University of Massachusets Athletics
Hockey Hosts UConn On Friday Night
November 18, 1999 | Hockey
UMass (1-5-1, 0-4-1 HE) vs. Connecticut (2-4-0, 2-2-0 MAAC)
Mullins Center * Amherst, Mass.
November 19, 1999 * 7:00 p.m.
BEGINNING OF BIG WEEKEND: UMass plays its first ever game against a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in tonight?s battle with UConn. Friday?s game is also the first of three games this weekend between UMass and UConn teams. On Saturday, the football team will host the Huskies at McGuirk Stadium, while the basketball team will travel down to Storrs for a Monday night battle.
UMASS-UCONN SERIES: Tonight?s game marks the 33rd meeting between UMass and UConn. The Minutemen hold a 24-7-1 edge in the all-time series, which began in 1929. The two teams last met on Feb. 16, 1979, when the Huskies prevailed 5-2 in Amherst. UMass? last win in the series came on Dec. 14, 1976, a 6-3 win at home.
OFFENSIVE CHANCES UP: While the Minutemen have struggled in the goal scoring column, it has not been for lack of effort. Even with the defensive style of play the Minutemen utilize, UMass has averaged 33.1 shots per game, third best in Hockey East. Only Maine (34.6 shots/g) and Boston College (33.6 shots/g) have outshot the Minutemen on a per-game basis this season. Comparing against last season, the Minutemen averaged 19.9 shots per game through the first seven games and 23.9 for the season. UMass also holds a +5.1 shots/game differential vs. its opponents through the first seven contests, compared to a -15.3 after seven games last season and -8.5 for the 1998-99 campaign.
DEFENSE DOES IT: The UMass defense has been particularly strong over the early part of the season. Through last weekend?s games, the Minutemen have the league?s second best defense, allowing just 2.71 goals per game just behind defending national champion Maine (2.44 gpg). UMass also has the second best team save percentage in the league (.903), also behind Maine (.911). Part of the strong defense has the fact that the Minutemen have taken the fewest penalties in the league (14.6 min./game) and have kept opposing power play attempts down as a result.
BLANCHARD GETS KEY GOALS: Senior forward Jeff Blanchard (Stouffville, Ont.) has picked up some key goals recently. Blanchard scored the lone goal of the contest vs. Army with 45 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Minutemen a 1-0 win in the contests. The overtime game-winner was the first of Blanchard?s collegiate career. Blanchard also scored shorthanded tallies vs. both UMass Lowell and Merrimack. Blanchard currently leads the squad in scoring with six points (4g, 2a).
HELANEN RETURNS AS TOP GOALIE: Junior Markus Helanen (Vanta?, Finland) returns as the Minutemen?s top goalie and one of the top three in Hockey East. An honorable mention All-Hockey East pick and two-time Hockey East Goaltender of the Month, Helanen posted a UMass single-season record 885 saves and recorded 10 of UMass? 12 wins. Helanen is also second among returnees in the league in save percentage with a .898 mark last year. Helanen has gotten off to a strong start this season, posting his second career shutout and holding a 2.77 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage after six starts.
BROTHERS SCORE: In their first game together vs. Boston College, brothers Jeff and Tim Turner (Saginaw, Mich.) combined to set up the goal by sophomore Jedd Crumb (Winnipeg, Man.). Jeff, a junior, and Tim, a freshman, have not been on the same hockey team since prior to high school. The Turner brothers were united on the same line against Army have played together in every game since.
CRUMB OFF TO STRONG START: The early front-runner for the Minutemen?s most improved player would have to be sophomore forward Jedd Crumb (Winnipeg, Man.) who has two goals in six games this season after scoring just two all last season. Crumb has also been one of the most dangerous Minutemen around the net, creating several high-quality scoring chances in the past few games, including a shot that went off the top crossbar vs. UMass Lowell in a 2-2 overtime tie last weekend.
STILL YOUNG: While UMass had one of the youngest teams in the country last year, the Minutemen still have a young group, although slightly more experienced this season. With just four seniors, the bulk of the team is in the sophomore (nine players) and junior (nine players) classes.
TOUGHEST SCHEDULE YET: The Minutemen will be facing perhaps their toughest Division I schedule to date with 11 games vs. ?99 NCAA participants, and 16 games vs. teams either ranked or also receiving votes in the preseason U.S. College Hockey Online poll.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: UConn enters Friday?s game with a 2-4-0 overall record and a 2-2-0 record in the MAAC. The two teams have faced only one common opponent to date, Army, which UMass defeated 1-0 and the Huskies lost to by a margin of 6-3. UConn has been led offensively by Kurt Kamienski with six points (1g, 5a) to date. Michael Goldkind is right behind him with five points (1g, 4a), while Kevin Connell and Matt Herhal lead the team in goals with three apiece. Marc Senerchia has seen most of the time in goal to date and has posted a 1.63 gaa and a .923 save percentage to go along with a 2-3-0 record.
MEET THE CAPTAINS: Senior forward Nathan Sell (Pembroke, Ont.) is serving as the UMass captain for the 1999-2000 campaign. Sell is joined by senior forward Jeff Blanchard (Stouffville, Ont.) and junior forward Jeff Turner (Saginaw, Mich.) who will serve as alternate captains. Sell is the just the third player to be named the team?s lone captain under Joe Mallen, following Jaynen Rissling (1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96) and Dean Stork (1998-99). The 1996-97 and 1997-98 teams had co-captains.
HEAD COACH JOE MALLEN: Joe Mallen is in his seventh season at the helm of the Minuteman hockey program and tenth year as a collegiate head coach. In his tenure at UMass, he sports a 67-129-14 record. During his first year (1993-94), Mallen guided UMass to a school-record 20 wins. Over the past five seasons in Hockey East, Mallen has brought his team to a highly competitive level, winning season series with Merrimack, UMass Lowell, Providence, and Northeastern over that span, and defeating every league team at least once. Mallen began his head coaching career at UMass-Boston (1979-85), where he brought the Beacons from the club level to a successful Division II program. In his five years at UMass-Boston, he compiled an 80-46-2 (.633) mark and captured the 1982 ECAC Division III Championship. Mallen has an overall career record of 147-175-16 as a collegiate head coach.
SLAPSHOTS: Sophomore Mike Johnson (Excelsior, Minn.) has not been scored upon by a non-conference opponent yet in his career. In starts against Army and Western Michigan last season, Johnson recorded shutouts in both?UMass? overtime win over Army was its first OT victory since a Jan. 1997 win over Northeastern?UMass has not lost to an unranked team at home since Dec. 5, 1998 in a 3-2 decision vs. Boston University.