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University of Massachusets Athletics
Hockey Set To Open 2017-18 With Exhibition Saturday
September 29, 2017 | Hockey
The Minutemen will host Queens at 8 p.m. in the Mullins Center
AMHERST, Mass. - After one season of the Greg Carvel era in the books, and a very active offseason, University of Massachusetts hockey is ready to get going again. The 2017-18 campaign begins this Saturday, Sept. 30, as the Minutemen take on Queens University in an exhibition matchup at the Mullins Center. Admission into the arena is free for the game, which will also be broadcasted on WHMP (AM 1400/1240/FM 96.9/107.5) with a webcast on UMass All-Access. For the 14 newcomers and 14 returning Minutemen, this contest serves as the final preparation before heading west and opening the regular season with a pair of contests at Arizona State on Oct. 6 and 7.
Forwards (1 Sr./4 Jr./4 So./8 Fr.)
Returning/Lost: 8/8
The Maroon and White welcome back three of their top five scorers from the 2016-17 season, including junior Austin Plevy, who suited up for all 36 games last season and tallied 15 points (5g, 10a). Plevy has finished in the top five in team scoring in each of his first two seasons, registering 39 career points on 15 goals and 24 assists. He also led the way on special teams with four power-play goals as a sophomore, matching his total from his rookie season. The Langley, British Columbia, native has also dressed in 71 of 72 possible games as a Minuteman, and has contributed three game-winning goals over that span.
Junior Kurt Keats also comes into his third campaign with the Minutemen looking to build on a solid 2016-17 season, notching 13 points (5g, 8a), good for fourth best on the team. Keats enters his junior season having played 69 out of a possible 72 games and has collected nine career goals and 16 assists for 25 points.
Sophomore Griff Jeszka returns to Amherst looking to cement himself as a staple in the UMass offense after leading the freshmen class in scoring, and contributing 13 points (7g, 5a) good for fifth on the team. The Muskego, Wisconsin native saw action in 33 of the team's 36 contests and sealed a victory for the Minutemen, scoring an overtime winner against Alabama-Huntsville in the first round of the Mariucci Classic in Minnesota.
The Minutemen are also excited to bring in eight freshman forwards for 2017-18, including Ontario natives Philip Lagunov and Jake Gaudet, both coming off illustrious junior hockey careers. Lagunov finished his 2016-17 season with 55 points (27g, 28a) in 51 games as a member of the Burlington Cougars of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), and accumulated 88 points (43g, 45a) in 101 games in the OJHL. Gaudet, a member of the Kemptville 73's in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), registered 31 points (12g, 19a) last season in only 31 games due to injury. The Ottawa-born forward collected 44 goals and 65 assists for 109 points in 153 games in Kemptville and attended the Ottawa Senators development camp this past summer.
UMass also welcomes two Massachusetts natives to the forward rotation, freshman and Amherst native John Leonard, as well as graduate transfer Niko Rufo from Stoneham. Leonard spent two seasons playing for the Green Bay Gamblers in the United States Hockey League and attended Springfield Cathedral High School, where he tallied 151 points (91g, 60a) in 72 games. In 2014-15, Leonard led all of Massachusetts high school hockey in scoring with 75 points (47g, 28a), was named ESPN Boston's Mr. Hockey, SB Nation College Hockey Mass High School Player of the Year and was named to the Boston Herald Dream Team. Niko Rufo comes to Amherst from Providence College, where he saw action in 55 games over the course of four seasons, picking up four goals and six assists for 10 career points and won a national championship with the Friars.
Defense (1 Sr./2 Jr./2 So./3 Fr.)
Returning/Lost: 5/4
While the Minutemen did lose four defensemen in the offseason, they welcome back some very important pieces from the 2016-17 campaign, as well as a stellar recruiting class on the back end. Returning for his third season in Maroon and White is 2015 NHL Draft pick, junior Ivan Chukarov (Buffalo), who will begin this season sidelined with injury, but in two seasons at UMass he has dressed for all 72 possible games, registering five goals and 11 assists for 16 points. Also returning to the D corps is sophomore Shane Bear, who stood out in his debut season, leading all defensemen in scoring with nine points (3g, 6a) in 33 games, and finished fourth on the squad in Hockey East scoring, tallying eight of his nine points in 20 league contests.
Redshirt sophomore Josh Couturier will also make his anticipated UMass debut after sitting out the 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer regulations. The Massachusetts native transferred from Boston College, where he picked up two goals and four assists for six points during his freshman season.
