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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
UConn
#11/12 Massachusetts Seeks Second Straight Hockey East Title Tonight vs. #19 UConn
March 19, 2022 | Hockey
The Minutemen will face the Huskies in the Hockey East Championship Game at 7 p.m. at TD Garden.
| Game 36 | #11/12 Massachusetts Minutemen (21-12-2) vs. #19 UConn Huskies (20-15-0) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, March 19, 2022 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Location | Boston, Mass. (TD Garden- 17,850) |
| Series History | UMass leads 42-16-4 |
| Live Statistics | Hockey East |
| Watch Live | NESN | CBS SportsLive (outside New England) |
| Listen (Radio) | WHMP FM 101.5, AM 980/1240 |
| Listen (Online) | WHMP Streaming Player |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | UConn |
| Team Records | Massachusetts | UConn |
| @UMassHockey | @UMassAthletics | |
| UMass Hockey | UMass Athletics | |
| Tickets | Saturday |
LAST TIME OUT
- No. 11/12 University of Massachusetts scored twice in the first period to help the squad earn a 3-1 victory over #13 UMass Lowell in the Hockey East Semifinals at the TD Garden on Friday night. With the win, the Minutemen (21-12-2) return to the Hockey East Championship game for a second straight year and third time in program history.
- Senior Garrett Wait opened the scoring on the first power play opportunity of the night, batting home a puck mid-air at the net front from sophomore Josh Lopina and freshman Scott Morrow at the 12:27 mark of the first period.
- Moments later, senior Bobby Trivigno made it a 2-0 margin, collecting a chip pass from Wait out of the UMass end and skating into the offensive zone and sending a wrister past Owen Savory for his 19th tally of the season at the 14:10 mark.
- UMass Lowell cut its deficit in half 16:37 into the second when Matt Crasa's shot bounced over goaltender Matt Murray's pad with Nick Austin and Lucas Condotta earning the assists.
- The Minutemen picked up an insurance tally 13 minutes into the third period when junior Jerry Harding's initial shot was stopped, but the puck deflected in off a River Hawk stick.
- UMass Lowell finished with a 23-19 shot advantage, while UMass was 1-for-2 on the power play and went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.
- Murray ended the night with 22 saves for the Minutemen and Savory had 16 stops for the River Hawks.
YOUNG GUNS
- Scott Morrow heads into this weekend's action tied for fifth among the nation's freshmen in goals (13), tied for sixth in points (33) and eighth in points per-game (.942). He is second among rookie defensemen in points per-game, goals and points and fourth in assists (20).
- Among all defensemen nationally, Morrow is sixth in points per-game, tied for fourth in goals and points.
- Morrow's three-point weekend against Vermont brought his total to 30 on the season, making him just the fourth defenseman in program history to reach the 30-point plateau and first to do so as a freshman. His 13 goals currently rank tied for fourth-most by a defenseman in a single season in program history. The only UMass defensemen to score more in a single season are Thomas Poeck (twice) and Cale Makar (16 in 2018-19).
- Ryan Ufko is third among freshmen defensemen with 24 assists and ranks tied for third in points (29) and fifth in points per-game (.829).
HIGH FIVE
- UMass five-goal second period at Vermont on February 26 marked the first time the Minutemen had scored five goals in a period since the squad put up a five-goal second period in its first win as a Division I program, a 9-1 triumph over Villanova at the Mullins Center on Oct. 30, 1993.
TRIVIGNO AND UFKO EARN HOCKEY EAST MONTHLY HONORS
- Senior forward Bobby Trivigno was selected as the Hockey East Player of the Month and freshman defenseman Ryan Ufko earned Hockey East Rookie of the Month recognition for February after the duo racked up a combined 27 points on the month over eight games and helped the Minutemen go 6-2-0 overall and 4-2-0 in Hockey East.- Trivigno led the nation with 17 points and 13 in the month of February. The captain was held off the scoresheet only once in eight games (a 3-1 win over LIU) and put up multiple points in six out of the other seven contests in February, ending the month with an active six-game point streak and three straight multi point efforts to go along with a +11 rating and four goals for the month.
