MASTALERZ STOPS 24 SHOTS AS MASSACHUSETTS SHUTS OUT MERRIMACK, 3-0
Sophomore goaltender Steve Mastalerz stops 24 shots for Minutemen

Sophomore goaltender Steve Mastalerz made 24 saves for the Minutemen

AMHERST, Mass. - Senior co-captains Rocco Carzo and Kevin Czepiel both tallied assists on Senior Night and sophomore Steve Mastalerz stopped 24 shots in his second career shutout as the UMass hockey team blanked Merrimack, 3-0 in the 2012-13 season finale on Saturday. The Minutemen close out the year at 12-19-3 overall and 9-16-2 in Hockey East.

Juniors Adam Phillips and Conor Allen both had multi-point nights for UMass, contributing a goal and an assist and a pair of helpers, respectively. Playing in his 100th career game, junior Branden Gracel added his team-leading 34th point of the season with an assist.

UMass took a 1-0 lead 5:08 into the opening period with its third power-play goal in the past two games. Allen collected the puck along the boards and sent it down low to Carzo, Carzo found Phillips on the far side of the crease to finish the play with his sixth of the season.

The Minutemen added a second tally late in the frame to take a 2-0 advantage into the second intermission. Phillips won the puck in the corner and tapped it over to Gracel. Gracel set up junior Conor Sheary with a cross-ice pass that he sent past Sam Marotta at the 17:42 mark.

Then in the second period, UMass expanded the lead to 3-0. Czepiel and Allen fed junior Colin Shea for a shot from the point that redirected in off a Merrimack player and tucked in under the crossbar at 13:02.

UMass finished with a 33-24 shot advantage and won 36 of 65 faceoffs, paced by Czepiel's 11-for-16 night. The Minutemen went 1-for-6 on the power play and were a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill. Marotta stopped 30 shots in net for the Warriors (15-15-6, 13-11-3 HEA).