Wolf Pack Top P-Bruins in Season Opener

By Taylor Foy

Cole Schneider (10) had a goal and an assist in the Wolf Pack's 3-0 season-
opening win over the Providence Bruins Friday night.

HARTFORD—The Hartford Wolf Pack jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead over the Providence Bruins, and then held on for a 4-2 win before 6,112 fans at the XL Center on Friday night. It was the American Hockey Leauge regular-season opener for both teams.

Chris Bigras had the shorthanded game-winning goal and added an assist for Hartford, and Cole Schneider had a goal and an assist.  Marek Mazanec made 24 saves, holding Providence scoreless for the first nearly 50 minutes of the game.  Austin Fyten and Mark McNeill scored third-period goals for the Bruins.

The Wolf Pack started the game with excellent offensive pressure, and at 5:11 of  the first period, rookie left wing Tim Gettinger scored the first goal, getting the puck past Bruins starting goaltender Zane McIntyre. Assists went to Bigras and right wing Ville Meskanen.

“Gettinger found a good hole in the net for that first goal,” Bigras said,  ”He works in front of the net well, we definitely have a lot of young talent here.”

Forty-three seconds later, the Wolf Pack was granted a power play opportunity. At 6:06, Schneider, the new Wolf Pack captain, was able to put another puck in the net for a power play goal, receiving the scoring pass from centerman Peter Holland. Defenseman John Gilmour was also credited with an assist.

“I thought our start was excellent, our forecheck was strong, and it was a smart play by Schneider on the power play,” Wolf Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said.

The Wolf Pack special teams struck again at 12:39, when Bigras received a pass from center Steven Fogarty to score a shorthanded goal against McIntyre, with Lias Andersson in the penalty box for slashing. It was after the third goal that the Bruins replaced McIntyre (seven saves) with Dan Vladar, who would go on to stop all eight shots he faced.

 The Wolf Pack was on penalty kill for much of the second period. One of the three penalties was given to right wing Shawn St. Amant at 3:21 for goaltender interference. Almost as soon as St. Amant’s penalty was over, Fogarty received a penalty for interference at 5:56. The third penalty for the Wolf Pack was given to defenseman Rob O’Gara for tripping.

Luckily for the Wolf Pack, the Bruins did not score on any of their power play opportunities. “We were on our heels for a little bit of the second period and gave the Bruins some momentum,” said McCambridge. 

The Bruins got a shorthanded goal of their own to foil Mazanec’ shutout bid, with Fyten scoring on a shot to Mazanec’ stick side at 9:19 of the third, with Emil Johansson off for slashing.  The Providence power play then cut the lead to one with 4:38 left, when a McNeill centering try from below the goal line went off of Wolf Pack defenseman Libor Hajek in front of the goal and past Mazanec.

Holland put an end to the Bruin comeback bid, though, with an empty-net goal at 18:48, chasing down a loose puck on the left side and flicking it into the vacated cage.

“The third period we played a little better in regards to staying in the offensive zone, and we were able to get some saves out of Mazanec,” McCambridge said. “It was a real nice win for our home opener.”

The Wolf Pack are right back at the XL Center this Sunday, October 7, as the Laval Rocket make their only Hartford visit of the season.  Faceoff is 3:00 PM, and fans can take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack”, which includes two tickets, two hot dogs and two sodas, all for just $40.

Tickets for all 2018-19 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $13 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase.

Season ticket information for the Wolf Pack’s 2018-19 AHL season can be found on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.  To speak with a representative about all of the Wolf Pack’s many attractive ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.

THE SKINNY

Providence Bruins 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 4
Friday, October 5, 2018 - XL Center

Providence 0 0 2 - 2
Hartford     3 0 1 - 4

1st Period-1, Hartford, Gettinger 1 (Bigras, Meskanen), 5:11. 2, Hartford, Schneider 1 (Holland, Gilmour), 6:06 (PP). 3, Hartford, Bigras 1 (Fogarty), 12:39 (SH). Penalties-Fyten Pro (tripping), 5:54; Andersson Hfd (slashing), 11:54.

2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-St. Amant Hfd (goaltender interference), 3:21; Fogarty Hfd (interference), 5:56; Frederic Pro (roughing), 12:08; O'Gara Hfd (tripping), 16:22.

3rd Period-4, Providence, Fyten 1   9:19 (SH). 5, Providence, McNeill 1 (Fitzgerald, Vaakanainen), 15:22 (PP). 6, Hartford, Holland 1 (Schneider, Lindqvist), 18:48 (EN). Penalties-Hajek Hfd (interference), 6:40; Johansson Pro (slashing), 9:10; Gropp Hfd (hooking), 14:35.

Shots on Goal-Providence 7-8-11-26. Hartford 10-3-6-19.
Power Play Opportunities-Providence 1 / 6; Hartford 1 / 3.
Goalies-Providence, McIntyre 0-1-0 (10 shots-7 saves); Vladar 0-0-0 (8 shots-8 saves). Hartford, Mazanec 1-0-0 (26 shots-24 saves).
A-6,112
Referees-Terry Koharski (10), Conor O'Donnell (41).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Luke Galvin (2).