- The Setauket, New York native opened the month with a five-point game vs. LIU for a career high, factoring in five of the six goals in the 6-3 victory, scoring once and adding four assists. Trivigno's five-point effort was the first by a Minuteman since James Marcou had five assists at Vermont on November 24, 2009.
- Trivigno netted his 50th career goal against the Catamounts on February 26, becoming just the seventh player in program history to join UMass' 50-goal, 100-point club. His 17-point month shot him up the national leaders list as he is currently fifth in the nation in scoring with 46 points.
- Ufko logged 10 points over eight games in February on three goals and seven assists and was +6. The Smithtown, New York native had at least one point in all eight contests. All three of his goals came on the power play and he put up two multi-point efforts against Maine and at Vermont with two assists in both contests. His 10 points and three power-play goals tied for the national lead among all freshmen for the month.
MINUTEMEN RAKE IN HOCKEY EAST POSTSEASON ACCOLADES
- UMass has collected a multitude of accolades from Hockey East this postseason as senior forward Bobby Trivigno has been crowned the Hockey East Scoring Champion and was a unanimous Hockey East First Team All-Star selection. Freshman defenseman Scott Morrow joined Trivigno as a First Team All-Star and was also an All-Rookie Team honoree.
- Graduate student goaltender Matt Murray and junior defensemen Matthew Kessel were both tabbed Hockey East Third Team All-Stars, Kessel for the second time in his career.
- Freshman Defenseman Ryan Ufko earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team and was a Hockey East Honorable Mention All-Star.
- Trivigno earned the title of 2021-22 Hockey East Scoring Champion with an average of 1.33 points per game, nearly .20 higher than his closest competitor, putting up a league-best 32 points over 24 contests on 14 goals and 18 assists. He totaled 14 goals and 18 assists in league action to rank second in both categories.
- Morrow was the league's top scoring rookie and led all defensemen in Hockey East play with 23 points over 24 games. He tied for seventh with 11 goals and tied for sixth in points per-game (9.583), first among rookies and first among defensemen in both categories.
- Ufko led Hockey East in league play with 19 assists in 24 games and tied for sixth in scoring in league action with 22 points.
TRIVIGNO AND MORROW NAMED WALTER BROWN AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
- UMass senior forward Bobby Trivigno and freshman defenseman Scott Morrow have been named semifinalists for the 70th Walter Brown Award, the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston announced on February 7.
- The slate of nominees for the award, which is presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England, includes 14 forwards, seven defensemen and four goaltenders.
- Trivigno was UMass' first-ever Walter Brown Award recipient when he earned the honor in 2021 as a junior.
A YEAR TO REMEMBER
- UMass ended a tumultuous 2020-21 season by capturing its first-ever NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship, defeating St. Cloud State, 5-0 in the 2021 National Championship Game on April 10 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- The Minutemen outscored their opponents 27-6 in the 2020-21 postseason and 17-3 in the NCAA Tournament. UMass head coach Greg Carvel garnered recognition from College Hockey News and USCHO.com, honored as the 2021 National Coach of the Year by both media outlets.
- In 2020-21, UMass earned the No. 3 seed in the Hockey East Tournament and the squad won three games on home ice to secure the Minutemen's first Hockey East Tournament Championship.
- Five Minutemen garnered Hockey East All-Star honors, the second highest total in program history, while Bobby Trivigno was named the program's first-ever winner of the Walter Brown Award as the best American-born player in New England. Trivigno earned a First Team All-America nod, as well, and defenseman Zac Jones was tabbed a Second Team All-American.
