AMHERST — Six Minutemen skaters had multi-point nights in the UMass hockey team’s 7-3 win over Alaska on Saturday at the Mullins Center.

The Minutemen’s first line of Cole O’Hara, Lucas Mercuri and Jack Musa combined for five goals and eight points, carrying UMass to its first three-game win streak of the season.

“I think we had one or two yesterday and today we had a couple so it’s been great, playing with those two guys,” Mercuri said. “A lot of speed, a lot of high-end talent, so I’m just trying to make room for them and kind of get around the net and they kind of just make the plays. They seem to be going in now so it’s good.”

Mercuri recorded his first career two-goal game in the big win over the Nanooks (7-11-5), as the alternate captain scored twice during the initial 20 minutes.

The first came straight off a faceoff in the UMass offensive zone and appeared to be an own-goal from Alaska to give the hosts a quick 1-0 lead 3:22 into regulation.

Mercuri’s second was a one-timer from the high slot following a strong offensive zone-entry from Francesco Dell’Elce. The Montreal, Quebec native’s eighth of the season gave the Minutemen a 3-1 advantage in the middle portion of the first.

“[Mercuri] plays a big man’s game and scores around the net,” UMass head coach Greg Carvel said. “I don’t underestimate what he does for our program. He leads off the ice, he’s vocal, says the right things, plays the right way. If all 20 guys played with the integrity that he does we’d be tough to beat.”

O’Hara matched his centerman in the goals department, scoring twice, to pull even with Aydar Suniev for the team lead in goals at 14 on the season.

His first goal came between Mercuri’s two first-period tallies and helped set the tone for the Minutemen with a 2-0 score. Alaska was the better of the two teams in the first during Friday’s game and UMass wanted to flip the script in the follow up.

“That was the message we kind of harped on a lot, we got to get on them early,” O’Hara said. “The first period [Friday] we weren’t too happy with. That was the main priority to get on them early here.”

Jack Musa rounded out the top line’s impressive performance with a goal and two assists.

The Minutemen scored three goals in each of the first two periods, before another empty-netter from Kenny Connors in the third brought it to a 7-3 final.

“It’s nice to get a lead early, a two goal lead, that doesn’t happen a lot early in the game,” Carvel said. “But when you get a big lead things get a little loose and coaches get a little angry. [We] took too many penalties, but a win’s a win. That’s a good hockey team.”

Three of the four UMass penalty-kill situations came about from penalties from its defensemen. The Minutemen killed off all but one Nanooks man-advantage as Chase Dafoe (two goals) scored during the third period for their third and final strike.

UMass went 1-for-1 on the power play with a goal from Dans Locmelis, his second in as many games.

Minutemen goalie Michael Hrabal looked composed throughout the weekend sweep. The Utah Hockey Club draft pick turned aside 30 of 33 shots on Saturday for his 11th win of the season.

“He’s consistent,” Carvel said. “That’s a good thing about him as a goalie, you wouldn’t know after the game if we won or lost, if he had a shut out or he gave up 10 goals. He comes every day, the same attitude the same demeanor, it’s a good asset for a good goalie.”

Alaska used both its goalies in the loss on Saturday as Nicholas Grabko started for the Nanooks, but after giving up six goals through two periods, was replaced by Lassi Lehti during the third.

UMass only has Hockey East opponents the rest of the way moving forward, but after earning wins in three straight — all in Amherst – the Minutemen’s morale is at a season-high.

“It feels good,” Mercuri said. “We were kind of trying to just take it one shift at a time, but yeah we mentioned it after in the locker room, it feels good to win three in a row, especially in our home building. It means a lot when everybody comes to support us and we want to win in front of them. It’s been good to get a couple wins here at home and just trying to keep that stretch going here.”