2024–25 UConn Huskies men's ice hockey season
| 2024–25 UConn Huskies men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Connecticut Ice, Champion NCAA Tournament, Regional Finals | |
| Conference | 4th Hockey East |
| Home ice | Toscano Family Ice Forum XL Center |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | #7 |
| USA Hockey | #9 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 23–12–4 |
| Conference | 12–8–4 |
| Home | 12–4–1 |
| Road | 7–5–3 |
| Neutral | 3–2–0 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Mike Cavanaugh |
| Assistant coaches | Tyler Helton Vince Stalletti Nick Peruzzi |
| Captain(s) | Hudson Schandor |
| Alternate captain(s) | John Spetz Ryan Tattle |
| UConn Huskies men's ice hockey seasons « 2023–24 2025–26 » | |
The 2024–25 UConn Huskies men's ice hockey season was the 65th season of play for the program, the 27th at the Division I level, and the 11th in Hockey East. The Huskies represented the University of Connecticut in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, played their home games at the Toscano Family Ice Forum and were coached by Mike Cavanaugh in his 12th season.
Season
After a disappointing season in '24, Connecticut received even worse news when top prospect Matthew Wood announced that he was transferring. The loss of their 2-time scoring leader was bad enough but the Huskies also lost several other players, including their entire stable of goaltenders. While UConn was able to dip into the transfer portal for a few new pieces, most of the incoming players were freshmen. With such a young roster to work with, UConn was not expected to do much this season.[1]
Tyler Muszelik was given the starting job in goal entering the year as he was not only the only goaltender on the roster with any college experience but Callum Tung had been injured prior to the start of the year. Muszelik did well for the first month or so but his game began to sour in mid-November. After a poor weekend against Merrimack he rebounded with a solid performance versus Boston College, however, the junior was forced to leave after the second period due to a knee injury and would be out until January.[2] Fortunately for the Huskies, that injury happened just after Tung had returned to practice and the freshman was available to take over in goal. In the freshman first active of the year, he posted several outstanding results and allowed 4 goals in three games, all against ranked opponents.
Despite UConn receiving quality goaltending for most of the first half of the year, the team could only boast a .500 record as they went into the winter break. The main culprit was an inconsistent offense that had been held to under 3 goals in five of the last eight games. Jake Richard had been the leading force for the Huskies but had missed five games in November due to an upper-body injury.[3] Team captain Hudson Schandor picked up the pace in his absence but didn't receive much help for the rest of the team. However, once the team returned from the break the Huskies saw a marked increase in the output from Joey Muldowney. The sophomore had posted a respectable total of 10 points in the first 15 games but his performance in the second half dwarfed that result. From their match with Alaska onward, Muldowney was held off the scoresheet only three times and put up 37 more points in the second half of the year.
Complimenting the increased scoring was the combined efforts in goal from Muszelik and Tung. With both goaltenders finally healthy, the two alternated starts for the second half of the year and Connecticut benefited mightily from their full roster. The Huskies lost just 2 games after the first of the year and swiftly shot up the national rankings. The gaudy win totals were made even more impressive by UConn earning six victories against ranked teams. The team posted an outstanding record in the second half, finishing 10 games above .500 despite playing one of the toughest scheduled in the nation. The result was that not only was UConn able to rise up to #4 in the Hockey East standings but the team jumped up into the top 10 of the PairWise rankings. This meant that the Huskies were guaranteed to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, ending the programs decades-long chase for a tournament berth.[4]
