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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Merrimack
UMass Opens Hockey East Play Vs. Merrimack
October 26, 2017 | Hockey
The Minutemen will face the Warriors in a home-and-home this Friday and Saturday.
| University of Massachusetts Hockey Game Notes | |
| Games 7-8 | Massachusetts Minutemen (3-3-0, 0-0-0 HEA) vs. Merrimack Warriors (0-3-2, 0-0-0 HEA) |
| Dates | Times | Friday, October, 27 - 7 p.m. / Saturday, October, 28 - 7 p.m. |
| Location | Friday: Amherst, Mass. - Mullins Center (8,373) | Saturday: North Andover, Mass. - Lawler Rink (2,549) |
| Series History | Merrimack leads: 41-39-7 |
| Live Statistics | Friday: SideArm | Saturday: SideArm |
| Watch Live | Friday: UMass All-Access | Saturday: Merrimack Sports Network |
| Listen (Radio) | WHMP AM 1400/1240 FM 96.9/107.5 |
| Listen (Online) | WHMP Streaming Player | TuneIn App (mobile devices) |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | Merrimack |
| Team Records | Massachusetts | Merrimack |
| @UMassHockey | @UMassAthletics | @MerrimackMIH | |
| UMass Hockey | UMass Athletics | |
| Tickets | Friday | Saturday |
| Game Promotions | Friday: None | Saturday (at Merrimack): Family Pack Specials and Free Candy Toss |
Quick Hits: UMass Drops Two Hard-Fought Games To Ohio State
- UMass hosted Ohio State last weekend for the first time in program history and dropped both contests to the Buckeyes, 3-1 and 3-0.
- In Friday night's matchup, UMass was on the board first, but three unanswered, including two power-play goals, helped carry Ohio State past the Minutemen, 3-1.
- UMass took a 1-0 lead 10:01 into the first. Freshmen Austin Albrecht and George Mika set up sophomore Niko Hildenbrand's drive to the net that he finished off for his second of the season. Mika's helper marked his first of his collegiate career.
- On Saturday night Ohio State scored a goal in each period to defeat UMass, 3-0.
- Freshman Matt Murray (2-2-0) made his third straight start and totaled 29 saves in net for the Minutemen.
Murray Among Hockey East Goaltending Leaders
- Freshman goaltender Matt Murray, who has started four games for the Minutemen, including the past three straight, is among the goaltending leaders in Hockey East.
- Murray ranks third among Hockey East netminders with a 2.27 goals-against average over 238 minutes of play.
- Nationally among freshmen netminders (22 have seen action to date), Murray ranks first in goals-against average, games played (4), minutes and wins (2).
Killing Time
- Coming off a perfect 6-for-6 night killing penalties against Ohio State last Saturday, UMass' penalty kill is among the best in Hockey East and in the nation.
- The Minutemen are second in the league with a 86.7% PK percentage, going 26-for-30 on the penalty kill thus far this season. Nationally the squad ranks 13th in that category.
Stellar Homecoming For Leonard
- After stealing the headlines following a three-point effort in his first game at the Mullins Center, Amherst native John Leonard was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Week and the UMass Student-Athlete of the Week on October 16.
- Leonard helped UMass to a 2-0-0 weekend last week with the first two multi-point games of his career.
- He registered two goals and three assists over the two contests for a five-point week, starting the weekend with a pair of helpers in a 5-4 win at Union. He followed up with a three-point night against AIC, factoring in all three of the Minutemen's goals with two goals and an assist, including his second game winner of the season.
- The performances also capped off Leonard's four-game point streak.
Chau Chipping In
- Right behind John Leonard's team-leading seven points is classmate Oliver Chau with five points on two goals and three assists.
- After picking up his first collegiate point with an assist in UMass' first win of the season at Arizona State, Chau followed up with two multi-point games and his first two tallies of his career with a goal and an assist at Union and again the following night vs. AIC.
A Baker's Dozen
- With 13 freshmen on the roster, UMass has the largest freshman class in all of Division I hockey this season. Air Force and Alaska Anchorage follow, each with 12 freshmen.
- The class is comprised of eight forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders. The group hails from three different countries with five from the United States, seven from Canada and one from Finland. Amherst native John Leonard is the closest to home, while Eetu Torpström, at 3,962 miles from Kuopio, Finland, is the furthest.
- In addition to having the most freshmen in college hockey this season, UMass also has the most freshmen and sophomores on its roster (21). AIC and Maine, two teams the Minutemen face this year, are next on the list with 20.
League Imports
- Though new to the Minutemen, two additions to the UMass roster for 2017-18 are not only veterans of college hockey, but of Hockey East.
- Redshirt sophomore Josh Couturier, who sat out last season per NCAA transfer rules, suits up for the Maroon and White for the first time this fall. As a freshman at Boston College in 2015-16, Couturier saw action in 33 games and contributed six points for the Eagles on two goals and four assists.
