Vomacka, UConn force 2-2 tie with No. 7 UMass in nonconference action; Robert Morris downs Alabama Huntsville, 5-2

Connecticut goaltender Tomas Vomacka stopped 34 of 36 shots and earned a 2-2 tie against No. 7 Massachusetts. The Huskies won a shootout that will only have impact if this game needs to be substituted for a league game canceled by COVID later this season (photo: UConn Athletic Communication)

Connecticut erased a 2-0 deficit with third-period goals by Vladislav Firstov and Brian Regali as the Huskies forced a 2-2 tie against the seventh-ranked Minutemen.

UConn won a shootout, which wouldn’t typically be conducted in a what is considered a non-league game, but could be used in the Hockey East standings if a game or games against UMass later in the season are compromised by COVID-19.

The series itself this weekend, with the opening game won 5-1 by UMass on Friday, wasn’t scheduled until Thursday when Maine’s series against UMass and Vermont’s two-game slate against Connecticut were both canceled because of government regulations surrounding COVID-19.

UMass jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the opening period on goals by Matthew Kessel and Philip Lagunov. Neither team scored in the middle stanza despite both placing 13 shots on goal.

Tomas Vomacka finished the game with 34 saves for UConn while Filip Lindberg made 35 saves for the Minutemen.

Lake Superior 0, Michigan Tech 0 (F/SHO)

In the rarest of occurrences, Michigan Tech’s Mark Sinclair stopped 21 shots and Lake Superior’s Marek Mitens made 28 saves as the two clubs skated to a scoreless tie on Saturday.

Lake Superior’s Ashton Calder’s goal in the third round of a shootout was the difference maker should the game be needed as a league game later in the season. That would only happen should a latter game between these two games be canceled due to COVID.

Robert Morris 5, Alabama Huntsville 2

Host Robert Morris scored five times in the third period to erase a 1-0 deficit through 40 and earns 5-2 non-conference win over Alabama Huntsville.

UAH’s Bauer Neudecker scored the only goal through the first two periods, burying a power play tally 2:25 into the game.

But Robert Morris scored early and often in the third, as Jordan Timmons tied the game at 2:48 and Nick Jenny have the Colonials the lead at 6:00. Timmons added a second goal with 3:29 left to finish the game with two goals and an assist.