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University of Massachusets Athletics
Hockey To Travel To Notre Dame For Weekend Series
December 07, 1999 | Hockey
Dec. 7, 1999
LAST GAMES BEFORE WINTER BREAK: This weekend?s series with Notre Dame will be UMass? last action prior to a two-week winter break. The Minutemen will not return to action until Dec. 29 when they face Northern Michigan in the first round of the Mariucci Classic.
UMASS-NOTRE DAME SERIES: UMass and Notre Dame have met twice before this weekend?s action. The two teams have split the two prior meetings, 1-1-0, both in Amherst in the 1994-95 season.
GOAL SCORING INCREASES: Over the past six 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 3.67 goals per game over the past six contests. UMass also had not scored three goals in a game in the first eight, but has scored at least three in five of the past six 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 31.9 shots per game, the fourth best in Hockey East. Comparing against last season, the Minutemen averaged 21.3 shots per game through the first 12 games and 23.9 for the season. UMass also holds a +4.0 shots/game differential vs. its opponents through the first 12 contests, compared to a -10.5 after 12 games last season and -8.5 for the 1998-99 campaign.
BLANCHARD TIED FOR 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 15 points on five goals and 10 assists. Blanchard had a three-game multiple-point scoring streak broken on Friday night where he had 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 have allowed just 2.75 goals per game and have yet to allow more than four goals in a single game, while holding opponents to two or less goals five times. Part of the strong defense has the fact that the Minutemen have taken the fewest penalties in Hockey East (7.3 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 2.73 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage after nine starts.
TURNER ON STREAK: Junior Jeff Turner (Saginaw, Mich.) tied his career-high scoring streak with with his two assists vs. Boston University on Saturday night. Turner tied his previous high which was set in January-February of last season. During his current streak, Turner has posted 11 points (6g, 5a) and is +7 over that span. Turner also leads the team in plus-minus for the season with a +8 and has moved into a tie for the team lead in scoring with his 15 points (6g, 9a).
MINUTEMEN AMONG LEADERS: Three Minutemen currently rank among Hockey East?s leaders in several categories. Alternate captains Jeff Blanchard and Jeff Turner are both tied for eighth in scoring in Hockey East with 15 points each. Blanchard is tied for sixth in assists with 10, while Turner is tied for sixth in game-winning goals (2), 10th in assists (9) and 11th in goals (6). Blanchard also leads the league in shorthanded goals with three, while Turner is tied for second with two. Markus Helanen is fifth in total saves (227), eighth in save percentage (.904) and 10th in goals-against average (2.73).
PENALTY KILL EXCELS: The UMass penalty kill has been very effective over the past four games, allowing just two goals on 27 power play attempts (7.4%) and not allowing more than one power play goal in any one of those games. The team was even more effective against Boston University this past weekend, holding the Terriers to no power play scores on 11 opportunities.
SHORTHANDED SUCCESS: The UMass penalty kill has been particularly adept at scoring this season, picking up six shorthanded goals in the first 12 games of the season ??four in the past five games. Senior Jeff Blanchard has led the charge on the shorthand, scoring three man-down goals, while junior Jeff Turner has scored two and R.J. Gates (Plainville, Conn.) has one. The Minutemen currently lead in Hockey East in shorthanded goals.
S?DERHOLM 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 leads defensemen with a +6 plus/minus ratio and leads blue-liners in scoring with five points (1g, 5a). S?derholm scored his first goal of the year ? and first career power play goal ? in UMass? 4-3 overtime loss to No. 10 BU on Saturday.
TOUGHEST SCHEDULE YET: The Minutemen will be facing perhaps their toughest Division I schedule to date with 11 games vs. ?99 NCAA participants, and 18 games vs. teams either ranked or also receiving votes in the current U.S. College Hockey Online poll.
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 four goals in 11 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 tied for fourth on the team in scoring with six 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 30 games out of a possible 36.
INJURY REPORT: Junior forward Nick Stephens missed both weekend contests with upper back spasms. Senior captain Nathan Sell left Friday?s contest in the first period with lower back spasms and missed Saturday?s contest. Sophomore forward Martin Miljko left Friday?s game with a mild sprain of his left knee and missed Saturday?s game. All three are day-to-day.
SCOUTING THE IRISH: Notre Dame enters the weekend?s action with a 6-8-2 overall record. The Irish have featured a balanced scoring effort led by Ben Simon and Joe Dusbabek with nine points (3g, 6a) each. Five other Notre Dame players have notched eight points this season. Tony Zasowski has seen a majority of the time in goal, posting a 2.25 gaa and a .916 save percentage along with a 4-3-2 record in 11 appearances. Jeremiah Kimento has a 2.90 gaa, a .885 save percentage and a 2-5-0 record in seven appearances. Notre Dame has converted on 13 of 93 power play opportunities (.140), while allowing 15 opposing power play goals on 90 chances (.167).
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: The Minutemen, like their Hockey East brethren, are enjoying a successful season against non-conference opponents. UMass is currently 3-1-1 (.700) against out-of-league foes, with the lone loss coming by one goal at nationally ranked Colgate. Hockey East is 34-17-1 (.663) against other leagues this year, including a 9-3-0 mark (.750) against the CCHA.
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 69-131-14 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 149-177-16 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 Minutemen have scored four power play goals in the past five games, while opponents have scored just three power play goals?The penalty shot awarded to UVM on Nov. 23 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 the game was the third consecutive between the two teams in the Mullins Center to go to overtime?Last Saturday?s game vs. BU snapped a streak of 71 consecutive games played by senior captain Nathan Sell. In addition to Jeff Blanchard?s school record 107 consecutive games played, other Minutemen with long streaks are Kris Wallis (75 games) and Joey Culgin (59 games).