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University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Hockey Alumni Open Calder Cup Playoffs
April 22, 2015 | Hockey
Seven UMass hockey alumni have reached the postseason with their respective AHL clubs as the Calder Cup Playoffs will open up tonight, Wednesday, April 22, with an Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game 1 matchup between Frank Vatrano's Providence Bruins and Conor Allen and Mike Kostka's Hartford Wolf Pack.
Kostka was the last Minuteman to win a Calder Cup in 2012 with the Norfolk Admirals. This season with Hartford, the defenseman had 30 points (5g, 25a) over 60 games. His Wolf Pack teammate, former UMass blueliner Allen, finished the regular season in the top-20 for defensemen in scoring in the AHL with 34 points on 11 goals and 23 assists. Vatrano, who signed with the Bruins following the conclusion of his redshirt sophomore campaign at UMass this March, has seen action in five games with Providence and scored his first professional goal on April 11 vs. the Worcester Sharks.
Casey Wellman totaled 54 points (24g, 29a) in 73 games with the Hershey Bears this season, finishing second on the squad in scoring to help lead Hershey to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Postseason play begins for the Bears this Friday, April 24, in Worcester, Mass., vs. the Worcester Sharks.
In his first full professional season, 2014 UMass grad Conor Sheary led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in scoring in 2014-15 with 45 points on 20 goals and 25 assists over 58 games, to help the Penguins earn the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Sheary burst onto the AHL scene during the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2014 after appearing in just two regular season games while on an ATO with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Sheary was one of the top point producers in the AHL during the postseason in 2014 with 11 points (6g, 5a) over 15 games.
Senior goaltender Steve Mastalerz, who signed an ATO with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Manchester Monarchs, on Tuesday, will join the squad for their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series that begins on Thursday in Manchester vs. the Portland Pirates. Joel Hanley, Mastalerz's former UMass teammate, appeared in 63 games and logged 17 points (2g, 15a) in his first full season of pro hockey.
| Steve Mastalerz(UMass Years: 2011-15) - Manchester Monarchs Joel Hanley (UMass Years: 2010-14) - Portland Pirates |
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| Regular Season Statistics: |
Mastalerz: 0 GP (Signed with Manchester 4/21/15) Hanley:63GP, 2 G, 15 A, 17 Pts, 24 PIM |
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| Eastern Conference Quarterfinals 'A' Series (Best of Five) |
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| Date | Opponent | Time (ET)/Result |
|
| Thursday, April 23 | Portland Pirates at Manchester Monarchs | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Saturday, April 25 |
Portland Pirates at Manchester Monarchs | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Sunday, April 26 | Manchester Monarchs atPortland Pirates | 5:00 p.m. | |
| Thursday, April 30 * | Manchester Monarchs atPortland Pirates | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Saturday, May 2 * | Portland Pirates at Manchester Monarchs | 7:00 p.m. | |
| * IfNecessary | |||
| Casey Wellman (UMass Years: 2008-10) - Hershey Bears |
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| Regular Season Statistics: |
73 GP, 25 G, 29 A, 54 Pts, 28 PIM | ||
| EasternConference Quarterfinals 'B' Series (Best of Five) |
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| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
|
| Friday, April 24 |
Hershey Bears atWorcester Sharks | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Saturday, April 25 |
Hershey Bears atWorcester Sharks | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Wednesday, April 29 | Worcester Sharks at Hershey Bears | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Friday, May 1 * | Worcester Sharks at Hershey Bears | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Sunday, May 3 * | Worcester Sharks at Hershey Bears | 5:00 p.m. | |
| * If Necessary | |||
| Conor Allen (UMass Years: 2010-13) & Mike Kostka (UMass Years: 2004-08 ) - Hartford Wolf Pack Frank Vatrano (UMass Years: 2013-15) - Providence Bruins |
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| Regular Season Statistics: |
Allen: 72 GP, 11 G, 23 A, 34 Pts, 113 PIM Kostka: 63 GP, 5 G, 25 A, 30 Pts, 35 PIM Vatrano: 5 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 Pt, 0 PIM |
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| EasternConference Quarterfinals 'C' Series (Best of Five) |
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| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
|
| Wednesday, April 22 |
Providence Bruins at Hartford Wolf Pack | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Saturday, April 25 |
Providence Bruins at Hartford Wolf Pack | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Sunday, April 26 | Hartford Wolf Pack at Providence Bruins | 7:05 p.m. | |
| Tuesday, April 28 * | Hartford Wolf Pack at Providence Bruins | 7:05 p.m. | |
| Friday, May 1* | Providence Bruins at Hartford Wolf Pack | 7:00 p.m. | |
| * If Necessary | |||
| Conor Sheary (UMass Years: 2010-13) - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |
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| Regular Season Statistics: |
58 GP, 20 G, 25 A, 45 Pts, 8 PIM | ||
| EasternConference Quarterfinals 'D' Series (Best of Five) |
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| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
|
| Friday, April 24 |
Syracuse Crunch at W-B/Scranton Penguins | 7:05 p.m. | |
| Saturday, April 25 |
Syracuse Crunch at W-B/Scranton Penguins | 7:05 p.m. | |
| Wednesday, April 29 | W-B/Scranton Penguins at Syracuse Crunch | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Thursday, April 30 * | W-B/Scranton Penguins at Syracuse Crunch | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Saturday, May 2 * | Syracuse Crunch at W-B/Scranton Penguins | 7:05 p.m. | |
| * If Necessary | |||
| All-Time UMass Calder Cup Winners |
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| Player (UMass Years) | Team (Championship Year(s)) |
|
| Matt Anderson (2002-07) | Chicago Wolves (2007-08) | |
| Mike Kostka (2004-08) |
Norfolk Admirals (2011-12) | |