- In the offseason, UMass also added graduate transfer Niko Rufo to its 2017-18 roster, eligible to play immediately. Rufo, a forward from Stoneham, joined the Minutemen from Providence College and has one year of collegiate eligibility remaining.
- At Providence, Rufo tallied 10 points on four goals and six assists in 56 games over four seasons, with a career-high 18 games played in both 2015-16 and 2016-17. He appeared in 11 games during the Friars' national championship season in 2014-15.
- Rufo equaled his season career high in a Friars' uniform (2g, 2a in 19 games in 2016-17) in just the third game of the season for the Minutemen.
Firsts On Firsts On Firsts
- In UMass' season opening weekend at Arizona State all 13 freshmen dressed for at least one of the two contests with 12 seeing their first collegiate action.
- Six freshmen collected their first collegiate points in the season opener at Arizona State: Austin Albrecht (assist), Marco Bozzo (goal), Mitchell Chaffee (goal), Mario Ferraro (assist), John Leonard (assist) and Cale Makar (assist).
- Redshirt sophomore Josh Couturier assisted on the squad's final tally in game one for his first point in a UMass uniform.
- On night two at Arizona State, freshmen provided two of the four goals for the Minutemen, with Jake Gaudet opening the scoring with his first of his career and John Leonard collecting the game-winner for his first career tally.
- Freshman Oliver Chau notched an assist in game two for his first career point and redshirt senior Niko Rufo logged a goal and an assist at Arizona State on Oct. 7 for his first career multi-point game.
- Freshman Matt Murray made his collegiate debut in net at Arizona State on Oct. 7 and earned his first career win.
- Chau picked up his first collegiate goal early in the second period at Union on Oct. 13 and George Mika netted his on the power play midway through the third. To date, 10 of 16 UMass goals on the season have been scored by freshmen, including all three in the 3-1 win over AIC on Oct. 14.
- Freshman Philip Lagunov's assist on Niko Rufo's goal at Union marked his first collegiate point. Ten of 11 freshman skaters have at least one point through UMass' first six games.
Sophomore Support
- Sophomore forward Griff Jeskza comes into the 2017-18 as UMass' top returning goal scorer from a season ago. As a rookie in 2016-17, Jeszka found the back of the net seven times and added five assists for 12 points.
- Jeszka not only led the 2016-17 freshman class in scoring, but was second overall on the squad in goals and fifth in points.
- Three more sophomores contributed nine points apiece last season—Jonny Lazarus (5g, 4a), Niko Hildenbrand (4g, 5a) and Shane Bear (3g, 6a).
History Made At The 2017 NHL Draft
- It was a historic weekend for UMass at the 2017 NHL Draft as the Minutemen saw incoming freshmen Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro become the two highest draft picks in program history. Makar was selected No. 4 overall by the Colorado Avalanche and Ferraro was taken 49th overall by the San Jose Sharks.
- Makar became the first Minuteman to be selected in the first round. His No. 4 selection tied for fourth all-time in Hockey East history, as well. Prior to the 2017 NHL Draft, current Anaheim Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour had been UMass' highest draft pick going in the second round, 55th overall, to the Ducks in 2014.
- Makar amassed 135 career points on 35 goals and 100 assists over 111 regular season contests with the Brooks Bandits over the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) and added 37 points (9g, 28a) in 46 career postseason games with AJHL titles with Brooks in 2016 and 2017. His laundry list of honors includes: 2016-17 AJHL Top Defenceman, 2016-17 AJHL Most Valuable Player, 2016-17 AJHL Playoff MVP, 2016-17 AJHL All-League Team, 2016-17 Western Canada Cup Top Defenceman and All-Tournament Team, 2016-17 RBC Cup Top Defenceman and Most Valuable Player (the first player to ever be named RBC Cup MVP in back-to-back seasons), 2016-17 CJHL Most Valuable Player and 2016-17 RBC National Junior A Player of the Year.
- Ferraro played his final season of junior hockey in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Des Moines Buccaneers and totaled 41 points on eight goals and 33 assists over 60 regular season contests. He garnered USHL First All-Star Team and USHL All-Rookie Team accolades after tying for first among USHL defensemen in goals and ranking second in points and assists.
Minding The Net
- Ryan Wischow is the lone returning goaltender for the Minutemen, but brings a wealth of experience into his sophomore season after seeing nearly 70% of the time in net for UMass in 2016-17.
- As a freshman, Wischow played in 27 games, starting 26 of those, for a total of 1461 minutes and logged 700 saves.
- The Green Bay, Wisconsin, native recorded a 31-save shutout in his collegiate debut against Colorado College on Oct. 7, 2016 to become the first goaltender in UMass' Division I history to post a shutout in his career debut.
- On December 13, 2016, Wischow made a career high 52 saves at Princeton, the most saves for a UMass goaltender in a regulation game since 2001.
