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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Alaska Anchorage
Massachusetts Hockey Closes Out Semester At Home Vs. Alaska-Anchorage
December 06, 2023 | Hockey
| Games 15-16 | #11 Massachusetts Minutemen (9-4-1, 4-3-1 HE) vs. Alaska Anchorage (6-11-1) |
| Dates | Times | Friday & Saturday, December 8-9, 2023 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center) |
| Series History | First Meeting |
| Live Statistics | Friday | Saturday |
| Watch Live | ESPN+ | International Stream | TSN+ (Friday) |
| Listen (Radio) | WHMP FM 101.5, AM 1400/1240 |
| Listen (Online) | WHMP Streaming Player | App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | Alaska Anchorage |
| Team Records | Massachusetts | Alaska Anchorage |
| @UMassHockey | @UMassAthletics | |
| UMass Hockey | UMass Athletics | |
| Tickets | Â Friday | Saturday |
LAST TIME OUT: UMASS EDGED BY VERMONT, 2-1 IN OVERTIME
- No. 10 University of Massachusetts hockey erased a one-goal deficit in the third period, but Vermont would prevail, 2-1, after scoring the deciding tally 2:33 into overtime at Gutterson Fieldhouse last Friday night.
- UVM's Jack Malinski hit the post in the final minute of the opening period and junior Scott Morrow rung a shot off the iron midway through the second as the teams remained in a scoreless deadlock. Then with 2:20 remaining in the second period, junior Ryan Ufko fluttered a shot through traffic that found its way past goaltender Gabe Carriere.
- However, the Catamounts used their timeout to challenge an earlier hit by Morrow, which was called a major for contact to the head upon review, which reversed the goal and set the clock back to 3:38.
- Vermont then converted on the five-minute power play just 1:25 later as Massimo Lombardi and Ryan Miotto set up a Nick Ahern one-timer from the right faceoff dot.
- Freshman Jack Musa tied the score at 1-1 at the 8:23 mark of the third period, collecting the puck from classmate Dans Locmelis and senior Elliott McDermott and spinning and firing a no-look shot towards the net that went underneath Carriere.
- However, 2:33 into overtime, Will Zapernick collected a pass from Jeremie Bucheler, curled behind the UMass net and found Miotto waiting in the slot for the finish for the game winner.
- The Minutemen ended the night with a 33-29 edge in shots and were 0-for-4 on the power play, while UVM was 1-for-4.
- Freshman Michael Hrabal had 27 saves for UMass and Carriere turned aside 32 between the pipes for the Catamounts.
NICE TO MEET YOU
- There are just nine college hockey programs, active in 2023-24, that UMass has not yet faced in program history and the Minutemen will check off one this weekend against Alaska Anchorage.
- Augustana, Lindenwood, Miami, Michigan Tech, Penn State, Robert Morris, Stonehill and St. Thomas are the other eight.
OVER THE DOTS
- Graduate student Lucas Vanroboys is first in the nation among players who have attempted at least 60 faceoffs with a 64.1% faceoff percentage, going 93 for 52 on the year thus far.
- As a team, UMass is 11th nationally in faceoff percentage at 53.7% and second in Hockey East. Liam Gorman sits at 62.5% (35 for 56) and Dans Locmelis is 61 for 108 (56.5%).
UFKO AND HRABAL COLLECT HOCKEY EAST WEEKLY AWARDS
- Two members of the University of Massachusetts hockey program were recognized with Hockey East weekly honors following UMass' pair of wins over No. 5 Providence on Nov. 16 and 18. Junior captain Ryan Ufko was selected as the Hockey East Defender of the Week, while freshman Michael Hrabal earned a Goaltender of the Week nod for the second time this season.
- Ufko helped lead the Minutemen to two victories over the Friars, scoring in both contests. In the Thursday 3-2 come-from-behind victory in Providence, the Smithtown, New York native netted the game-tying goal on the power play in the third period. He also scored the overtime game winner in the Saturday matchup, a 2-1 victory after registering a team-high five shots on goal and blocking three shots. Ufko led a UMass defense that allowed just 1.50 goals per-game on the week and went 6-for-6 on the penalty kill, which included a five-minute major.
- Hrabal earned both wins in net for UMass against Providence, playing 120:56 and stopping 53 of 56 shots over the pair of games for a .946 save percentage and a 1.49 goals against average on the week. The Prague, Czechia native made 21 saves in Thursday's win on the road in Providence before tying his career best with 32 stops at the Mullins Center in the second matchup.
