saves), who entered in the first period in relief of starter Filip Lindberg, who allowed UML’s opening goal without making a save.

“It was more like a playoff-style game. We certainly didn’t start the way we’d like. The first 30 minutes were not good and the next 30 were better for us,’’ said UML coach Norm Bazin. “I thought they won more puck races and wall battles in the first 30 than we did and in the next 30 we were about average with them. If you put pucks on net you’re going to get rewarded.’

“I ’m happy for Schutz. He doesn’t get a lot of quality minutes like some of the other players but I put him out there because he shows energy and was winning puck races,’’ Bazin said. “I might have to start giving him more minutes now.”

There was sufficient drama and bad blood in the opening 20 minutes to suffice for an entire game. UMass (18-10-2, 11-7-2 HE) was two points behind Hockey East front-runner Boston College, which held a game in hand and belted NU, 10-1 last night. UMassLowell (16-9-5, 110-6-4) was

No. 14 in the polls and even with Maine for fourth place and final home ice spot for the not too distant HE playoffs. The Black Bears defeated Vermont last night.

“No comment on the game,’’ said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “I thought we were ready to go. We played pretty well. We outshot them 16-2 in the first, outshot them in the second. I don’t what the third was. We’ve got to find a way to get to the dirty areas. We need to find a way to score that third goal.’’

UML took a 1-0 lead at 4:32 of the first. UMass coughed the puck up at the UML blue line and the River Hawks kept pushing the puck down ice until freshman left wing Zach Kaiser found some open space and pumped a low wrist shot past UMass’ Lindberg. It was the fifth goal of the year for Kaiser.

UMass responded with a plethora of tough chances in the direction of UML goalie Tyler Wall, who had 38 saves.

UMass pulled even at 18:27 when All-American John Leonard potted a rebound from the doorstep. It was the 50th career tally in 102 games for the Amherst product, who was drafted by the San Jose Sharks.

UMass went ahead 2-1 at 11:03 of the second, only four seconds after a minor penalty to UML forward

Blake Wells expired. Speedy Bobby Trivigno sent a one-timer home for his seventh goal.

Time was running when UML’s Schutz connected at 19:33 for the red-shirt junior’s fifth goal.