- UMass ended the 2020-21 campaign on a 14-game unbeaten streak, the longest unbeaten streak in program history, going 11-0-3 from January 22 to April 10. The Minutemen finished with a 20-5-4 record, the fewest losses for an NCAA Champion since Maine's 40-1-2 season in 1992-93.
2022 POST-HOLIDAY PLANS SORTED
- The Minutemen will compete in the 2022 Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on December 28-29. UMass will join Clarkson, Lake Superior State and Wisconsin in the four-team field.
- Semifinals of the second annual Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off will take place on Wednesday, December 28 with the Championship game and third-place game on Thursday, December 29. Matchups and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
MOVING ON
- UMass had 10 departures from its 2020-21 National Championship roster, which included five seniors. Forwards Carson Gicewicz and Jake Gaudet both signed AHL deals with Rockford and Cleveland, respectively.
- Three members of that championship squad inked NHL contracts as Marc Del Gaizo signed with the Nashville Predators after three seasons in Amherst and Zac Jones with the New York Rangers following his second season at UMass. Jones became the 19th Minuteman to play in the National Hockey League on April 22, 2021 when he made his debut in New York. Filip Lindberg turned pro as well after three years with the Minutemen and signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent.
BOBBY T FOR HOBEY B
- Senior captain Bobby Trivigno has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the 2022 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Trivigno is just the fourth player in program history to be named a finalist, joining 2020 finalist John Leonard, 2019 Hobey Baker winner Cale Makar and UMass Hall of Famer and All-American Thomas Poeck who was a Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist in 2004.
- The Setauket, New York native was recently crowned the 2021-22 Hockey East Player of the Year, joining Makar as the only two Minutemen to earn that distinction. Trivigno is a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award, was named a unanimous Hockey East First Team All-Star selection, his second career Hockey East First Team nod.
- Trivigno currently sits fifth in the nation in points with 46 on 19 goals and 27 assists, all career highs for the forward 35 games into the season. He ranks sixth nationally in points per-game (1.31), tied for 10th in assists and tied for 12th in goals.
- Trivigno has been held without a point just seven times in 35 games and never in two consecutive contests, with three point streaks of five games or longer and 13 multi-point games.
- Trivigno has etched his name into the UMass record books, becoming just the seventh player in program history to join UMass' 50-goal, 100-point club when he scored his 50th career goal on February 26 at Vermont. He currently holds the school record for career plus-minus (+75), ranks second in career game winning goals (9), fourth in assists (76) and sixth in goals (52).
- His 2021-22 assists total (27) is currently tied for eighth on the school's single-season list and his 46 points are tied for 11th-most in a single season.
- With 30 points in the past 19 games, Trivigno cracked the top-10 in points and is now fifth all-time with 128 career points. He needs two points to match James Marcou for fourth all-time (130).
- In 2020-21 Trivigno led UMass with 34 points on 11 goals and 23 assists and garnered a CCM/AHCA Hockey All-America First Team selection. The first Minuteman to win the Walter Brown Award as the best American-born college hockey player in New England, Trivigno helped guide UMass to its first Hockey East Tournament Championship and NCAA Championship as an assistant captain during his junior campaign.
- In the 2021 Hockey East playoffs, Trivigno led the squad with six points over three tournament games on two goals and four assists and was +6, to garner Tournament MVP recognition along with a spot on the Steve Nazro Hockey East All-Tournament Team.
- In the Frozen Four, he set up both the tying goal and the overtime game-winning goal in a 3-2 OT thriller vs. Minnesota Duluth in the National Semifinal and scored in UMass' 5-0 win over St. Cloud State in the National Championship game to earn Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player recognition.
- The 2021 Hockey East First-Team All-Star finished the 2021-22 season tied for sixth nationally in points and 10th in points per-game (1.17), tied for fifth in assists and seventh in assists per-game (0.79).
BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE
- In addition to Bobby Trivigno being back for 2021-22, his two linemates from last season have also returned—sophomore Josh Lopina and junior Garrett Wait.