Postseason
UConn began their postseason with a bye into the conference quarterfinal round. In their final home game of the year, the Huskies hosted another tournament-bound team in Providence. Muszelik got the start and allowed a short-handed goal less than 4 minutes into the match. He recovered quickly and turned aside every succeeding shot, giving the Huskies plenty of time to make up the difference. Richard and Muldowney combined to lead the offense down the stretch, resulting in three goals with the two forwards having a hand in all three.[5] The semifinal saw a similar story, this time with Tung surrendering a power play marker in the first 10 minutes of the match to Boston University. UConn came out charging in the second and scored three goals in under nine minutes. The third saw Muldowney finish off a natural hat-trick with Richard assisting on each of his goals. BU tacked on one more goal with 10 seconds to play but that did nothing to stop Connecticut from advancing to the championship game.[6]
For the third consecutive game, UConn fell down early, allowing Maine to gain the upper hand, however, this time the Huskies' luck ran out. Instead of being able to hold off the opposing offense, Muszelik was beaten twice more while the Connecticut offense was silent. Entering the third period, with the Huskies down 0–3, the team was forced to abandon any pretense at defense and try to throw everything at the Black Bears' net. Tabor Heaslip tried to become the hero by scoring twice but each of his goals were answered by Maine and UConn opportunity to earn a Hockey East championship slipped away.[7]
Despite the disappointing loss, UConn still had to get themselves ready for the NCAA tournament. Thanks to their outstanding run in the second half, the Huskies received a #2 seed and were set opposite in-stare rival Quinnipiac in the Allentown Regional. While the Bobcats wanted revenge for their loss during the Connecticut Ice tournament earlier in the year, UConn had no intention of simply enjoying their national tournament debut. The Huskies' depth came up big in the match with Hugh Larkin and Ethan Gardula both netting goals in the first. Quinnipiac was able to cut the lead in half around the midway point of the game but that was the only goal that Tung let in. Two more Connecticut goals sealed the deal for the team and the huskies advanced to the Regional Final.[8]
With the team just one win away from the first Frozen Four, the Huskies abandoned their goaltender rotation and allowed Tung to start consecutive games for the first time in three months. Muldowney gave his goaltender early support by opening the scoring just over 3 minutes into the game with his 29th of the year. Penn State was no pushover and was able to even the score about 10 minutes later. Both teams were skating up and down the ice, forcing the netminders to stay on top of their game and Tung looked fully capable of carrying his team to victory. It wasn't until the second half of the match that Heaslip was able to give UConn their second lead of the game, however, the Nittany Lions were able to respond just 30 seconds later. The rest of regulation features several chances with UConn firing 14 shots in the third but neither side could find the back of the net so overtime was required. Connecticut remained on the attack and fired another 14 shots in the extra period but nothing could get through the Penns State goaltender. With the period winding down, the Lions turned the puck over at the UConn blueline, broke in, and beat Tung high-blocker.[9] The goal ended UConn's season, unequivocally the best year the program had ever sseen.
Departures
| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Black | Forward | .png){kind=small} United States |
Transferred to Bentley |
| Chase Bradley | Forward | United States |
Signed professional contract (Colorado Avalanche) |
| Nick Capone | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Lehigh Valley Phantoms) |
| Mark D'Agostino | Forward | United States |
Left program |
| Jake Flynn | Defenseman | United States |
Graduation (signed with Greenville Swamp Rabbits) |
| Ethan Haider | Goaltender | United States |
Graduation (signed with Milwaukee Admirals) |
