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• Fresh off nine days rest, the UMass hockey team will head back to work on Tuesday for a matchup with Hockey East foe Vermont in a Pre-Thanksgiving tradition. The Minutemen are in search for their first win of the season and are coming off a wild 3-3 tie with then-No. 8 New Hampshire on Nov. 13.
• With key early season conference points up for grabs, both Vermont and the Mass Attack will be looking to ascend the Hockey East standings, with only five points separating the league’s third and tenth place teams. The Catamounts are tied for seventh in the Hockey East standings with a 1-3-2 conference record following a split with Boston College on Nov. 12-13. UMass is tied for eighth with an 0-3-3 league record after picking up a point at New Hampshire.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• Streaming video for Tuesday’s game can be accessed through UMassAthletics.com. The game will also be televised live on CBS3 Now (Comcast Digital Channel 293).
• The matchup with the Catamounts will also be broadcast live on the Flagship Station of UMass Athletics, 100.9 FM WRNX, with John Hennessey calling the play-by-play and Brock Hines calling the color commentary and Adam Frenier rinkside. The pregame show will begin 30 minutes prior to the opening face-off. Links for streaming audio, live stats and an interactive game blog can be found at UMassAthletics.com. The game will also be joined in progress by 1510 AM in Boston sometime during the first intermission.
THE SERIES WITH Vermont
• All-time, Vermont leads the series with UMass 32-14-6 including a 12-7-3 mark in Amherst. UMass has won two of the last three meetings including last year’s pre-Thanksgiving tilt in Burlington. The series is tied 2-2-1 over the last five meetings. Since 2002, the pre-Thanksgiving series between the two teams is knotted at 4-4-0.
Up Next: QUINNIPIAC
• For the second time in as many seasons, UMass will faceoff against the Bobcats of Quinnipiac University on Thanksgiving weekend on November 27. The Bobcats took the first-ever meeting last season, 5-4 in Hamden, Conn. in a battle between two of the nation’s top-ten teams.
LAST TIME OUT: UMass Ties No. 8
UNH
• T.J. Syner and Michael Pereira each scored third period goals, and Paul Dainton made a career high 43 saves to lead the UMass hockey team to a 3-3 draw with No. 8 New Hampshire on Nov. 13 at the Whittemore Center. Pereira scored the go-ahead goal with 1:02 left in regulation, but Blake Kessel fired back with a goal of his own 20 seconds later to force overtime.
• Branden Gracel scored his first collegiate goal for the Minutemen in the first period.
• Paul Dainton made 18 saves in the third period to set a new career high in stops, earning UMass Athlete of the Week Honors.
New Hampshire Shuts Out Mass Attack
• Three power play goals in the first seven minutes of the second period sparked No. 8 New Hampshire to a 3-0 win over the UMass hockey team on Nov. 12. Freshman goalie Jeff Teglia made 35 saves for the Minutemen while Matt DiGirolamo made 19 saves for the Wildcats.
• New Hampshire held a 38-19 shot advantage, including a 27-10 lead through 40 minutes of play. The Mass Attack went 0-for-6 on the power play and held a 33-26 edge in the faceoff circle while the Wildcats were 3-for-6 on the man advantage.
• The Minutemen attempted to battle back after the New Hampshire goals, and nearly got on the board when Langeraap fed Peter DeAngelo with a pass to the doorstep, but DiGirolamo went post-to-post to deny DeAngelo of his first career goal.
STORY LINES Against vermont
• Since 2002, the Minutemen are 4-4-0 against Vermont in the Pre-Thanksgiving game, which includes an even 2-2-0 record both at home and on the road.
• The 3-0 loss to New Hampshire was the second 3+ goal loss for UMass – seven of this year’s nine games have been decided by one goal or less.
• Despite being nearly even with opponents in shots/game (30.4-to-34.6), UMass is being outscored by just over one goal per game (2.4-to-3.7).
• Opponents are outshooting UMass on the power play this season (72-to-52), and have eight more power play goals (13-to-5).
• The first period continues to be tough for UMass as they are being outscored 13-to-4
• Of UMass’ 54 points this year, defensemen have figured into 22 (10g, 12a)
• Senior goalie Paul Dainton will prove to be the glue of the team in both leadership and game experience. He will serve as the lone player to wear the ‘C’ on his sweater as team captain. This will also be his fourth year starting between the pipes where he is statisitcally one of the top goalies in program history just behind Jonathan Quick.