MUSA AND MORROW EARN MONTHLY HONORS
- Freshman forward Jack Musa and junior defenseman Scott Morrow were selected as the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month and the Hockey east Army ROTC Defender of the Month for October. The duo helped UMass go 4-2-1 for the month, which included six matchups against ranked teams.
- Musa led UMass in scoring in October with 10 points on three goals and seven assists with all three goals coming on the power play and was + 1. The Orange Park, Florida native had points in five of the seven games on the month, including four multi-point performances.
- Musa scored in his collegiate debut in a 5-3 win over AIC, had a five-point weekend against No. 6 Michigan, which included three assists in a third period comeback win for the Minutemen over the Wolverines. He also had two-point games with a goal and an assist in a 6-3 road win over No. 19/20 Minnesota State and again in a 3-3 tie against No. 9 Boston University.
- Morrow was second on the team in scoring for October, trailing only Musa, as he put up nine points on two goals and seven assists with both tallies coming on the power play.
- The Darien, Connecticut native had back-to-back multi-point games against No. 6 Michigan (1g, 1a) and No. 19/20 Minnesota State (3a), both 6-3 victories for the Minutemen. He also helped UMass post a 1-0 shutout on the road at No. 19/20 Minnesota State to complete a weekend sweep of the Mavericks. Morrow currently ranks tied for ninth nationally for points by a defenseman with 15.
FILL THE BILL
- UMass enters the weekend against Alaska Anchorage ranked 13th nationally in attendance and 11th in average attendance (5,439) through six home games on the year.
- The attendance vs. No. 6 Michigan tied the program's Mullins Center attendance record at 8,412 after packing the building with 7,361 fans the night before against the Wolverines, good for 17th-most all-time. That weekend series against Michigan set a new non-conference weekend series attendance record with a combined total of 15,773 coming through the doors at Mullins on Oct. 13 and 14.
MUSA TABBED HOCKEY EAST ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
- Freshman forward Jack Musa was selected as the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week on Oct. 16. The Orange Park, Florida native helped the Minutemen earn a split with No. 6 Michigan, setting up five of UMass' eight goals on the weekend.
- Musa led UMass in points on the week with five helpers against the Wolverines, including three of the six goals the Minutemen scored in the third period in Saturday's 6-3 come-from-behind victory. He also assisted both goals in the Friday loss.
MINUTEMEN EARN PAIR OF WEEKLY AWARDS AFTER SWEEPING MAVERICKS
- Senior defenseman Aaron Bohlinger and freshman goaltender Michael Hrabal were selected as Hockey East Army ROTC Defender of the Week and Stop It Goaltending Goaltender of the Week on October 23 after the duo helped the Minutemen sweep #19/20 Minnesota State on the road with a 6-3 win in game one and a 1-0 victory in game two.
- Bohlinger collected three assists and was +1 with seven blocks over the two-game set against the Mavericks. The Walden, New York native had a pair of assists in Friday's contest with one coming on the first goal of the game and the other on a power play late that put UMass up 5-3, while also blocking three shots.
- On Saturday, Bohlinger helped lead a UMass defense the shutout win with four blocked shots and picked up the primary assist on the game's only tally. He also helped UMass' penalty kill go a perfect 14-for-14 on the weekend.
- Hrabal started both games in net for the Minutemen and posted a 1.51 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage with two wins on the weekend. The Prague, Czechia, native made 28 saves on Friday and followed up by stopping all 32 he faced on Saturday in his first career shutout.
CLEAN SWEEP
- UMass' 6-3 and 1-0 victories on the road at #19/20 Minnesota State on October 20-21 marked the first time since 2010 that the Minutemen swept a ranked team in a road weekend series. Massachusetts beat #17 Maine 5-2 and 4-3 on March 5-6, 2010.
BLOCK PARTY
- Graduate transfer Samuli Niinisaari had seven blocks in the Oct. 21 1-0 shutout at #19/20 Minnesota State, tying the program record previously set by Marc Hetnik (10/10/15 at Colorado College), Callum Fryer (vs. UMass Lowell 1/9/15), Oleg Yevenko (at Quinnipiac 11/28/14) and Colin Shea (12/7/13). The total also tied Niinisaari's personal best, which he set while at Brown playing against Colgate on Feb. 25, 2023.
FIRST TIMERS
- Graduate transfer Samuli Niinisaari scored his first goal in a UMass uniform vs. AIC (10/7) and picked up his first UMass assist vs. Vermont (11/10), while graduate transfer Lucas Vanroboys netted a pair for his first two goals as a Minuteman against Michigan (10/14), his first career multi-goal game.
