UAH allowed three power play goals in losing its first game of the season, a 6-0 shutout at Connecticut in Hartford on Friday night.
The Chargers (2-1-0) couldn’t overcome Tage Thompson and Max Letunov, the same pair who gave them fits in last season’s opening series in Huntsville. Thompson scored twice and Letunov had three assists for the Huskies in their season opener.
UAH faced an uphill climb from the start, being kept in their own end for an extended period of time, and then committing back-to-back penalties: Cam Knight for hooking and Brent Fletcher for cross-checking.
Wyatt Newpower made it 1-0 UConn at 6:50 with the two-man advantage. UAH killed the other power play, but Thompson scored the Huskies’ second goal from the left point at 8:56, forcing Mike Corbett to call a the Chargers’ time out early.
UConn made it 3-0 on another power play goal on Karl El-Mir’s deflection past Matt Larose in the slot with :36 left in the first.
Connecticut took a 4-0 lead at 7:04 of the second on a four-on-four situation and a delayed penalty against UAH. Evan Richardson was the scorer.
UAH allowed its third power play of the game as Tage Thompson struck again to make it 5-0 at 9:47.
Larose was pulled after the second period, giving sophomore Jordan Uhelski his first official action as a Charger. Uhelski made eight saves in the third period.
UAH’s Brennan Saulnier got a major hitting from behind penalty and a game misconduct with 8:43 left in the 3rd.
Connecticut finished the scoring with 3:13 to go on a goal by Max Kalter.
UConn goalie Rob Nichols made 21 saves for the shutout. The Chargers were outshot 34-21.
Game two of the series is at 3 p.m. Central Time on Saturday.