• UMass will once again face the defending NCAA National Champion as the Minutemen face Boston College on three occasions during the regular season. UMass will also face NCAA Finalists Wisconsin for a pair of games at the end of December in Madison. Last year marked the second straight season that UMass earned a win over a defending NCAA National Champion with the 3-2 victory over Boston University. In 2008-09 the Minutemen defeated Boston College 4-3 in overtime. UMass is now 2-20 all-time vs. defending national champions. The win over BU was the first in eight games against the Terriers after they won a national championship.
Special Teams
• UMass has struggled early this season on the power play converting just 5-of-47 chances (10.6%). The PP unit has largely been revamped this year with the loss of four key members from last year.
• Darren Rowe leads the team with three power play goals this year.
• The penalty kill is 31-for-44 (70.5%) after giving up three power play goals to New Hampshire last weekend in 11 opportunities.
Period Scoring
• First period scoring has been a problem for the Minutemen after 9 games where opponents hold an 13-4 advantage. The Minutemen hold the scoring advantage in the third period of games, 12-8.
The Sixth Skater
• UMass is 2-for-4 on scoring chances this season when needing to pull the goalie for the extra skater. Michael Marcou and T.J. Syner each have ‘EX’ goals this year.
Young Guns
• With 13 freshmen on the team this year, it is a fair assesment to say the Minutemen are a young team. The average age for the team is 20.7 years old. Six of UMass’ 30 players are under the age of 20.
Looking For A Lead
• Because the Minutemen have gotten off to slow starts this season they have not been able to play often with a lead. At Minnesota, the Minutemen fell behind three times by two goals in game one and three goals in the first period of game two. UMass surrendered two early first period goals in the game at Boston University only to come back with a pair of third period goals to tie the game.
• Darren Rowe gave UMass its first lead of the season with a power play goal late in the first period against the Terriers at the Mullins Center.
• UMass led Providence (10/29) on two occassions only to end up with a tie. The same result occurred against New Hampshire, where the Minutemen scored with 1:02 remaining in regulation before the Wildcats tied things up 20 seconds later.
Good Start Equaled Good Finish In 2009-10
• A good first two periods of hockey usually was a good omen for UMass last season. The Minutemen were 14-7 this year when leading or tied after the first period. They were 4-11 when trailing. A lead or tie after the second period was even more crucial as UMass went 17-3-0 (1-15-0 when trailing).
• UMass’ only win last year when trailing after the second period came against #18 Union when the Minutemen scored three third-period goals for a 4-3 win.
MULLINS MAGIC
• UMass is 0-2-1 this season at the Mullins Center.
• Over the last 78 games at the Mullins Center, UMass is 43-27-8 (.610) including a 14-3-4 mark in 2006-07. All-time, UMass is 130-124-27 in the Mullins Center including a 78-107-21 record among Hockey East foes. Under Don Cahoon, UMass sports a 86-70-15 record at home.
VS. RANKED TEAMS
• UMass is 0-4-2 this season against ranked teams. Nine teams on the schedule this year are either ranked or receiving votes currently.
• UMass was 9-8-0 vs. ranked teams in 2009-10 which was the program’s best all-time record against ranked teams. UMass had wins over #2 Boston University (Oct. 18), #9 Yale (Nov. 19), #18/17 Vermont (Nov. 24, Jan. 23), vs. #18 Union (12/29), a pair over #15 UMass Lowell (1/15-16), and a pair of wins at #17 Maine (3/5-6).
• In 2008-09, UMass was 6-12-3 against ranked teams. Of those, UMass faced six teams ranked in the nation’s top-5 posting a 6-6-1 record. In 2007-08, UMass was 7-10-1 against ranked opponents including a 5-0-1 stretch against ranked teams through the holiday break. It was UMass best record ever against ranked teams.
• All-time, UMass is 54-188-22 against ranked opponents including a 5-7-2 record at neutral sites and a 7-23-4 record against non-conference teams.
• UMass posted its second ever win over a No. 1-ranked team on Friday, Nov. 14 in the 5-1 win over Boston University. The first came in 1994-95 with a 4-2 win over No. 1 Maine on Jan. 28. In the modern era, UMass is 2-12-1 against team’s ranked No. 1.
HARD TO BEAT WHEN SCORING 3’S
• Over the last several years, UMass has been nearly unbeatable when scoring three or more goals in a game. The 2010-11 season started on a different note, however, as the Minutemen were able to score three and four goals at Minnesota and three against Boston University and New Hampshire, yet were unable to get the ‘W’. UMass is 0-4-2 this year when scoring three or more goals.