- Freshman Jack Musa scored his first collegiate goal against AIC (10/7) and picked up his first two career assists vs. #6 Michigan (10/13).
- Freshman Aydar Suniev registered an assist for his first collegiate point in his UMass debut vs. Michigan (10/13) and scored his first career goal at #19/20 Minnesota State (10/20). Freshman Bo Cosman posted an assist in the season opener vs. AIC (10/7) for his first collegiate point.
- Graduate transfer Liam Gorman logged his first point as a Minuteman with an assist vs. Michigan (10/14).
- Dans Locmelis scored his first collegiate goal against Boston University on Oct. 28. He earned his first career assist at Vermont on Dec. 1.
- Freshman Cam O'Neill netted his first collegiate goal at Providence on Nov. 16 with Christian Sanda and Vanroboys adding their first assists as Minutemen on the play. O'Neill picked up his first career assist at Harvard on Nov. 24.
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF DIVISION I HOCKEY
- On October 23, 1993, the University of Massachusetts hockey team took the ice for the first time as a Division I program, taking on Merrimack in North Andover. Thus began a new era for a program that was shuttered at the conclusion of the 1978-79 season, despite winning the ECAC Division II National Championship in 1972.
- Fast forwarding to the present day, as we enter the 2023-24 campaign, University of Massachusetts Athletics will celebrate 30 years of Division I hockey in Amherst throughout the upcoming season. In addition to honoring the 1993-94 squad, the top moments from the past 30 seasons will be highlighted on social media and at UMass hockey home games.
- After 15 years of no hockey program at UMass, the Minutemen went 20-9 in their return campaign in 1993-94, playing a mixture of Division I, II and III teams.
- The 1993-94 roster was comprised of 22 freshmen and one senior, former UMass baseball player Steve Corradi, and a football All-Yankee Conference defensive end, Brian Corcoran. The program's first signed recruit of the Division I era was defenseman Rich Alger, the father of current Minutemen senior defenseman Linden Alger.
TAKING STOCK
- University of Massachusetts hockey has a balanced roster of youth and experience in its eighth season under head coach Greg Carvel in 2023-24 with 15 returnees and 13 newcomers making up the roster.
- UMass saw the bulk of its roster turnover among its forwards group with nine new players joining the seven returnees. The Minutemen return all five of their top-five goal scorers from 2022-23, including Taylor Makar who led the squad with 10 tallies as a sophomore. Kenny Connors and Michael Cameron are back as well after putting up nine goals apiece as freshmen. Three graduate transfers and six freshmen will give a new look to much of the front half of the UMass lineup with five of those newcomers being NHL draft selections.
- Defensively the script has flipped from a year ago as Carvel's squad now boasts a veteran defensive corps after dressing mostly freshmen and sophomores many last season.
- Seniors Linden Alger and Aaron Bohlinger are back healthy after both missing time due to injury in 2022-23, while senior Elliott McDermott enters year two with the Minutemen after the Colgate transfer appeared in all 35 games last season.
- Pro prospects Scott Morrow and Ryan Ufko have returned for their junior campaigns and ranked first and third, respectively, among the team in point scoring last season.
- Owen Murray and Kennedy O'Connor round out the group of returnees on the blueline, having played in 21 and 22 games each last season as freshmen.
- The Minutemen have added even more of a veteran presence on the back end with the addition of graduate transfer Samuli Niinisaari from Brown, while Sebastian Törnqvist is the lone freshman defenseman for UMass this season.
- In net, Massachusetts returns Cole Brady who saw 600+ minutes for UMass last season over 13 games after transferring in from Arizona State. Brady, a 2019 New Jersey Devils' draft selection, will mentor two freshmen between the pipes with freshman Michael Hrabal, a 2023 second round pick of Arizona, and Massachusetts native Jackson Irving joining the squad.
MORROW MAKING HIS MARK
- Entering his junior season, Scott Morrow led the nation in career goals by active defensemen and ranked fourth nationally among active defensemen with 64 career points, second in game-winning goals by defensemen (5) and third in power-play goals by defensemen (7).
- Last year Morrow joined UMass Hall of Famer Thomas Poeck as the only Minutemen blueliners in program history to post multiple seasons with 30+ points, logging 33 as a freshman and 31 as a sophomore.
- Morrow is climbing UMass' defenseman scoring career list, currently third.