| Andrew Lucas | Defenseman | United States |
Graduation (signed with San Diego Gulls) |
| Ryan Mahshie | Forward | .svg.png){kind=small} Canada |
Graduation (signed with Orlando Solar Bears) |
| Matt Pasquale | Goaltender | United States |
Graduation (retired) |
| Harrison Rees | Defenseman | Canada |
Graduation (signed with Fort Wayne Komets) |
| Samu Salminen | Forward |  Finland |
Transferred to Denver |
| Arseni Sergeyev | Goaltender |  Russia |
Transferred to Penn State |
| Jake Veilleux | Defenseman/Forward | United States |
Left program (retired) |
| Matthew Wood | Forward | Canada |
Transferred to Minnesota |
Recruiting
| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Carabin | Defenseman | United States |
24 | Mahwah, NJ; graduate transfer from Princeton |
| Kevin Fitzgerald | Defenseman | Canada |
19 | Bath, ON |
| Ethan Gardula | Forward | United States |
19 | Princeton, MA |
| Viking Gustafsson Nyberg | Defenseman |  Sweden |
21 | Stockholm, SWE; transfer from Northern Michigan |
| Thomas Heaney | Goaltender | United States |
21 | Oceanport, NJ |
| Kai Janviriya | Defenseman | United States |
19 | Bloomfield, MI |
| Hugh Larkin | Forward | United States |
25 | Livonia, MI; graduate transfer from Western Michigan |
| Mike Murtagh | Forward | United States |
20 | East Greenbush, NY |
| Tyler Muszelik | Goaltender | United States |
20 | Long Valley, NJ; transfer from New Hampshire; selected 189th overall in 2022 |
| Trey Scott | Defenseman | United States |
20 | Lunenburg, MA |
| Kaden Shahan | Forward | United States |
19 | Everett, WA |
| Filip Sitar | Forward |  Slovenia |
19 | Ljubljana, SLO |
| Callum Tung | Goaltender | Canada |
20 | Port Moody, BC |
| Ethan Whitcomb | Forward | Canada |
20 | St. Catharines, ON |
Roster
As of September 24, 2024.[10]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 
|
Jack Pascucci | Junior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2002-02-15 | North Andover, Massachusetts | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | — |
| 3 |
|
Kevin Fitzgerald | Freshman | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 150 lb (68 kg) | 2004-10-11 | Bath, Ontario | Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) | — |
| 5 |
|
Bauer Swift | Sophomore | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-06-17 | West Hartford, Connecticut | Lone Star Brahmas (NAHL) | — |
| 6 |
|
Viking Gustafsson Nyberg | Sophomore | D | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2003-09-21 | Stockholm, Sweden | Northern Michigan (CCHA) | — |
| 7 |
|
Huston Karpman | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2001-02-07 | Manhattan Beach, California | Minot Minotauros (NAHL) | — |
| 8 |
|
Joey Muldowney | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 154 lb (70 kg) | 2004-06-05 | Lake View, New York | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | SJS, 172nd overall 2022 |
| 9 |
|
Ryan Tattle (A) | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-09-07 | Port Moody, British Columbia | Coquitlam Express (BCHL) | — |
| 10 |
|
Tristan Fraser | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2001-11-13 | West Vancouver, British Columbia | Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL) | — |
| 11 |
|
Kai Janviriya | Freshman | D | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2005-04-02 | Bloomfield, Michigan | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 12 |
|
Oliver Flynn | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1998-05-17 | Wolcott, Connecticut | Madison (USHL) | — |
| 13 |
|
Ethan Gardula | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2005-02-28 | Princeton, Massachusetts | Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) | NJD, 68th overall 2021 |
| 15 |
|
Thomas Messineo | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-05-02 | Westwood, Massachusetts | Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) | — |
| 17 |
|
Jake Percival | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-02-11 | Avon, Connecticut | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) | — |
| 18 |
|
John Spetz (A) | Graduate | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1999-12-01 | Oak Ridge, New Jersey | Chicago Steel (USHL) | — |
| 19 |
|