• UMass was 17-5-0 when scoring three-or-more goals in 2009-10 and 1-13 when failing to.
• UMass was 15-4-0 in 2008-09 when lighting the lamp three times or more in a game and 0-16-3 when they scored fewer than three goals.
FOUR-OR-MORE IS BEST
• Over the last 79 games where UMass scores four-or-more goals, the Minutemen are an amazing 72-6-1.
FANS SET NEW HOME ATTENDANCE RECORD IN 2009-10
• The 2010-11 season started off on a good note attendance-wise as a home-opening record 7,021 fans came to the Boston University game on Oct. 22. The previous record for a home-opener was 5,862 against UMass Lowell in 2007.
• UMass averaged a school record 5,313 fans in 15 home games at the Mullins Center last year - a mark which ranked 12th nationally. In those 15 games, 79,690 fans came through the turnstiles.
• A Mullins Center record 8,389 fans turned out to see UMass defeat Boston College on Nov. 22, 2008 - a mark that also ranks as the ninth-best UMass hockey attendance for all venues. Fans tied that record on Feb. 5, 2009 against Boston College as well.
Coming Up Rowe’s
• In just eight games, defenseman Darren Rowe has already surpassed his point production from last season. He enters the weekend with five goals and an assist. He had a team-best five-game point streak active until the loss at Providence. Last season, he had three assists in 26 games played. The multi-faceted defenseman also can play at forward and is a great scoring threat on the power play.
• Against Boston University, Rowe recorded his first career multi-goal game with two scores against the Terriers, earning second star of the game honors.
Pereira, Gracel Logging Good Minutes
• Offensively, Michael Pereira and Branden Gracel are making immediate impacts for the Minutemen. Pereira is the team’s leading scorer with 5 goals and 2 assists along with a plus-5 rating in eight games. Gracel has a goal and 3 assists in 9 games and is one of UMass’ top face-off specialists (81-of-150, 54%). Gracel scored his first collegiate goal against New Hampshire on Nov. 13.
Hobbs Lending A Helping Hand
• Assistant captain Danny Hobbs tallied three assists against Boston University, a new career high for the junior forward. Hobbs, playing on a line with T.J. Syner and Michael Pereira, assisted on a power play, even strength and extra attacker goal. So far this season, Hobbs has four assists in six games, and is well on his way to surpassing his 2009-10 assist total of six.
Concannon a Physical Force
• A lot of what Marc Concannon adds to the Minutemen does not show up in the box score. A physical presence at power forward, Concannon has been having a strong start to the season. Aside from already having two goals and an assist, he has been making the plays UMass needs such as big hits, stealing the puck, and spot-on passing. A member of the penalty kill unit as well, Concannon is not afraid to put his body between a shooter and the goal to block shots.
Teglia Earns Rookie Of The Week Honors
• Jeff Teglia was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week after making 33 saves in his first collegiate start at Boston University on Oct. 16. Along with stopping all but two Terrier shots, Teglia helped keep Boston University off the board on the power play with the penalty kill a perfect 4-for-4. For the season, Teglia is posting a 3.37 GAA and a .899 save percentage.
Dainton Closing In On Saves Record
• Paul Dainton enters the weekend ranked 3rd all-time at UMass for saves (2,501) and is within reach of setting a new program record by year’s end. He needs 90 more to tie Gabe Winer for second and 549 to tie Brian Regan’s record of 3,050 saves.
Dainton Named Captain For 2010-11
• Senior goalie Paul Dainton has been named team captain for the 2010-11 season as announced by UMass hockey head coach Don “Toot” Cahoon. Dainton becomes the first goalie since Brian Regan in 1997-98 to wear the “C” for UMass. Juniors Danny Hobbs, Michael Marcou and T.J. Syner will serve as assistant captains for the Minutemen.
• In the history of the UMass hockey program dating back to 1909-10, Dainton is just the eighth goalie to ever be named Captain. David Buttrick was the first in 1917.
Dainton Candidate For Lowe’s Senior Class Award
• UMass senior captain Paul Dainton has been named one of 20 candidates for the 2010-11 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Men’s Ice Hockey Award as announced in mid-October. Dainton is the only goalie on the list and one of four representing Hockey East. The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
• Last season, both Martin Nolet and Brett Watson were candidates. Nolet became one of the 10 finalists and earned Lowe’s Senior CLASS Second-Team All-American honors.
