Just Take A Minute: Mar. 2-6

March 8, 2009

Boomer bytes

   Friday, Mar. 6

BUY TICKETS: HOCK VS MERRIMACK (SAT)
We have reached the end of the first week of the month of March, the month which comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb. But the weather is supposed to warm up this weekend as nearly 10 UMass teams will be in action. The hockey team plays a home-and-home with Merrimack starting tonight in North Andover. The men's hoop team finishes its regular season looking to move up to 10th place, at Rhode Island on Saturday. Tonight at 8 p.m., the women's hoopsters face Duquesne in the A-10 First Round. The No. 17 men's laxers head to No. 11 Harvard for a big early season match-up and the baseball team has a three-game set at national power Arizona.

Matt Vautour in the Daily Hampshire Gazette previews this weekend's set with Merrimack in hockey. Saturday is Senior Night.

The Boston Globe has a look at this weekend's Hockey East match-ups with an eye to the HEA postseason next week.

Vautour also tops off his UMass notebook with a look at the UMass-Duquesne A-10 women's tournament game on Friday night.

Here is the Daily Collegian's preview of the UMass-Duquesne women's tournament game.

The Philadelphia Daily News has a preview of the women's basketball A-10 Tournament which starts today in Charlotte.

The Daily Collegian has an outlook on the huge New England lacrosse showdown as UMass travels to Harvard.

Looking to that big UMass-URI men's hoop game, the Providence Journal reports the game is sold out! The 7,657-seat Ryan Center will be jammed for Senior Day in Kingston.

The A-10 standings continue to be muddled as Temple and Xavier were winners on Thursday night. Check out the coverage on ESPN.com. Whether UMass finishes 10th or 11th, it looks like anyone of La Salle, Richmond, Saint Louis or Saint Joseph's could be next up for the Minutemen. Wait til Saturday to find out!

In the D-League, Gary Forbes scored 23 points, but his Tulsa 66ers lost again to Erie, 108-92. He had 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Forbes' picture is on the front of the 66ers website.

The Arizona Daily Wildcat has a preview of the UMass-Arizona series out west. Here is the Massachusetts Daily Collegian's take on the three-game set.

The Daily Collegian previews the tennis team and their matches against Hofstra and Siena this weekend.

UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: Two great photo galleries to look at with UMass basketball and hockey. Check out the photos from Dr. Seuss Read Across America Week and photos from Men's Basketball Senior Day on Wednesday.

Don't miss this: Three big UMass games on Friday, all away from home: The hockey team begins a home-and-home at Merrimack at 7 p.m., the women's basketball team plays its A-10 First Round game against Duquesne in Charlotte, and the baseball team begins a 3-game set at national power Arizona at 9 p.m. ET.

   Thursday, Mar. 5

BUY TICKETS: HOCK VS MERRIMACK (SAT)

Ask The Coach

Great Senior Day all around! Congrats to Luke Bonner, Tony Gaffney, and Chris Lowe, who ended their home career on top. With the win, the Minutemen did clinch a berth into the upcoming A-10 Tournament in Atlantic City. Thursday night is the Bud Light UMass Basketball show, so stop be sure to stop by the Hangar or tune in!

The following media outlets had stories on the 77-62 Senior Day win over George Washington: Springfield Republican, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, GW Hatchet, WWLP TV, and Daily Colonial, and The Associated Press.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette, Springfield Republican and Daily Collegian also ran sidebars focusing on the three seniors, who reflected on their past following Wednesday's win.

The Collegian has a preview of hockey's upcoming weekend vs. Merrimack.

The Republican has a blurb on women's lacrosse's big 13-10 win over Dartmouth. Lacrosse Magazine and the Daily Collegian also had recaps.

Check out this story about the baseball Beanpot at Fenway Park, which will feature UMass.

UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: Want a photo of your favorite UMass team or teams? Then check out the UMas photo galleries. Click here to sort through your favorite photos!

Don't miss this: Tonight at 7 p.m. at the Hangar is the Bud Light UMass Basketball Show. Be there for another great show, or listen in!

