University of Massachusets Athletics
Hockey To Face Boston University In Weekend Series
November 30, 1999 | Hockey
Nov. 30, 1999
LAST LEAGUE ACTION OF THE MILLENIUM: This weekend?s home-and-home battle with Boston University will be UMass? final Hockey East games of the millenium, with four non-league games finishing the December slate.
UMASS-BU SERIES: UMass and BU have met 22 times before this weekend?s action. The Terriers hold a 20-2-0 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1920. UMass got its first win in the series since the opener in 1920 last season with a 5-4 decision in the Mullins Center on Jan. 23, 1999. The UMass-BU series has been a good one over the past three meetings, with all three contests decided by a single goal.
GOAL SCORING INCREASES: Over the past four games, the Minutemen have showed marked improvement in the scoring column. While UMass averaged 1.33 goals per game over the first eight games, the team has averaged 4.50 goals per game over the past four contests. UMass also had not scored three goals in a game in the first eight, but has scored at least three in each of the past four contests.
OFFENSIVE CHANCES UP: While the Minutemen have struggled somewhat in the goal scoring to start the season, it has not been for lack of effort. Even with the defensive style of play the Minutemen utilize, UMass has averaged 34.2 shots per game, the second most in Hockey East, behind only Maine (34.4). Comparing against last season, the Minutemen averaged 20.7 shots per game through the first 10 games and 23.9 for the season. UMass also holds a +8.3 shots/game differential vs. its opponents through the first 10 contests, compared to a -12.3 after nine games last season and -8.5 for the 1998-99 campaign.
OFFENSE BETTER, DEFENSE THE SAME: Looking back at last season after 10 games, the Minutemen have had nearly the same goals-against (2.60 in 1998-99, 2.70 in 1999-2000), but have added to their goal totals by nearly a goal per game. After 10 games last year, UMass averaged just 1.90 goals per game, while the 1999-2000 Minutemen have averaged 2.60 goals per game through the first 10 games of this season.
BLANCHARD HOLDS SCORING LEAD: Senior forward Jeff Blanchard (Stouffville, Ont.) is leading the Minutemen in scoring yet again this season. To date, Blanchard has had a balanced attack with 14 points on five goals and nine assists. Blanchard is currently on a three-game multiple-point scoring streak and has eight points (1g, 7a) over that span.
DEFENSE DOES IT: The UMass defense has been particularly strong over the early part of the season. Through last weekend?s games, the Minutemen are tied for the league?s second best defense, allowing just 2.70 goals per game and tied with Boston College (2.70 gpg). Part of the strong defense has the fact that the Minutemen have taken the fewest penalties in the league (7.2 pen/game, 15.2 min./game) and have kept opposing power play attempts down as a result.
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 last season, 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 solid start this season, posting his second career shutout vs. Army and holding a 2.82 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage after eight starts.
TURNER ON STREAK: Junior Jeff Turner (Saginaw, Mich.) put forth his best game as a Minuteman with a three-point performance against UConn. Turner scored two goals and added an assist as part of UMass? 7-4 win. Turner?s second goal was the first shorthanded goal of his career and his second career game-winner. He followed that effort with a second straight two-goal game in the 3-3 tie with Vermont and a two point effort at Union (1g, 1a). Turner is second on the team in scoring with 12 points and is also second on the team in assists with seven. Turner is tied for the team lead in plus/minus with a +7.
SHORTHANDED SUCCESS: The UMass penalty kill has been particularly adept at scoring this season, picking up four shorthanded goals in the first 10 games of the season. Senior Jeff Blanchard has led the charge on the shorthand, scoring three man-down goals, while junior Jeff Turner has the other shorthanded score for UMass.
SODERHOLM SOLID DEFENSIVELY: After putting forth a very strong rookie season, sophomore defenseman Toni S?derholm (Helsinki, Finland) has kept it up in his sophomore campaign. S?derholm is tied for the team lead with a +7 plus/minus ratio and leads blue-liners in scoring with four points (0g, 5a).
CRUMB OFF TO STRONG START: One of the early front-runners for the Minutemen?s most improved player would have to be sophomore forward Jedd Crumb (Winnipeg, Man.) who has three goals in eight 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. Crumb is fifth on the team in scoring with five points.
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. The defense, which has been one of the best in Hockey East, is even younger, with two freshmen ? Samuli Jalkanen (Helsinki, Finland) and Kelly Sickavish (N. Vancouver, B.C.) ? and one sophomore ? Luke Duplessis (Framingham, Mass.) ? in his first collegiate season, appearing in a combined 25 games out of a possible 30.
TOUGHEST SCHEDULE YET: The Minutemen will be facing perhaps their toughest Division I schedule to date with 11 games vs. ?99 NCAA participants, and 19 games vs. teams either ranked or also receiving votes in the current U.S. College Hockey Online poll.
SCOUTING THE TERRIERS: BU enters the weekend with a 9-3-2 overall record and a 4-0-2 mark in A-10 action. The Terriers have been led offensively by Dan Cavanaugh with 18 points (4g, 14a) to date. Other top scorers have been Chris Heron with 16 points (5g, 11a) and Tommi Degerman (7g, 8a). Ricky DiPietro has about 60% of the time in net, posting a 2.48 gaa and a .912 save % along with a 6-1-0 record in eight appearances, while Jason Tapp has a 2.98 gaa and a .862 save % along with a 3-2-1 record in six games.
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 69-129-14 record. During his first year (1993-94), Mallen guided UMass to a school-record 20 wins. Over the past five-plus 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 149-175-16 as a collegiate head coach.
SLAPSHOTS: UMass has not lost to an unranked team at home since Dec. 5, 1998 in a 3-2 decision vs. Boston University, a stretch of eight games?The penalty shot awarded to UVM in last week?s game was the first ever awarded in the Mullins Center and only the third in a UMass game. The Minutemen had been awarded the first two (Rob Bonneau at UNH (12/9/94) and Jeff Blanchard at UVM(11/24/98) ?Another odd fact about the game vs. Vermont was that last week?s game was the third consecutive between the two teams in the Mullins Center to go to overtime?Martin Miljko is leading all Minutemen with at least 10 shots in shooting percentage. Miljko has converted on five of 21 shots (.238), while Jedd Crumb is second on the team with three goals on 14 shots (.214).