Syner Leading UMass Offense
• A member of last year’s potent scoring line alongside James Marcou and Casey Wellman, T.J. Syner will take on the bulk of that scoring responsibility this season. After nine games, he already has seven points with three goals and four assists. For his career, he is the active team leader as well with 73 games played, 18 goals, and 22 assists.
Marcou, Kublin Anchor Defense
• Michael Marcou and Doug Kublin are two of the top returning defensive skaters this year. Marcou, who is an excellent two-way blueliner, has two goals and five assists, while Kublin is more known as a strong, stay-at-home defender who scored his second career goal in the tie against Providence.
ROOKIE BLUELINERS
• With as much offense that was lost following last season, the loses of Justin Braun, Martin Nolet and Matt Irwin on defense was overshadowed a bit. Freshmen Conor Allen, Colin Shea and Adam Phillips have been able to contribute right away - not just on regular shifts, but also on special teams. Shea has two assists, a plus-2 rating and has taken just two penalties. At 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, Allen provides a strong phsyical presence on the ice, while Phillips at 6-foot-6, also provides size on the blueline and has two assists as well.
One Moore Minute Takes You Behind The Scenes Of UMass Hockey
• Be sure to check out “One Moore Minute” on UMassAthletics.com. Throughout the season goalie Kevin Moore will take fans behind the scenes of UMass hockey to see what goes on off the ice and outside the lockerroom.
HOCKEY’S A FAMILY LEGACY
• For two Minutemen, hockey is truly a family tradition. Eddie Olczyk and Shawn Saunders each grew up around NHL rinks as their fathers played professionally. Olczyk’s father, Ed, played 16 season’s in the NHL, was head coach of the Pittsburgh Penquins, and currently serves as an announcer for NBC and NHL on Versus. Saunder’s father, Bernie, played for the Quebec Nordiques. Saunder’s uncle is ESPN talent John Saunders who also makes trips out to see his nephew play.
Battle of the Brothers
• The first two Hockey East games of the year pitted brother vs. brother as UMass freshman forward Michael Pereira and his older brother, Joe, a Boston University senior forward and captain, faced each other on the ice for the first time. Both Pereira’s had multi-point weekends in their respective season openers, with Michael netting his first collegiate goal and adding an assist at Minnesota while Joe picked up three goals to help the Terriers capture the Ice Breaker Tournament in St. Louis.
• In the 2-2 tie between UMass and BU, the pair started the game opposite each other. Michael did not record any points, but Joe had an assist. According to Scott Weighart’s USCHO.com recap “Walking out of Agganis Arena, a member of the Pereira clan — clad in a half-BU, half-UMass jersey — said, ‘I like that score!’”
• Minuteman freshman defenseman Colin Shea will also go toe-to-toe with his older brother Edwin when UMass takes on Boston College later this season. The first matchup will take place February 4 in Chestnut Hill. Both Shea’s played for the Boston Junior Bruins of the EJHL before attending college.
CAHOON BECOMES ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH IN UMASS HISTORY
• Head coach Don “Toot” Cahoon became the all-time winning head coach in UMass history on Dec. 12, 2008 with a 4-0 win over American International. The win over AIC gave Cahoon 121 career wins which surpassed UMass Hall of Famer Jack Canniff who had 120 wins in his career from 1967-79. He earned his 300th overall win as a head coach on Dec. 5, 2008 in a 5-1 win over Connecticut.
• Under Cahoon’s tenure, UMass made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance (2007) and played for the Hockey East Championship title in 2003-04.
• Cahoon now has a 147-190-34 record at UMass in 11 seasons. Overall, in 24 years as a head coach, Cahoon is 327-363-70.
Hello, Nice To Meet You
• UMass lost six players from 2009-10 to graduation and three underclassmen to the professional ranks. To replace those players, the Minutemen welcome in 13 freshmen to the program for 2010-11.
• Along with one redshirt freshman and five sophomores, UMass has 19 underclassmen.
• The Mass Attack has seven members of its senior class along with four juniors.
GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY
• The 2010-11 UMass roster features players from 14 different states and Canadian provinces. From Massachusetts to California, UMass has a diverse group of players from across North America.
• Eight Minutemen hail from Massachusetts while three represent Illinois, New York, Ontario, and Quebec.
MINUTEMEN EARN ACADEMIC HONORS
• 13 players earned Hockey East All-Academic honors in 2009-10 giving UMass the most among the league membership. This was the fifth consecutive season the UMass had 10-or-more student-athletes honored on the team.
• Djan Lefebvre was also named to the Hockey East Academic All-Star Team for having the highest grade point average among all league defensemen.