- Lopina put up 23 points in 29 games on nine goals and 14 assists last season and became the first player in program history to be named a Hockey East Rookie of the Year. Wait had 17 points in 29 games as a junior in 2020-21.
- Since Lopina returned from injury on January 3, the now reunited line of Trivigno-Lopina-Wait has combined for 75 points in 20 games after being held without a point in that Jan. 3 Merrimack matchup.
- Wait recently capped a six-game point streak and has 10 goals in the past 12 games to go along with six assists.
YOUTH & EXPERIENCE
- UMass' blueline is a mix of youth and experience this season, led by junior assistant captain Matthew Kessel, senior assistant captain Colin Felix and senior Ty Farmer. Combined, those three have played a total of 369 games for the Minutemen with Felix having appeared in 138 of 139 possible contests since arriving in Amherst.
- Kessel, a 2021 Hockey East Third-Team All-Star, registered 23 points on 10 goals and 13 assists over 29 games in 2020-21 and was +15 with a team-best six power-play goals. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native led all defensemen nationally in goals, goals per-game (.34) and power-play goals. An All-Tournament Team selection at the Frozen Four, Kessel ended the year tied for fourth nationally in points by a defenseman, ninth in points per-game (.88) and tied for 10th in power play points (9).
- UMass has added freshmen defensemen Scott Morrow and Ryan Ufko to the mix in addition to Denver transfer Slava Demin.
- Morrow, a 6-2, 195-pound right shot defenseman, was taken in the second round (40th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, becoming the second-highest draft selection in program history behind Cale Makar who went fourth overall in 2017.
- Ufko, a 5-10, 181-pound right shot defenseman, was chosen in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators.
SUPER SENIOR
- After playing four seasons in Amherst, goaltender Matt Murray is back for more, using his additional year of eligibility to play a fifth season with the Minutemen in 2021-22.
- Murray has appeared in 119 games in his collegiate career over four-plus seasons and holds a 2.23 goals against average and a .917 save percentage with 2,811 career stops.
- He is UMass' all-time leader in wins (72) and shutouts (14) and set the program's single-season wins record with 20 in 2018-19 and has matched that again this year.
- In 2020-21 the St. Albert, Alberta native finished 11th nationally in goals against average (1.97), eighth in winning percentage (.714, 10-4-0) and tied for eighth in shutouts (3), while holding a .917 save percentage.
- Murray capped his 2020-21 campaign with a 36-save performance against Minnesota Duluth in the National Semifinal, sending the Minutemen to the National Championship game with the 3-2 overtime victory over the Bulldogs.
- Murray is currently 19th in the nation in GAA (2.31), 21st in save percentage (.919) and 12th in saves (849).
NEXT STOP AMHERST, MA
- The Minutemen have four players on their 2021-22 roster who began their collegiate careers at other institutions before electing to transfer to UMass, including two new arrivals for this season.
- UMass added a graduate transfer out of the Ivy League as Cam Donaldson (Cornell) joined the Minutemen for his fifth year of eligibility after the Ivies opted out of the 2020-21 season and is pursuing a Master's degree in finance, alternative investments. Donaldson was an All-ECAC Hockey Third Team and All-Ivy League honorable mention player for the Big Red in 2018-19 after putting up 25 points on 12 goals and 13 assists.
- Slava Demin, another new addition for 2021-22, comes to UMass after three seasons at Denver. He was selected in the fourth round (99th overall) by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and his rights were acquired by Chicago Blackhawks in February 2020. He put up 31 points (9g, 22a) over 96 games with the Pioneers.
- The transfer portal has been kind to the Minutemen in recent memory—St. Lawrence transfer Carson Gicewicz led UMass in with 17 goals last season with four coming at the NCAA Regional. Minnesota transfer Garrett Wait scored the overtime game winner against Minnesota Duluth to send UMass to the 2021 National Championship game and finished with 17 points (9g, 8a) in his first season with the Minutemen. Providence transfer Jerry Harding brought a physical presence to the UMass lineup last year while also contributing six points (2g, 4a).