The Minutemen are adding three freshman defensemen to the fold this year, including two 2017 NHL Draft Picks, Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro. Making history for UMass, Makar was drafted fourth overall this past June by the Colorado Avalanche, the highest draft pick in program history. The Calgary native's junior hockey resumé is extensive: in 111 career regular season games as a member of the Brooks Bandits in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, he collected 35 goals and 100 assists for 135 points, and added 37 points in 46 career postseason contests leading the Bandits to AJHL titles in 2016 and 2017. Makar led all AJHL defensemen with 75 regular season points (24g, 51a) in 54 games, and tacked on 16 more points (5g, 11a) in 13 postseason games during the 2016-17 season. Makar also captured AJHL Most Valuable Player, AJHL Top Defenseman, AJHL Playoff MVP and was named to the all-league team.
The other draft pick in this season's freshman class, Mario Ferraro, drafted 49th overall by the San Jose Sharks, arrives at UMass after a season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and two seasons in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) prior to that. In two seasons as a member of the Toronto Patriots, Ferraro notched seven goals and 45 assists for 52 points in 94 regular season games. He followed that performance with 41 points (8g, 33a) in 60 regular season games with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL during the 2016-17 season.
Goaltenders (1 So./2 Fr.)
Returning/Lost: 1/2
In the blue paint, the Minutemen bring back sophomore Ryan Wischow, who saw the bulk of the action in net during his freshman campaign in 2016-17. In 27 games played, Wischow logged 1461:32 minutes and made a team-high 700 saves on 780 shots for a .897 save percentage. The netminder also earned a 31-save shutout in his collegiate debut in a 3-0 win against Colorado College, and set a career high 52 saves at Princeton.
During the offseason UMass added goaltender Matt Murray from St. Albert, Alberta. Murray played three seasons of junior hockey, two of which came for the Spruce Grove Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (2014-16). In his time as a Saint, he posted a 37-5-3 regular season record, with a .914 career save percentage and a 2.23 goals against average. Murray was also selected as the AJHL Best Goaltender during the 2015-16 season. He proceeded to join the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League for 2016-17, where he recorded a 2.75 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in 52 regular season contests.
The team also welcomes Holliston, Massachusetts native Brad Arvanitis to the goaltending tandem. After playing for Holliston High School, Arvanitis moved on to play for the Walpole Express of Eastern Hockey League (EHL) before joining the Coulee Region Chill in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in 2016-17. For the Chill, Arvanitis registered a 3.25 goals against average and .919 save percentage in 22 games played.
Forwards (1 Sr./4 Jr./4 So./8 Fr.)
Returning/Lost: 8/8
The Maroon and White welcome back three of their top five scorers from the 2016-17 season, including junior Austin Plevy, who suited up for all 36 games last season and tallied 15 points (5g, 10a). Plevy has finished in the top five in team scoring in each of his first two seasons, registering 39 career points on 15 goals and 24 assists. He also led the way on special teams with four power-play goals as a sophomore, matching his total from his rookie season. The Langley, British Columbia, native has also dressed in 71 of 72 possible games as a Minuteman, and has contributed three game-winning goals over that span.
Junior Kurt Keats also comes into his third campaign with the Minutemen looking to build on a solid 2016-17 season, notching 13 points (5g, 8a), good for fourth best on the team. Keats enters his junior season having played 69 out of a possible 72 games and has collected nine career goals and 16 assists for 25 points.
Sophomore Griff Jeszka returns to Amherst looking to cement himself as a staple in the UMass offense after leading the freshmen class in scoring, and contributing 13 points (7g, 5a) good for fifth on the team. The Muskego, Wisconsin native saw action in 33 of the team's 36 contests and sealed a victory for the Minutemen, scoring an overtime winner against Alabama-Huntsville in the first round of the Mariucci Classic in Minnesota.
The Minutemen are also excited to bring in eight freshman forwards for 2017-18, including Ontario natives Philip Lagunov and Jake Gaudet, both coming off illustrious junior hockey careers. Lagunov finished his 2016-17 season with 55 points (27g, 28a) in 51 games as a member of the Burlington Cougars of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), and accumulated 88 points (43g, 45a) in 101 games in the OJHL. Gaudet, a member of the Kemptville 73's in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), registered 31 points (12g, 19a) last season in only 31 games due to injury. The Ottawa-born forward collected 44 goals and 65 assists for 109 points in 153 games in Kemptville and attended the Ottawa Senators development camp this past summer.