Jake Richard | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2004-08-15 | Jacksonville, Florida | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | BUF, 170th overall 2022 |
| 20 |
|
Kaden Shahan | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2005-05-24 | Everett, Washington | Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) | — |
| 21 |
|
Trey Scott | Freshman | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2004-05-04 | Lunenburg, Massachusetts | Omaha Lancers (USHL) | — |
| 22 |
|
Hudson Schandor (C) | Graduate | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2000-09-29 | North Vancouver, British Columbia | Surrey Eagles (BCHL) | — |
| 23 |
|
Tabor Heaslip | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001-12-17 | Frisco, Texas | Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) | — |
| 26 |
|
Mike Murtagh | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2004-09-11 | East Greenbush, New York | Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL) | — |
| 27 |
|
Nick Carabin | Graduate | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2000-04-30 | Mahwah, New Jersey | Princeton (ECAC) | — |
| 28 |
|
Hugh Larkin | Graduate | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1999-03-27 | Livonia, Michigan | Western Michigan (NCHC) | — |
| 29 |
|
Filip Sitar | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2005-06-29 | Ljubljana, Slovenia | Malmö Redhawks J20 (J20 Nationell) | — |
| 30 |
|
Tyler Muszelik | Junior | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2004-07-01 | Long Valley, New Jersey | New Hampshire (HEA) | FLA, 189th overall 2022 |
| 31 |
|
Callum Tung | Freshman | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | 2003-11-23 | Port Moody, British Columbia | Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL) | — |
| 32 |
|
Thomas Heaney | Freshman | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2003-02-02 | Oceanport, New Jersey | Maine Nordiques (NAHL) | — |
| 34 |
|
Owen Simpson | Sophomore | D | 6' 5" (1.96 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2003-07-01 | Toronto, Ontario | Penticton (BCHL) | — |
| 71 |
|
Ethan Whitcomb | Freshman | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 2004-05-13 | St. Catharines, Ontario | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) | — |
Standings
| Conference record | Overall record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| #4 Boston College † | 24 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 55 | 82 | 40 | 37 | 27 | 8 | 2 | 125 | 65 | |
| #8 Maine * | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 50 | 67 | 45 | 38 | 24 | 8 | 6 | 124 | 75 | |
| #2 Boston University | 24 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 46 | 89 | 65 | 40 | 24 | 14 | 2 | 150 | 119 | |
| #7 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 76 | 65 | 39 | 23 | 12 | 4 | 130 | 97 | |
| #13 Providence | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 65 | 67 | 37 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 103 | 96 | |
| #10 Massachusetts | 24 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 69 | 58 | 40 | 21 | 14 | 5 | 133 | 97 | |
| Massachusetts Lowell | 24 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 57 | 69 | 36 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 93 | 101 | |
| Merrimack | 24 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 57 | 81 | 35 | 13 | 21 | 1 | 81 | 112 | |
| Northeastern | 24 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 48 | 71 | 37 | 14 | 20 | 3 | 88 | 112 | |
| New Hampshire | 24 | 5 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 53 | 73 | 35 | 13 | 16 | 6 | 96 | 100 | |
| Vermont | 24 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 59 | 88 | 35 | 11 | 21 | 3 | 100 | 116 | |
| Championship: March 21, 2025 † indicates regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion (Lamoriello Trophy) Rankings: USCHO Division I Men's Poll | |||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| October 4 | 7:30 pm | Colgate* | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | W 4–2 | 2,300 | 1–0–0 | |||
| October 5 | 7:30 pm | Colgate* | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | W 6–2 | 2,275 | 2–0–0 | |||