   Wednesday, Mar. 4

BUY TICKETS: MBB VS GW (WED) | HOCK VS MERRIMACK (SAT)
Senior night in men's basketball is sure to be an emotional one as three fan favorites will play their final games at the Mullins Center tonight. Luke Bonner, Tony Gaffney and Chris Lowe will suit up in the Minuteman white uniforms for one last time. Be sure to show your support of these great ambassadors of UMass. The women's lacrosse team hosts No. 15 Dartmouth at 3 p.m., in the home opener at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Also, JTAM has stories on football alums Courtney Robinson and David Burris.

In the Springfield Republican, Ron Chimelis has his story on the Minutemen and their must-win situation as they host George Washington tonight. The Daily Collegian provides this preview.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette has Matt Vautour's story on UMass' seniors fighting for their lives to continue playing, needing a win. Vautour also files his yearly pick for the A-10 Annual Awards with Tony Gaffney claiming the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year.

A pair of former UMass basketball coaches have their teams rolling. Memphis and John Calipari continue to pile up wins as they face Houston tonight. The No. 3 Tigers are seeking a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Houston Chronicle has a column on Calipari's winning formula.

In Stillwater, Travis Ford and Oklahoma State are making a push for and NCAA bid as the Cowboys won their sixth game in a row beating Kansas State last night on ESPN2, 77-71. Here is a column on Ford's drive to get the Pokes into the NCAA.

New website Football.com has a tremendous feature on UMass' Courtney Robinson as the senior looks to a possible shot at the NFL.

Former UMass star defensive lineman David Burris is off to Austria to play football. His hometown paper, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette has a story from over the weekend.

Congrats to former UMass lacrosse player and coach Jason Rife, who led Wagner to its first lacrosse win since 2005. The Seahawks knocked off Presbyterian, 12-7, to end a Wagner's 48-game losing streak.

UMass baseball alum Chad Paronto is in camp with the Houston Astros and has not allowed a run in two spring training outings.

UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: The UMass men's basketball team banquet is set for April 8 at the Campus Center. All of the information on the annual event is now available online!

Don't miss this: Senior Day for men's basketball as UMass hosts GW at 7 p.m. This is your last chance to see seniors Luke Bonner, Tony Gaffney and Chris Lowe at the Mullins Center. Also, 1,000 T-Shirts will be given out to the first students to arrive.

   Tuesday, Mar. 3

Back to business today as Monday brought a snow day for the UMass campus. Two big senior days are on tap for the week ahead as the men's basketball team hosts George Washington on Wednesday while the Minutemen welcome in Merrimack on Saturday. Tonight is the Bud Light UMass Hockey Show, so be sure to join us at the Hangar as we preview the final two games of the regular season.

Men's lacrosse has moved up to 17thin the national rankings thanks to its 18-6 win over Yale on Saturday. For the complete USILA poll, please click here.

Check out this Hockey East review of last weekend and preview of the game's ahead, including numerous mentions of the Minutemen.

Hockey's T.J. Syner is noted in the Indiana Ice game notes under "Campus Tours" for scoring a goal on Friday night vs. Boston University. Syner played junior hockey for the USHL's Ice.

The Boston University student newspaper, The Daily Free Press, has a story on the hockey team that tweaked its power play against the Mass Attack last weekend.

Hardball Times comments on the New York Mets' signing of UMass alum Ron Villone as follows: "This is a nice signing by the Mets. For all their fifth starter and end-of-the-game relief acquisitions, they could use some depth in the middle innings. Left-hander Villone does that, as he's been a solid reliever ever since converting from starter after 2002. He'll have to battle for a spot, but even if he has to report to Triple-A originally, he'll definitely see time in the majors at some point."

ESPN.com writer Andy Katz has a blog entry on Saturday's men's basketball opponent, Rhode Island, who is making a bid for an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. The article mentions a number of key A-10 wins this year, including UMass' victory at Kansas.

The Columbia Spectator has this story on the Lions' women's tennis team, which fell to UMass, 4-3, on Saturday.

UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: Want an official UMass Media Guide from your favorite team? Then check out the publications page!

Don't miss this: Tonight at 7 p.m. at the Hangar is the Bud Light UMass Hockey Show. Be there for another great show, or listen in! Also, check back to see where the UMass softball team is ranked after two more wins, including a victory over 13th ranked DePaul. The coaches and media polls will be released midway on Tuesday.

