Rufo Hat Trick Leads Massachusetts Past Quinnipiac, 6-3
Senior forward Niko Rufo posts hat trick for Minutemen

Senior forward Niko Rufo scored a hat trick for the Minutemen
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
1st 5:50  UMA1-0 EV Niko Rufo (4)Cale Makar/6
1st 6:54  UMA2-0 EV Oliver Chau (5)Jake Gaudet/2, Cale Makar/7
1st 16:35  QUI1-2 EV Logan Mick (1)Luke Shiplo/3, Matt Forchuk/2
2nd 0:51  UMA3-1 EV Mitchell Chaffee (5)Ivan Chukarov/1, Josh Couturier/5
2nd 12:41  UMA4-1 EV GW Niko Rufo (5)Jack Suter/1, John Leonard/6
3rd 4:28  UMA5-1 PP Oliver Chau (6)Mitchell Chaffee/4, Jake Gaudet/3
3rd 7:34  QUI2-5 EV Alex Whelan (5)Kārlis Čukste/4, Nick Jermain/4
3rd 16:21  QUI3-5 PP EA Brandon Fortunato (1)Craig Martin/4, Bo Pieper/3
3rd 18:20  UMA6-3 EV EN Niko Rufo (6) -
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Quinnipiac  1023
Massachusetts  2226
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Quinnipiac  15201550
Massachusetts  75719
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Quinnipiac (5-7-1)  1/6 4/8 0
Massachusetts (7-6-0)  1/3 7/14 0
Quinnipiac Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Keith Petruzzelli (L, 1-2-0)57:565 53513
Empty Net2:041     
Massachusetts Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Ryan Wischow (W, 4-1-0)60:003 14201347

AMHERST, Mass. - A hat trick from redshirt senior Niko Rufo and two goals from freshman Oliver Chau helped the University of Massachusetts hockey team complete its weekend sweep of Quinnipiac with a 6-3 victory over the Bobcats at the Mullins Center on Saturday night. The win moves the Minutemen to 7-6-0 on the season, while the Bobcats fall to 5-6-1 overall.

"When you see Quinnipiac on the schedule for two games, I don't think me or my staff imaged we would sweep," said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. "They are a very good team. Last night we found a way to win the game that we may not have deserved. Tonight, we were opportunistic while they had a lot of shots, but I'm not so sure the shot total reflected the game. Our kids compete hard and we are proud of our guys. There is a certain way we attempt to play and Quinnipiac makes you compete hard. Again, we were opportunistic, got some breaks and odd-man rushed, and it was nice to score a power-play goal in the third period."

UMass took a 1-0 lead 5:50 into the first. Freshman Cale Makar fed Rufo in the high slot with a pass from behind the net, which he hammered home for his fourth of the season, a new career high.

Just 1:04 later, the Minutemen pushed the margin to 2-0. Freshman Jake Gaudet and Makar set up a Chau breakaway and he tucked home a backhand around goaltender Keith Petruzzelli.

Quinnipiac halved its deficit late in the frame. Logan Mick redirected in a Luke Shiplo shot from the point at the 16:35 mark.

UMass regained its two-goal cushion in the opening minute of the second period. Freshman Mitchell Chaffee buried his fifth of the year from the slot off an outlet pass from junior Ivan Chukarov and redshirt sophomore Josh Couturier, which extended his point streak to four games.

Rufo's second of the evening came at the 12:41 mark of the second period as he finished off a centering feed from sophomore Jack Suter and freshman John Leonard to put the Minutemen up 4-1.

Chau opened the third period with his second tally of the night as Chaffee and Gaudet found him alone in front of the Bobcats' net for the power-play goal 4:28 into the stanza.

Quinnipiac pulled to within 5-3 of the Minutemen with Alex Whelan finding the back of the net at the 7:34 mark and Brandon Fortunato adding another on the power play at 16:21.

Rufo then capped the scoring by completing his hat trick with an empty net goal 18:20 into the third. It marked the Stoneham, Massachusetts, native's fourth multi-point game of the season and first career multi-goal game.

Chau picked up his first career multi-goal game, as well, and his fourth mutli-point game of the season. Makar and Gaudet both posted their first career multi-point efforts with two assists apiece. Chaffee's goal and assist marked his third multi-point game of the year.

Quinnipiac finished the contest with a 50-19 shot advantage, while UMass was 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Bobcats were 1-for-6. Sophomore Ryan Wischow totaled 47 saves for the Minutemen and Keith Petruzzelli had 13 stops in net for Quinnipiac.

UMass returns to action next Friday, December 1, when the squad will play host to UConn at the Mullins Center at 7 p.m.