| October 11 | 7:00 pm | at Holy Cross* | Hart Center • Worcester, Massachusetts | FloHockey | Muszelik | L 3–4 | 1,063 | 2–1–0 | |||
| October 12 | 3:30 pm | Holy Cross* | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | W 3–1 | 2,584 | 3–1–0 | |||
| October 18 | 7:00 pm | at #3 Boston University | Agganis Arena • Boston, Massachusetts | ESPN+, NESN | Heaney | L 2–4 | 5,074 | 3–2–0 (0–1–0) | |||
| October 25 | 7:00 pm | at #15 Massachusetts | Mullins Center • Amherst, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Muszelik | T 3–3 SOL | 8,412 | 3–2–1 (0–1–1) | |||
| October 26 | 7:00 pm | #15 Massachusetts | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | W 3–2 | 2,424 | 4–2–1 (1–1–1) | |||
| November 2 | 3:30 pm | Vermont | XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | L 0–1 OT | 3,029 | 4–3–1 (1–2–1) | |||
| November 3 | 3:00 pm | Vermont | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | W 6–5 OT | 2,279 | 5–3–1 (2–2–1) | |||
| November 8 | 7:00 pm | at Merrimack | J. Thom Lawler Rink • North Andover, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Muszelik | L 1–4 | 2,401 | 5–4–1 (2–3–1) | |||
| November 9 | 3:30 pm | Merrimack | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | L 2–5 | 2,363 | 5–5–1 (2–4–1) | |||
| November 15 | 7:00 pm | #2 Boston College | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Heaney | W 5–4 | 2,691 | 6–5–1 (3–4–1) | |||
| November 22 | 7:15 pm | at #15 Massachusetts Lowell | Tsongas Center • Lowell, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Tung | W 4–1 | 5,780 | 7–5–1 (4–4–1) | |||
| November 23 | 6:05 pm | at #15 Massachusetts Lowell | Tsongas Center • Lowell, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Tung | L 0–1 | 5,389 | 7–6–1 (4–5–1) | |||
| December 4 | 7:00 pm | at #3 Boston College | Conte Forum • Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Tung | L 1–2 OT | 4,863 | 7–7–1 (4–6–1) | |||
| Holiday Face–Off | |||||||||||
| December 28 | 2:30 pm | vs. Alaska* | Fiserv Forum • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Holiday Face–Off Semifinal) | Tung | W 4–1 | 6,625 | 8–7–1 | ||||
| December 29 | 5:00 pm | vs. Wisconsin* | Fiserv Forum • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Holiday Face–Off Championship) | Heaney | L 3–4 | 4,920 | 8–8–1 | ||||
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| January 4 | 7:00 pm | at Harvard* | Bright-Landry Hockey Center • Boston, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Tung | W 7–3 | — | 9–8–1 | |||
| January 10 | 7:00 pm | at #17 New Hampshire | Whittemore Center • Durham, New Hampshire | ESPN+ | Muszelik | W 4–1 | 5,491 | 10–8–1 (5–6–1) | |||
| January 11 | 3:30 pm | #17 New Hampshire | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Tung | W 3–2 | 2,691 | 11–8–1 (6–6–1) | |||
| January 17 | 7:00 pm | at #5 Maine | #17 | Alfond Arena • Orono, Maine | ESPN+ | Muszelik | W 4–2 | 4,747 | 12–8–1 (7–6–1) | ||
| January 18 | 7:00 pm | at #5 Maine | #17 | Alfond Arena • Orono, Maine | ESPN+ | Tung | T 2–2 SOL | 4,836 | 12–8–2 (7–6–2) | ||
| Connecticut Ice | |||||||||||
| January 24 | 4:00 pm | vs. #15 Quinnipiac* | #13 | Martire Family Arena • Fairfield, Connecticut (Connecticut Ice Semifinal) | SNY | Muszelik | W 2–1 | 2,794 | 13–8–2 | ||
| January 25 | 7:30 pm | at Sacred Heart* | #13 | Martire Family Arena • Fairfield, Connecticut (Connecticut Ice Championship) | SNY | Muszelik | W 1–0 | 4,177 | 14–8–2 | ||
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| January 31 | 7:00 pm | at #7 Providence | #9 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+, NESN+ | Muszelik | T 3–3 SOW | 2,805 | 14–8–3 (7–6–3) | ||
| February 1 | 3:30 pm | #7 Providence | #9 | XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Tung | L 3–6 | 11,781 | 14–9–3 (7–7–3) | ||
| February 7 | 4:00 pm | #18 Massachusetts | #11 | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | L 4–5 | 2,691 | 14–10–3 (7–8–3) | ||
| February 8 | 3:30 pm | #10 Massachusetts Lowell | #11 | XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Tung | W 5–4 OT | 5,558 | 15–10–3 (8–8–3) | ||
| February 12 | 6:00 pm | Alaska Anchorage* | #11 | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | W 5–2 | 2,292 | 16–10–3 | ||
