Hamilton’s Philip Lagunov goes viral as UMass wins 1st men’s hockey title
Published April 12, 2021 at 2:04 pm
Filip Lindberg had 25 saves, Aaron Bohlinger scored his first career goal, and Massachusetts beat St. Cloud State 5-0 on Saturday night to win the program’s first NCAA title.
The talk of the hockey world, though, was a highlight real goal by Hamilton-native Philip Lagunov.
With his team shorthanded, Lagunov picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, cut back to evade a defender looking for a big hit, and scored about five minutes into the second period to make it 3-0.
“It happened really fast,” Lagunov told Todd D. Milewski of uscho.com. “I blacked out.”
WHAT A DANGLE
Philip Lagunov gives @UMassHockey a 3-0 lead!!#SCTop10 #NationalChampionship x @espn pic.twitter.com/pnxNgtfQQw
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) April 11, 2021
Lagunov attended Boston Bruins development camp as an invitee in 2019.
Prior to his collegiate career in New England, the 6-foot forward who turned 22 last November played for Toronto and Mississauga in the GTHL as a kid. Lagunov then played in the OJHL for Mississauga, Milton, and Burlington as a teen.
For Lagunov, it was the perfect college send-off.
“It’s surreal,” Lagunov told uscho.com. “Having it in the senior year, it’s an unbelievable experience.”
UMass (20-5-4), which extended its unbeaten streak to a program-record 14 games, made its third NCAA Tournament appearance.
–with files from The Canadian Press/The American Press
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