Last night in the MAAC tournament, with UConn on cruise control against Iona going into the third period, the little inconveniences of life suddenly intruded upon the Huskies. The Iona Gaels came roaring back from a 4-1 deficit to score four goals and tie the game at 5-5. According to the UConn release, that was the first time all season that UConn had given up four goals in a period. And only one of them was answered by UConn in regulation. The game started with the run of play very even after an early goal by UConn's Chris McNeil. Both teams were playing conservatively and it was a battle for control of neutral ice. Several times UConn had opportunities to deliver big hits in mid ice -- and thus lay down the law that this was their building and their playoff game. For some reason they declined, preferring to poke at the puck instead. The period ended with a great deal of uncertainty on the part of observers as to the shape of things to come. The second period started much the same way. But half way through the period Ciro Longobardi followed a Michael Goldkind breakaway and stuffed in the rebound. That got the crowd going as Longobardi and Goldkind are two of the speedier players in the MAAC. Although Rob Kellogg answered for Iona two and a half minutes later, the period belonged to UConn. Shortly after Kellogg's goal a UConn forward delivered a thunderous open ice hit just inside his own blueline. Whether that hit was delivered by design or by happenstance, it changed the remainder of the period and UConn scored two more to leave the ice with a comfortable 4-1 lead. The penalty-filled third period was wild and woolly. Enjoying a 5 on 3 advantage, Kellogg managed to pull one back for Iona about seven and a half minutes in. McNeil replied for UConn with his second of the night two and a half minutes later. At that point there was half a period to play, and UConn still had a three goal lead. Shortly after, however, a thoughtless icing by a UConn defenseman from his own blueline set up a face-off in the UConn end. Things started to go downhill for UConn at that point. Goals by Ryan Carter and Erik Nates for Iona followed cutting the UConn lead to one, when, with about a minute and a half left, Chris Baboulis wound up next to the boards at the blue line and delivered a heavy slapper on the ice towards the UConn net. UConn's Marc Senerchia was completely unscreened and there was no possibility of a deflection. Ninety nine times out of a hundred he would make that save. But he wanted to send the puck into the corner and out of harm's way. Too fancy. He mistimed it, and the puck went between his skates untouched. The Husky Hockey Faithful were left staring at their feet in dejection. The good sized Iona fan contingent across the ice roared in unbridled joy. The game was all even. But one improbable goal does not a season make. Especially when another improbable goal can deliver redemption. At 1:24 into overtime Kevin Connel picked up the puck against the Iona end boards and spun to try and get out front. Finding his way out front blocked, he fired the puck at Iona goalie Dan McGuire from about 12 feet and still behind the goal line. It seemed to hit McGuire's side and deflect in. It was about the most improbable end to the game one could have imagined. The Husky Faithful exploded to their feet. The sound system went to maximum volume, and the celebration was on with the fans staying in their seats for five minutes until their heroes saluted them with raised sticks from center ice. In retrospect, the game had a couple of turning points. The big hit in the second period changed the character of the game for UConn for the rest of that period. Had they been looking to do that sort of thing from the very beginning, the game might not have been so close at the end. The third period was also a lesson for UConn who got a little nonchalant on occasion and that led to Iona chances which could only be negated by UConn penalties. UConn was not lucky in the way the game was called but that is life. All in all, however, an exciting and hard fought win for the Huskies. The playoffs are not supposed to be easy. -- Dick Tuthill HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.