UMass also welcomes two Massachusetts natives to the forward rotation, freshman and Amherst native John Leonard, as well as graduate transfer Niko Rufo from Stoneham. Leonard spent two seasons playing for the Green Bay Gamblers in the United States Hockey League and attended Springfield Cathedral High School, where he tallied 151 points (91g, 60a) in 72 games. In 2014-15, Leonard led all of Massachusetts high school hockey in scoring with 75 points (47g, 28a), was named ESPN Boston's Mr. Hockey, SB Nation College Hockey Mass High School Player of the Year and was named to the Boston Herald Dream Team. Niko Rufo comes to Amherst from Providence College, where he saw action in 55 games over the course of four seasons, picking up four goals and six assists for 10 career points and won a national championship with the Friars.
Defense (1 Sr./2 Jr./2 So./3 Fr.)
Returning/Lost: 5/4
While the Minutemen did lose four defensemen in the offseason, they welcome back some very important pieces from the 2016-17 campaign, as well as a stellar recruiting class on the back end. Returning for his third season in Maroon and White is 2015 NHL Draft pick, junior Ivan Chukarov (Buffalo), who will begin this season sidelined with injury, but in two seasons at UMass he has dressed for all 72 possible games, registering five goals and 11 assists for 16 points. Also returning to the D corps is sophomore Shane Bear, who stood out in his debut season, leading all defensemen in scoring with nine points (3g, 6a) in 33 games, and finished fourth on the squad in Hockey East scoring, tallying eight of his nine points in 20 league contests.
Redshirt sophomore Josh Couturier will also make his anticipated UMass debut after sitting out the 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer regulations. The Massachusetts native transferred from Boston College, where he picked up two goals and four assists for six points during his freshman season.
The Minutemen are adding three freshman defensemen to the fold this year, including two 2017 NHL Draft Picks, Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro. Making history for UMass, Makar was drafted fourth overall this past June by the Colorado Avalanche, the highest draft pick in program history. The Calgary native's junior hockey resumé is extensive: in 111 career regular season games as a member of the Brooks Bandits in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, he collected 35 goals and 100 assists for 135 points, and added 37 points in 46 career postseason contests leading the Bandits to AJHL titles in 2016 and 2017. Makar led all AJHL defensemen with 75 regular season points (24g, 51a) in 54 games, and tacked on 16 more points (5g, 11a) in 13 postseason games during the 2016-17 season. Makar also captured AJHL Most Valuable Player, AJHL Top Defenseman, AJHL Playoff MVP and was named to the all-league team.
The other draft pick in this season's freshman class, Mario Ferraro, drafted 49th overall by the San Jose Sharks, arrives at UMass after a season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and two seasons in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) prior to that. In two seasons as a member of the Toronto Patriots, Ferraro notched seven goals and 45 assists for 52 points in 94 regular season games. He followed that performance with 41 points (8g, 33a) in 60 regular season games with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL during the 2016-17 season.
Goaltenders (1 So./2 Fr.)
Returning/Lost: 1/2
In the blue paint, the Minutemen bring back sophomore Ryan Wischow, who saw the bulk of the action in net during his freshman campaign in 2016-17. In 27 games played, Wischow logged 1461:32 minutes and made a team-high 700 saves on 780 shots for a .897 save percentage. The netminder also earned a 31-save shutout in his collegiate debut in a 3-0 win against Colorado College, and set a career high 52 saves at Princeton.
During the offseason UMass added goaltender Matt Murray from St. Albert, Alberta. Murray played three seasons of junior hockey, two of which came for the Spruce Grove Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (2014-16). In his time as a Saint, he posted a 37-5-3 regular season record, with a .914 career save percentage and a 2.23 goals against average. Murray was also selected as the AJHL Best Goaltender during the 2015-16 season. He proceeded to join the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League for 2016-17, where he recorded a 2.75 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in 52 regular season contests.
The team also welcomes Holliston, Massachusetts native Brad Arvanitis to the goaltending tandem. After playing for Holliston High School, Arvanitis moved on to play for the Walpole Express of Eastern Hockey League (EHL) before joining the Coulee Region Chill in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in 2016-17. For the Chill, Arvanitis registered a 3.25 goals against average and .919 save percentage in 22 games played.
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