AMHERST — The bar has been set.
A three-goal third period gave the No. 15 UMass hockey team its first win of the 2025-26 season in its 5-3 victory against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center Saturday night.
The Minutemen erased two separate single-goal deficits, all while sending 70 shots toward Wildcats goalie William Gramme, for a resilient win in their first test of the year.
“Very pleased with our game tonight,” UMass head coach Greg Carvel said. “It felt like a lopsided game, but give Northern Michigan a lot of credit. We came out in the first period flying. They balanced the game back out, took the lead, but very, very happy. For the first game, [I] saw a lot of good things.”
Junior Jack Musa scored twice and added a helper, while senior captain Owen Murray assisted on three of UMass’ goals, serving as its top point-getters in the contest.
UMass forward Jack Musa (9) celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
Freshmen Vaclav Nestrasil and Lukas Klecka each netted their first career goals too, before sophomore Francesco Dell’Elce flung in the game-winner at 13 minutes, 42 seconds of the third.
In total, nine different UMass skaters earned a point against Northern Michigan.
“I thought Musa, [Lucas] Olvestad and Murray were our best players,” Carvel said. “Owen Murray and Olvestad, obviously veteran guys, played together a lot now, but they’ve taken that ‘C’ on their chest seriously.”
Although not as busy as his counterpart, Minutemen goalie Michael Hrabal saw his fair share of rubber, finishing the game with 26 saves.
UMass goalie Michael Hrabal blocks a shot during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
Musa wasted little time getting the Mullins crowd into it, slapping in a turn-around shot from the top of the far faceoff circle 3:28 into the affair, as UMass snatched a 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats scored the opening period’s next two goals. First, Joe Schiller beat Hrabal from the slot at 7:08, then Northern Michigan took advantage of a power play and went ahead 2-1 on a one-timer from Caiden Gault.
Klecka found the back of the net midway through the second period, bringing the score back to even at 2-2. The right-shot winger skated right down the slot after controlling a feed from Bo Cosman, then executed a forehand-backhand deke that fooled Gramme for the equalizer.
The Wildcats’ third strike came less than four minutes into the final frame as Medrick Bolduc swept in the loose change following a scramble around Hrabal for a 3-2 lead.
Nestrasil answered nearly a minute later, deflecting a Jack Galanek back-door pass across the goal line with his skate for the Minutemen’s third goal.
“My stick wasn’t working, so I tried using something different and it worked,” Nestrasil said.
The Chicago Blackhawaks first-round pick paced UMass with eight shots on goal on Saturday.
“He wants to shoot, he wants to score,” Carvel said. “I thought he had some opportunities to pass, he had odd-man rushes, and I grabbed him near the end of the second period and I said, ‘hey, I know you want to score your first goal, get it out of the way, but just make the plays, the natural plays and you’ll find your goal.’ He did in the third period.”
UMass forward Vaclav Nestrasil (11) keeps the puck from Northern Michigan forward Tobias Pitka (10) during the NCAA college hockey game at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
Later on in the third, Dell’Elce threw the puck at Gramme after walking the blue line and it somehow made it through multiple bodies and into the net for the Minutemen’s go-ahead, 4-3 tally, at 13:42.
Musa sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 10 seconds left, which wound up as a shorthanded marker as UMass was killing off a late Klecka hooking penalty.
“I think there’s a lot of positives there to take away from it,” Dell’Elce said. “The young guys showed a lot of good, especially being their first game. I think if we can just continue to grow the way we did last year and continue to stack and have a better start, I think it’ll pay off in the long run.”
The Minutemen’s 70 shots were it’s most in a game since 2015. UMass hurled 91 against Notre Dame in a 4-3, five overtime win.
UMass (1-0-0) will return to the ice Sunday afternoon for the series finale against Northern Michigan.
Puck drop at Mullins is scheduled for 4 p.m.
For coverage of Sunday’s game, visit gazettenet.com.
UMass student fans enter the front doors before the NCAA college hockey game between UMass and Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass student fans find their seats before the NCAA college hockey game between UMass and Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
Players enter the ice rink before the NCAA college hockey game between UMass and Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass defenseman Lucas Olvestad (6) is introduced before the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass hockey players stand as other teammates are introduced before the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass players huddle before the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass defenseman Francesco Dell’elce controls the puck during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass players celebrate a goal during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass forward Jack Galanek (10) keeps the puck from Northern Michigan forward Mikey Burchill (18) during the NCAA college hockey game against at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass fans cheer after a goal is scored during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass forward Nick VanTassell (22) keeps the puck from Northern Michigan defenseman Tynan Ewart (6) during the NCAA college hockey game against TKTKTK at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass and Northern Michigan players compete for a loose puck during the NCAA college hockey game at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
Northern Michigan forward Jakub Altrickter (14) and UMass defenseman Owen Murray chase after the puck during the NCAA college hockey game at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass goalie Michael Hrabal skates to his goal during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass defenseman Francesco Dell’elce (23) keeps the puck from Northern Michigan forward Kyle Bettens (24) during the NCAA college hockey game at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
Northern Michigan forward Kyle Bettens (24) runs into UMass defenseman Francesco Dell’elce (23) during the NCAA college hockey game at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass players celebrate a goal during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass defenseman Larry Keenan (18) keeps the puck from Northern Michigan forward Matthew Argentina (28) during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass forward Jack Galanek (10) controls the puck during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass defenseman Owen Murray (26) controls the puck during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass forward Jack Galanek (10) and Northern Michigan defenseman Anthony Cliche (20) compete for the puck during the NCAA college hockey game at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
Northern Michigan defenseman Anthony Cliche (20) and UMass forward Jack Galanek (10) compete for the puck during the NCAA college hockey game at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
UMass forward Jack Musa (9) chases the puck during the NCAA college hockey game against Northern Michigan at the Mullins Center, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Amherst. Staff Photo/Daniel Jacobi II
What to Read Next