The UConn men’s hockey team is fighting for its life as it tries get on the right side of the bubble ahead of the NCAA Tournament. However, as the Huskies were fighting trying to notch a crucial road victory over No. 19 UMass, they had the lights turned out on them – literally.
With just one week remaining in the regular season, UConn currently sits at 17-10-5 with two games left to play. The Huskies are currently squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble as one of just 16 teams currently projected to make the field, earning the last at-large bid in the tournament. Obviously, that makes the final games of the season vitally important as the team fights to bolster its tournament resume.
On Sunday, the Huskies had a chance to notch a crucial victory over the No. 19 UMass, which obviously would have been a significant boost to their NCAA Tournament resume. The game ultimately ended in a 3-3 tie, with UMass earning an extra point with a shootout victory. However, UConn was robbed of a chance to win the game in overtime.
With just under 2 minutes remaining in overtime, UConn goaltender Tyler Muszelik made a save in front of his net before the puck was flung toward center ice. However, as UConn moved the puck in the other direction in what looked to be a clear goal-scoring opportunity, the lights began to flash and eventually went totally dark.
I still can’t believe this happened. https://t.co/xU2UKNEc7E pic.twitter.com/zFFIH8Det4
— HurleyMania (@HurleyMania) March 1, 2026
Apparently, the UMass employee in charge of the goal celebration thought the puck hit the back of the net and seemingly activated the arena’s goal celebration effects. As a result, the lights went out just as the Huskies player approached the net, ruining the UConn scoring opportunity.
As the UConn players skated around confused, the referees had no choice but to stop the game. But, much to the frustration of the UConn players, coaches, and fans, the officials did not penalize UMass for Delay of Game, which would have given UConn a power play for the remainder of the overtime period.
So, not only was UConn denied a clear scoring opportunity, but they were also denied a penalty that would have given them another chance at that potential game-winning goal.
UConn now has two games remaining on its schedule against Providence and New Hampshire. The Huskies probably need to win at least one of those games to ensure their position in the NCAA Tournament. Needless to say, a win on Sunday sure would have helped their situation.
About Dave Kelsey
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