- In the Minutemen's 2018-19 run to the National Championship game, St. Lawrence transfer Jacob Pritchard put up 47 points in 41 games that season, including seven power-play goals.
LOCK HIM IN
- Head coach Greg Carvel has been extended through the 2025-26 season, Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford announced in June 2021.
- The new five-year rolling contract (April 11, 2021 – April 10, 2026) for the reigning USCHO and College Hockey News Coach of the Year will automatically add an additional year to the agreement on April 11 of each contract year (unless Carvel is provided notice by the university).
NEWMASS AT A WHOLE NEW LEVEL
- The Minutemen posted a 12-2-2 record against ranked teams in 2020-21 capped the year with a 14-game unbeaten streak (11-0-3), the longest unbeaten streak in school history.
- Three of UMass' losses last season were one-goal games, with just four regulation losses on the year. Three of five losses came prior to December 7 when the Minutemen were without the services of veteran defensemen Marc Del Gaizo and Ty Farmer for the November 27-28 setbacks to Boston College due to injuries.
- UMass was 18-2-3 from December 7, 2020 to the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, the fewest losses of any team and best winning percentage (.848) in the nation over that span.
- UMass won 13 games where the margin was three goals or more in 2020-21, compared to one loss (the 6-3 loss to Boston College on Nov. 28).
- The Minutemen allowed one goal or less in 55.2% of its games last season (16 occasions in 29 games) and two or fewer goals in 21 of 29 games.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS
- UMass' penalty kill was first in the nation (91.7%) in 2020-21 and its power play ranked 10th nationally (23.4%) while the squad tied for second in the nation in shorthanded goals with five. The Minutemen led the nation in combined special teams at 57.9% in 2020-21 and were a net +19 on special teams last season, tops in Hockey East.
- UMass had 25 power-play goals in 29 games, compared to 16 in 34 games in 2019-20 and tied for fifth in the nation in power-play goals last season.
- Currently the Minutemen sit 21st in the nation in PK percentage at .823 and 11th in power play percentage (.246).
QUICK DRAW
- One of the Minutemen's biggest strengths in 2020-21 was the team's success over the faceoff dots. UMass finished sixth nationally with a 53.7% faceoff percentage, 961 of 1788.
- Josh Lopina finished seventh nationally in faceoffs wins (312), 101 more than the next closest rookie.
- This year UMass currently ranks fifth in the nation with a 53.6% faceoff percentage, winning 1,152 of 2,149 draws.
- The Minutemen won 40 of 57 (70.2%) of its draws against Maine on Feb. 12, led by Lopina's 21 for 25 (84%) effort.
AND THE BEAT GOES ON
- With 2019 Hobey Baker winner, 2020 Calder Trophy winner Cale Makar, 2019 Hockey East All-Star Mario Ferraro currently on NHL rosters and 2021 Second Team All-American Zac Jones seeing time at the NHL level with the New York Rangers, as well, UMass' hallmark has been developing talent on the blueline during head coach Greg Carvel's tenure.
- As a team, UMass was sixth in the nation in scoring defense (1.97) in 2019-20 after ranking seventh (2.02) the season prior. The 2019-20 squad set a program record for the fewest goals allowed in a season, 67, which was eclipsed in 2020-21 (48 in 29 games). The 2020-21 Minutemen finished second in the nation in scoring defense at 1.66 goals per-game. UMass is currently tied for 14th in the nation in scoring defense through 35 games at 2.40 goals per-game.
- The Minutemen blueliners led the nation in points per-game (3.07), goals (26), goals per-game (0.90) and points (89) in 2020-21, while ranking second in power-play goals (9), tied for second in power-play points (28), tied for third in assists (63), fourth in shots on goal per-game (10.76) and tied for fourth in power-play assists (19).