| February 21 | 7:30 pm | #5 Maine | #11 | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+, NESN | Tung | W 3–2 OT | 2,691 | 17–10–3 (9–8–3) | ||
| February 25 | 7:00 pm | #10 Boston University | #9 | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Muszelik | T 2–2 SOL | 2,691 | 17–10–4 (9–8–4) | ||
| February 28 | 7:00 pm | Northeastern | #9 | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Tung | W 5–2 | 2,691 | 18–10–4 (10–8–4) | ||
| March 1 | 7:30 pm | at Northeastern | #9 | Matthews Arena • Boston, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Muszelik | W 7–1 | 3,008 | 19–10–4 (11–8–4) | ||
| March 6 | 7:00 pm | at Vermont | #8 | Gutterson Fieldhouse • Burlington, Vermont | ESPN+ | Tung | W 4–1 | 1,911 | 20–10–4 (12–8–4) | ||
| Hockey East Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 14 | 7:00 pm | #7 Providence* | #8 | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut (Hockey East Quarterfinal) | ESPN+, NESN | Muszelik | W 3–1 | 2,691 | 21–10–4 | ||
| March 20 | 4:00 pm | vs. #8 Boston University* | #7 | TD Garden • Boston, Massachusetts (Hockey East Semifinal) | ESPN+, NESN+ | Tung | W 5–2 | 14,313 | 22–10–4 | ||
| March 21 | 7:30 pm | vs. #4 Maine* | #7 | TD Garden • Boston, Massachusetts (Hockey East Championship) | NESN, ESPN+ | Muszelik | L 2–5 | 17,605 | 22–11–4 | ||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 28 | 5:00 pm | vs. #11 Quinnipiac* | #7 | PPL Center • Allentown, Pennsylvania (Regional Semifinal) | ESPNU | Tung | W 4–1 | 7,358 | 23–11–4 | ||
| March 30 | 4:30 pm | vs. #12 Penn State* | #7 | PPL Center • Allentown, Pennsylvania (Regional Final) | ESPN2 | Tung | L 2–3 OT | 6,933 | 23–12–4 | ||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source:[11] | |||||||||||
NCAA tournament
Regional semifinal
| March 28, 2025 5:00 pm | (2) Connecticut | 4–1 (2–0, 1–1, 1–0) | (3) Quinnipiac | PPL Center Attendance: 7,358 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callum Tung | Goalies | Dylan Silverstein | Referees: Brendan Blanchard Ryan Sweeney Linesmen: Brendan Lewis Joe Sherman | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| 6 min | Penalties | 4 min | |||||||||||||||
| 22 | Shots | 22 | |||||||||||||||
| Game summary |
| The start of the game saw Cooper Moore get crosschecked to the ice and then slide into his goal post but he was able to skate away without injury. The two teams were skating fast to start but both seemed to be trying to force the play a bit on offense and failed to connect on their opportunities. The first good chance came then Quinnipiac coughed up the puck behind their net but Dylan Silverstein was able to make the save on Tristan Fraser. The two teams skated up and down the ice for the next several minutes but produced very few shots on goal. Near the middle of the period, the Bobcats turned the puck over at their blueline and UConn was able to set up in the zone. After missing on their first chance, Hugh Larkin fired the puck top corner for Connecticut's first ever NCAA tournament goal. On the following attack, UConn was nearly able to double the lead but did end up forcing Travis Treloar into taking a slashing penalty. Quinnipiac's remade penalty kill was effective in keeping the Huskies to the outside and didn't give up a scoring chance on the disadvantage. Connecticut was able to get better chances once they were back at even strength but Silverstein was able to keep the puck out of the net. In the back half of the period, the Bobcat offense began to show signs of life but couldn't get much of a chance on the goal. Near the 5-minute mark, Quinnipiac made another mistake at its own blueline. Ethan Gardula was able to skate in alone and backhand the puck over the outstretched leg of Silverstein for the second goal of the match. After Quinnipiac was able to work the puck down low in the final minutes, Jake Richard was called for crosschecking to give the Bobcats their first power play of the game. With the #1 power play in the nation, Quinnipiac took the chance to get their first real scoring opportunity of the game but UConn's defense was able to prevent any further shots from getting on goal. Though they failed to score, the Bobcats' offense looked far better in the remaining few seconds and headed into the first intermission with momentum if nothing else.