   Monday, Mar. 2

BUY TICKETS: MBB VS GW (WED) | HOCK VS MERRIMACK (SAT)
Happy March! Just when you think spring is upon us, then another snowstorm moves into New England. It was an up and down weekend for UMass sports, highlighted by men's lacrosse's 18-6 thumping of Yale and softball posting a perfect 2-0 record at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Women's lacrosse also picked up its first win of the year, 13-12 at Harvard while baseball opened the season with two wins in three games, including a 25-4 thumping of Fairfield. Check out this JTAM for stories on all those sports, and more, including news from a big NLL game with UMass connections and a Mass Attack alum who picked up his first professional hat trick.

Check out these stories from men's basketball's loss at La Salle: Springfield Republican, Philadelphia Inquirer, and International Herald Tribune.

Ron Chimelis of the Republican has this sidebar on the game, focusing on the inspired comeback attempt that fell short.

Here are the stories from hockey's two-game set with Boston University: SATURDAY - WWLP (TV), Boston Globe, and Boston Herald | FRIDAY - USCHO, WWLP TV, Boston Globe, and Springfield Republican.

What a Saturday night for Mass Attack alum P.J. Fenton in the AHL. He finished with his first-career hat trick against, of all teams, his hometown Springfield Falcons. The Sharks topped the Falcons 7-3 and Fenton was named the game's #1 star.

The Republican led Saturday night's local roundup with a story on UMass men's lacrosse who crushed Yale, 18-6 to improve to 2-1 on the season. Women's lacrosse, softball, and baseball were also mentioned. Lax Power also ran the story.

In a highly anticipated National Lacrosse League game, UMass alums Sean Morris ('06), Jack Reid ('06) and the Boston Blazers topped another alum Jeff Zywicki ('05) and the San Jose Stealth, 16-10 on Saturday night. Morris did not see action while Reid finished with an assist, five penalty minutes, and two loose balls. On the other side, Zywicki had four points (2g, 2a) and four loose balls.

Inside Lacrosse ran a recap from UMass women's lacrosse's 13-12 win over Harvard on Saturday.

The NFCA ran this press release on softball's Leadoff Classic Tournament being rained out on Sunday. It also had a tournament update on Saturday

Baseball's incredible 25-4 win over Fairfield on Sunday was included in the Springfield Republican's local roundup.

More good news from the world of baseball. UMass alum Ron Villone has signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets.

The Boston Globe had this story on women's basketball's Senior Day win over La Salle.

Swimming's Cecila Jenkins was noted under "here and there" in the Boston Globe for her effort in helping set a school freestyle record in the Atlantic 10 Championships.

The Columbia Athletic Website had a recap of its women's tennis match vs. UMass. The Minutewomen won 4-3 for their first win over the Lions since 2000.

UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: With so much going on over the weekend, what better way to capture the moment than a photo? Click here to check out the photo gallery from hockey vs. Boston University, men's lacrosse vs. Yale, and women's basketball (Senior Day) vs. La Salle.

Don't miss this: Derek Kellogg is scheduled to have his weekly Atlantic 10 Teleconference on Monday. Check back for a full transcription. Also look for the announcement of the UMass Athlete of the Week and other conference honors during the day.

Look Back To The Week Of: Feb. 23-27 | Feb. 16-20 | Feb. 9-13 | Feb. 2-6 | Jan. 26-30 | Jan. 19-23 | Jan. 12-16 | Jan. 5-9 | Dec. 29, 2008-Jan. 2, 2009 | Dec. 22-26 | Dec. 15-19 | Dec. 8-12 | Dec. 1-5 | Nov. 24-28 | Nov. 17-21 | Nov. 10-14 | Nov. 3-7 | Oct. 27-31 | Oct. 20-24, 2008 | Oct. 13-17, 2008 | Oct. 6-10, 2008 | Sept. 29-Oct. 3, 2008 | Sept. 22-26, 2008 | Sept. 15-19, 2008 | Sept. 8-12, 2008 | Sept. 1-5, 2008 | Aug. 25-29, 2008 | Aug. 18-22, 2008

University of Massachusets Athletics

Related Videos