• Martin Nolet and Brett Watson were named “Distinguished Scholars” for posting a 3.0 GPA for every semester of their career.
• Michael Lecomte, James Marcou, T.J. Syner and Casey Wellman were UMass’ other honorees who had acheived academic success for multiple seasons.
Check Out The New Sweaters
• In the home opener against Boston University, UMass had a surprise for its fans. The Minutemen debuted a new set of uniforms that were white with Maroon shoulder trim and a running Sam The Minuteman logo emblazoned on the chest.
2010-11 OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW
• The Minutemen head into 2010-11 with the loss of their top five scorers from last season. That group accounted for 177 of UMass’ 289 points and 62 of UMass’ 105 goals.
• T.J. Syner and Rocco Carzo are the team’s top returning scorers. Syner had 8 goals and 12 assists last season giving him 15 and 18, respectively, in 64 career games. Carzo was named the team’s Rookie of the Year after scoring six goals and six assists in 32 games.
• Senior forwards Marc Concannon, Danny Hobbs, Brian Keane, Chase Langeraap, Michael Lecomte, and Shawn Saunders have all contributed throughout their careers, but will be looked to for increased scoring productivity in 2010-11.
• Along with Carzo, sophomores Kevin Czepiel and Eddie Olczyk saw significant action last season and will be counted on to make an impact this season.
2010-11 DEFENSIVE OVERVIEW
• UMass graduated its top two defensemen in All-American Justin Braun and Academic All-American Martin Nolet in 2009-10 coupled with the departure of sophomore Matt Irwin to the NHL. Senior Doug Kublin and junior Michael Marcou are the top returning defensemen entering 2010-11. Sophomore Darren Rowe played in 26 games last season, while fellow sophomore Mike Donnellan played in eight. After redshirting 2009-10, Minnesota native Anthony Raiola will be available in the pairings this season. Four freshmen defensemen join the squad in Conor Allen (6-1, 203), Colin Shea (6-2, 170), Adam Phillips (6-6, 184), and Joel Hanley (6-0, 180).
• In goal, UMass returns senior netminder Paul Dainton who has proven capable and dependable throughout his career. The British Columbia native has a 2.70 career GAA and a .908 save percentage in 91 games. Backing up Dainton will be junior Kevin Moore and freshman Jeff Teglia. Moore has been with the team for the past two years, but has not received any game action. Teglia was an 2010 USHL All-Star with the Omaha Lancers.
Five Minutemen Go Pro Following 2009-10 Season
• Justin Braun, Matt Irwin, James Marcou, Will Ortiz, and Casey Wellman all turned pro following the 2009-10 season. Braun, Irwin and Marcou signed with the San Jose Sharks, while Wellman signed with the Minnesota Wild. Ortiz signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL helping them win the Kelly Cup Championship.
• Irwin, Marcou and Wellman all left school early to sign pro. Wellman jumped straight to the Wild, while Braun, Irwin and Marcou played for the Worcester Sharks of the AHL.
UMASS Hockey Show Airs ON CBS3
• Looking to provide fans with the best in-depth cover of UMass Athletics, CBS3 Springfield, the official television home of the Minutemen, produced the UMass Hockey Season Preview Show which is available to watch on UMassAthletics.com. The 30-minute show will have feature stories on several key skaters, look back at the Minnesota series to show fans several of the new players, and give insight on the team from head coach Don “Toot” Cahoon.
UMASS FEATURED 23 TIMES ON TV
• A total of 23 games including 13 games on CBS3Now, four on NESN, and one on CBS College Sports have been announced for the UMass hockey 2010-11 season. This is the most comprehensive television package in program history for UMass fans. Additionally, nearly every game this season will feature online streaming video for fans.
1510 The Zone To Carry UMass Hockey In Boston
• Fans in Boston will be able to listen to UMass hockey along with Coach Don Cahoon’s weekly radio show on WWZN AM 1510 “The Zone” this season. The Zone joins WRNX 100.9 FM in Springfield - the flagship radios station of the UMass Sports Network - in carrying the Minutemen this season.
Streaming Video Updates; CBS To Air UMass Hockey
• UMass launched a new streaming video platform over the summer enhancing fans ability to watch the Minutemen all season long. The Flash-based video player will work on any computer and is presented in a wide-screen format.
• In addition to the updates to the streaming video, UMass will also air select games throughout the year on CBS’ digital cable channel throughout Western Massachusetts bring the Mass Attack to your television.
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