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
- UMass is 67-19-5 at the Mullins Center over the past three seasons (2018-present) for an .764 winning percentage. This stretch included a 16-game unbeaten streak (15-0-1) that began on Jan. 11, 2019 against Vermont and came to an end on Nov. 30, 2019 with a 2-1 loss to Quinnipiac.
- UMass went 11-2-2 at home last season, tying for first in the nation for home victories and finishing sixth in home winning percentage at .800.
TOP OF THE CHARTS
- For the first time in program history, the Minutemen were No. 1 in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey preseason polls, in addition to being selected as the preseason favorite in Hockey East for 2021-22. UMass entered the 2019-20 season ranked No. 4 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 5 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, which was the first time the Minutemen opened a season ranked in either poll.
- In 2020-21, the Minutemen were ranked in the top-15 every week and the squad has been nationally ranked in 91 straight poll weeks since October 22, 2018 after previously not being ranked in either poll since February 2010.
- History was made on Dec. 3, 2018 as the Minutemen earned their first No. 1 national ranking in program history, sitting at the top of the USCHO.com poll with 26 first-place votes and 964 points. UMass was ranked for 20 straight weeks to end the 2018-19 season and earned a No. 2 ranking in the final polls.
- UMass entered the national rankings on Oct. 22, 2018 coming in at No. 16 in the USCHO.com poll. The last time the Minutemen were ranked prior to October 2018 was in the USCHO.com poll released on Feb. 15, 2010.
- On November 5, 2018, UMass moved up to No. 9 in the USCHO.com Poll and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll in the No. 9 spot as well, the highest ranking for the Minutemen since November 30, 2009 (No. 9).
- UMass surpassed all previous highs in rankings on Nov. 12, 2018 when the squad was sitting at No. 4 in both polls.
- Previously the highest ranking in program history came in the USCHO.com poll on Dec. 31, 2007 at No. 5. The Minutemen spent six weeks in the top-10 during the 2007-08 season.
- After sitting in the No. 4 spot for two weeks, UMass improved upon its all-time highest ranking, moving up to No. 3 in both polls on Nov. 26, 2018.
- The Minutemen earned their first-ever top-10 ranking (No. 9) on Nov. 10, 2003 and ranked as high as No. 7 that season.
- UMass collected its first-ever national ranking on Jan. 6, 2003. (No. 15 USCHO.com poll/No. 14 USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Poll).
- On Jan. 14, 2019, UMass received its first No. 1 ranking in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
LEAGUE THINGS AND OTHER TIDBITS
- Anthony Del Gazio's father Anthony played college hockey at Merrimack (1983-84). Anthony Del Gaizo and Marc Del Gaizo (2018-21) were the fourth set of siblings to play for the Minutemen in the program's modern era (James Marcou 2007-10 and Michael Marcou 2008-12; Jeff Turner 1997-2001 and Tim Turner 1999-2003; Mike Warner 2000-04 and Tim Warner 2001-05). With the addition of Taylor Makar to the roster this season, he and his brother Cale (2017-19) are the fifth set of brothers to wear the Maroon & White.
- Bobby Trivigno is the second member of his family to play in Hockey East, following in the footsteps of his sister Dana who was a standout forward and former captain for Boston College, where she put up 138 points in 148 career games for the Eagles (2012-16).
- Matthew Kessel is the third member of his family to play college hockey. His brother Will played at Western Michigan from 2011-15 and captained the Broncos in 2014-15, while his brother Peter plays at Holy Cross and is in his senior season with the Crusaders.
- Linden Alger's father Richard played for UMass in the program's inaugural Division I season (1993-94) and then played the next two campaigns at Boston University (1995-97).
- Scott Morrow's uncle, Scott (1988-92), and dad, Steve Morrow (1988-91), both played college hockey at New Hampshire.