Huskies’ Gilbert Ready To Go

Husky guard Alterique Gilbert, battling back from three shoulder
surgeries and two lost seasons, is raring to go for the 2018-19 campaign.

STORRS–It would be easy to think that Alterique Gilbert is used to this by now—except nobody really gets used to surgery, rehabs, and lost seasons. And nobody ever wants to.

But as Gilbert—he of the three shoulder surgeries, numerous months of rehab and two lost college basketball seasons—looks forward to UConn's upcoming 2018-19 campaign, he does so without apprehension about the future, nor regret about the past. The Husky guard is simply ready to go.

"Yeah, it has been a challenge for me, just because this is my third time doing it," Gilbert said, "but I'm very confident in my shoulder, very confident in what the doctors did for me. At this point, I'm just ready to have fun."

Gilbert, a former McDonald's All-American out of Lithonia, Ga., has been waiting for a season of fun since he left high school as Mr. Georgia Basketball and the Georgia Gatorade State Player of the Year. His first surgery was the summer before he arrived at UConn after dislocating his left (non-shooting) shoulder in the Jordan Brand Classic Game.

Following a summer of rehab, Gilbert played just two full games as a UConn freshman before suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder in Game 3 against Loyola Marymount, requiring season-ending surgery. After more months of rehab, he returned last season, but reinjured the shoulder in Game 5 against Michigan State. He struggled to get through 17 minutes of the next game, but his season was over.

A third surgery was done in January and Gilbert again faced months of rehab. He was cleared for full basketball activities at the end of August.

"I'm feeling great… much better than I did last year," he said. "For me, I think it was just a mental thing. But knowing that physically, I'm 100 percent, I'm over the mental part now. I've been practicing full out for a while and I've taken some hits with no problem. But since I've been practicing, my biggest surprise is how I've felt afterward. There's been contact, but it hasn't been an issue. I feel great."

A healthy Gilbert, with his lightning quickness figures to make a world of difference for the Huskies, especially under new coach Dan Hurley, with his pressure defense and upbeat offense style.

"He's got some rust, so we've got to be careful with him," Hurley said. "But that guy – he's a soldier. He gets through a full practice with no hiccups and he's physically engaged. He's trying to be a leader even while he's getting his conditioning back. You wouldn't know he's had any issues with his shoulder."

During practice this fall, Gilbert has shown more and more flashes of the form that made him a Top 30 recruit. Now in his third year with the UConn program, he's excited to show off his talents for a full season.

"Sometimes, when you're a junior or senior, you become a little stale some days – been there, done that," Hurley said. "But not Al. He's young and hungry, a lot of energy, a lot of talking. Just grateful to be out there playing. It's given us a lift."

A natural leader, Gilbert's enthusiasm has been infectious. The Huskies have approached practice with a no-nonsense attitude.

"The vibes have felt better," Gilbert said. "We're more connected as a group. Everybody's excited, that's the biggest thing. We know we have a lot of work to do, but all in all, we're all looking forward for the season to start. We can't wait.

"Teams may not regard UConn as high as they used to, and that's fine. At UConn, we've been the underdog before. But we're willing to work … it's about continuity, chemistry, brotherhood and leadership." 

And for Alterique Gilbert, it's also about having a season of fun – finally.

UConn’s 2018-19 men's basketball season begins with an exhibition game vs. Southern Connecticut State University on Friday, Nov. 2, at Gampel Pavilion. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

—Staff Reports

No. 3 Huskies Blank Friars

The No. 3 UConn Huskies won their 11th game of the season
on Friday over Providence, 3-0.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three different players scored as the University of Connecticut field hockey team beat the 7-6, 2-2 Providence College Friars, 3-0, Friday evening. Senior Amanda Collins, freshman Abby Gooderham and redshirt senior Cecile Pieper each scored for the Huskies. Junior Antonia Tiedtke finished with two goals

Collins took the stop off a penalty corner pass from Tiedtke and scored the first goal of the game at 14:47. Gooderham added another goal off a corner with a hard shot from Tiedtke and Collins.

Pieper scored her 15^th goal of the season with a shot off a rebound. The Mannheim, Germany, native has scored in eight straight games. Redshirt freshman Cheyenne Sprecher made two saves and recorded her sixth shutout of the season.

The Huskies, 11-1 overall and 4-0 in Big East play, held a 12-4 advantage in shots and a 7-2 lead in penalty corners. They are currently ranked No. 3 in the nation.

UConn returns to the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex to face No. 5 Princeton Sunday at noon. Before the match, the Huskies will honor seniors Amanda Collins, Amelia Iacobucci, Cecile Pieper, Ashley Rich and Julia Russo.

—Staff Reports