The Huskies took control at the start of the second and Hudson Schandor had an open look right in front of the goal but Silverstein made the glove save. Kaden Shahan had another solo rush about a minute later but the puck rolled and he could only get a weak shot on goal. Quinnipiac tried to counter but they were unable to break through the UConn defense. Poor passing by the Bobcats did not help their efforts but Quinnipiac did eventually settle down and start to generate zone time in the Husky end. Connecticut battled back and kept the play mostly even until Jeremy Wilmer gloved the puck off of the faceoff and was handed a minor for the violation. It didn't take long for UConn to get a good chance at a goal but Silverstein's left toe made the stop on Richard. Just after the power play expired, UConn made a mistake just inside the Quinnipiac zone and gave up a 2-on-1 to the Bobcats Mason Marcellus made a brilliant backhand pass to Wilmer who lifted the puck over a sprawling Callum Tung to cut the lead in half. After a rush up the ice by Victor Czerneckianair, the two teams began to show some genuine dislike with some post-whistle roughhousing. While Quinnipiac looked like they had rediscovered their game, the team made a critical mistake when they turned over the puck down low. UConn fired the puck in from the point and it eventually found Fraser right in front of the goal who fired it past a helpless Silverstein to restore their lead. After the following faceoff, Quinnipiac went back on the attack and drew a penalty when John Spetz chopped down Elliott Groenewold's stick. UConn's penalty kill gave Quinnipiac fits, not only stopping the Bobcats from getting a good shot on goal but threatening to the Quinnipiac cage on more than one occasion. The Bobcats had better chances after their power play ended but they were unable to score again and ended the second still needing two goals. Connecticut continued to press in the offensive zone from the start of the third. While they didn't get much in the way of scoring chances, their presence in the Bobcats' zone prevented Quinnipiac from getting their offense going. Eventually Jack Ricketts skated the puck up the ice and soon thereafter Wilmer briefly looked to have scored his second of the game but the puck hit the crossbar, bounced down behind Tung and was cleared by Viking Gustafsson Nyberg before it could roll into the goal. After the near-miss, Quinnipiac continued to probe away at the UConn defenses but the Huskies didn't give up any easy opportunities. Eventually, however, the constant attacking by the Bobcats resulted in Fraser taking an interference penalty. Quinnipiac's power play continued to have trouble finding a clear lane to the net and after a few turnovers again gave up the best chance to the Huskies. Just after the power play ended, Moore was tripped near the UConn net and kicked Tung in the head as he was going down. The netminder went down and was stunned momentarily but was able to continue after an injury stoppage. He was then immediately threatened after a UConn turnover but managed to made a glove save to preserve the 2-goal lead. Quinnipiac tried desperately to get something going offensively in the final 8 minutes but Connecticut refused to give an inch. With less then 4 minutes to play the Bobcats were finally able to get through to the UConn cage and nearly able to break through on a goal mouth scramble but Tung and the Husky defense held them back. Silverstein was pulled early for an extra attacker and the Bobcats were finally able to get something going when they had an additional player. With just over 2 minutes to play, Joey Muldowney cleared the puck down the ice. The disk was rolling, got on edge and curled into the Bobcat net to essentially end the match. The final seconds passed with both teams coming to that realization and it was UConn who could decisively claim the championship of the nutmeg state. |
Regional final
| March 30, 2025 4:30 pm | (2) Connecticut | 2–3 (OT) (1–1, 1–1, 0–0, 1–0) | (4) Penn State | PPL Center Attendance: 6,933 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callum Tung | Goalies | Arsenii Sergeev | Referees: Ryan Hersey Nathan Wieler Linesmen: Eric Contino Tyler Liffrig | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| 4 min | Penalties | 4 min | |||||||||||||||
| 44 | Shots | 41 | |||||||||||||||
| Game summary |
Scoring statistics
| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Muldowney | RW | 39 | 29 | 18 | 47 | 12 |
| Jake Richard | LW/RW | 34 | 15 | 28 | 43 | 16 |
| Hudson Schandor | C | 37 | 10 | 31 | 41 | 12 |
| Ryan Tattle | F | 39 | 18 | 14 | 32 | 22 |
| Tabor Heaslip | F | 39 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 22 |
| Jake Percival | F | 39 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 14 |
| Ethan Gardula | LW | 37 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 19 |
| Trey Scott | D | 36 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 8 |
| Kaden Shahan | RW | 39 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 4 |
| Kai Janviriya | D | 39 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 6 |
| John Spetz | D | 35 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 27 |
| Tristan Fraser | F | 39 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 18 |
| Ethan Whitcomb | LW/RW | 39 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 47 |
| Viking Gustafsson Nyberg | D | 39 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 27 |
| Nick Carabin | D | 39 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 16 |
| Tom Messineo | D | 39 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 20 |
| Hugh Larkin | RW | 32 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 37 |
| Filip Sitar | C | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Owen Simpson | D | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Tyler Muszelik | G | 23 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Oliver Flynn | C | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Jack Pascucci | D | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Mike Murtagh | F | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Thomas Heaney | G | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Callum Tung | G | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Huston Karpman | F | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 130 | 217 | 347 | 339 |
Goaltending statistics
| Name | Games | Minutes | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals Against | Saves | Shut Outs | SV % | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callum Tung | 15 | 927:36 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 435 | 0 | .933 | 2.01 |
| Tyler Muszelik | 23 | 1312:59 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 50 | 530 | 1 | .914 | 2.28 |
| Thomas Heaney | 3 | 136:34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 65 | 0 | .867 | 4.39 |
| Empty Net | - | 19:25 | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 39 | 2396:34 | 23 | 12 | 4 | 97 | 1031 | 1 | .909 | 2.43 |
Rankings
| Poll | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 (Final) | |
| USCHO.com | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | - | NR | RV | 17 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | - | 7 |
| USA Hockey | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | - | NR | RV | 17 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 12 or 26.[13]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.
Awards and honors
| Player | Award | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Joey Muldowney | AHCA All-American East Second Team | [14] |
| Hudson Schandor | Hockey East Best Defensive Forward | [15] |
| Hudson Schandor | Len Ceglarski Award | [15] |
| Mike Cavanaugh | Bob Kullen Coach of the Year Award | [15] |
| Joey Muldowney | All-Hockey East Second Team | [16] |
| Hudson Schandor | ||
| Jake Richard | All-Hockey East Third Team | [16] |
| Callum Tung | Hockey East All-Rookie Team | [16] |
2025 NHL Entry Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 168 | Anthony Allain-Samake † | Anaheim Ducks |
| 7 | 197 | Brendan Dunphy † | Florida Panthers |
† incoming freshman [17]
References
- ^ "Hockey East 2024-25 Men's Preseason Coaches' Poll". Hockey East. September 16, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Tyler Muszelik likely out until second half; Callum Tung returns to practice". UConn Hockey Hub. November 20, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Jake Richard is BACK for UConn". Twitter. December 4, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Men's Division I PairWise Rankings". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ "HIGHLIGHTS - #4 Seed UConn Men's Hockey Beats Providence; Advances to Boston for Hockey East Semis". YouTube. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Hockey East Men's Semifinals: UConn vs. Boston University Highlights". YouTube. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Hockey East Men's Championship: Maine vs. UConn Highlights". YouTube. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Quinnipiac vs Connecticut - NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Regional Semifinals - Highlights - March 28, 2025". Youtube. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ "Penn State vs UConn - NCAA College Hockey - Highlights - March 30, 2025". Youtube. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "2024-25 MEN'S ICE HOCKEY ROSTER". UConn Huskies. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
- ^ "2024-25 MEN'S ICE HOCKEY SCHEDULE". UConn Huskies. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
- ^ "Univ. of Connecticut 2024-2025 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ "Men's CCM/AHCA Hockey Division I All-Americans Announced". ACHA. April 11, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Ryan Leonard Named Hockey East Player of the Year". hockeyeastonline.com. March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Hockey East Names 2024-25 Men's All-Star Teams". hockeyeastonline.com. March 14, 2025. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "NCAA player rankings, selections in 2025 NHL Draft". USCHO.com. Retrieved June 29, 2025.