UMass Defensemen Career Scoring Leaders
102 - Thomas Pock (44g 58a) - 2000-04
88 - Justin Braun (23g 65a) - 2006-10
83 - Marvin Degon (27g 56a) - 2001-06
79 - Scott Morrow (26g 53a) - 2021-24
75 - Joel Hanley (17g 58a) - 2010-14
VEGAS BOUND IN OCTOBER 2024
- University of Massachusetts hockey will participate in the 2024 Men's Ice Breaker Tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, it was jointly announced by the University of Minnesota, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Sports Nevada USA, the Hockey Commissioners Association and College Hockey Inc. on October 3.
- In addition to the Minutemen and the host Gophers, Air Force and Omaha will also compete in the event, which is slated for Oct. 11-12, 2024.
- UMass previously played in the Ice Breaker Tournament in 2008 when Boston University hosted at Agganis Arena in Boston.
- The Ice Breaker Tournament, which began in 1997, traditionally marks the beginning of the NCAA Division I men's hockey season. The event brings together four teams, typically from different conferences, and is administered by College Hockey Inc. on behalf of the Hockey Commissioners Association.
PROSPECTS APLENTY
- The Massachusetts roster features 13 NHL draft picks, the most in program history, which is tied for second nationally, trailing only Boston University and Boston College's 14.
- Six of the 13 draftees are newcomers to the squad for 2023-24, including graduate transfer Liam Gorman who was selected in the sixth round (177th overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and had his rights traded to Chicago in 2022. In addition to Gorman, UMass has also added Dans Locmelis (Boston, 2022 fourth round), Michael Hrabal (Arizona, 2023 second round), Cam O'Neill (Ottawa, 2022 fifth round), Aydar Suniev (Calgary, 2023 third round) and Nick VanTassell (Ottawa, 2023 seventh round).
- The returning draftees are: Cole Brady (New Jersey, 2019 fifth round), Kenny Connors (Los Angeles, 2022 fourth round), Scott Morrow (Carolina, 2021 second round), Cole O'Hara (Nashville, 2022 fourth round), Taylor Makar (Colorado, 2021 seventh round), Lucas Mercuri (Carolina, 2020 sixth round) and Ryan Ufko (Nashville, 2021 fourth round).
"BO" AND UFKO WEARING THE C'S
- University of Massachusetts hockey has named senior defenseman Aaron Bohlinger and junior defenseman Ryan Ufko as co-captains for 2023-24.
- Bohlinger appeared in 25 games in 2022-23 and totaled nine points on two goals and seven assists with one power-play goal and one game winner. He also blocked 43 shots and registered two multi-point games and one multi-goal game.
- Out of seven career tallies for the Walden, New York native, one was the overtime winner in the 2022 Hockey East Championship and his first career goal was the game winner in the 2021 National Championship. Bohlinger helped the Minutemen win a Hockey East title in 2021, as well.
- He is a two-time AHCA Krampade All-American Scholar and a three-time Hockey East All-Academic Team honoree while earning the prestigious honor of being named Hockey East's Top Scholar-Athlete in 2021-22 and in 2022-23.
- This past summer, Bohlinger became just the second Academic All-American in program history. He currently has seen action in 97 career games with 41 career points (7g, 34a).
- Ufko garnered the team's Most Valuable Player recognition in 2023-24 after finishing his sophomore campaign third for the Minutemen in scoring with 24 points over 32 games on eight goals and 16 assists with four of his tallies coming on the power play. The Smithtown, New York, native led UMass in blocks with 48, as well. He finished tied for fourth in Hockey East in defenseman scoring and was named a Hockey East Second Team All-Star.
- In league play, Ufko tied for second for the Minutemen in points with 17 in 24 Hockey East contests on six goals and 11 assists with three power-play tallies.
- The 2022 Hockey East Honorable Mention All-Star was an AHCA Krampade All-American Scholar and a Hockey East All-Academic Team honoree in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and was tabbed an Academic All-District At-Large Team in 2023. To date, Ufko has appeared in 83 career games with 65 points on 17 goals and 48 assists.
MINUTEMEN FROM NEAR AND FAR
- UMass' 2023-24 roster is comprised of student-athletes from seven different countries. There are four different Canadian provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec) represented and 10 different states (Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania).
- Springfield native Kennedy O'Connor is the closest to home at 27 miles, while Aydar Suniev is the furthest from home (Kazan, Russia) at 4,844 miles.
A HOMECOMING FOR MASTALERZ
- University of Massachusetts hockey alumnus Steve Mastalerz returned to his alma mater to join head coach Greg Carvel's staff as Director of Player of Development in July.
- Mastalerz, who was a goaltender for the Minutemen from 2011-15, comes back to Amherst with nine years of experience coaching goaltenders on a professional, collegiate and youth level.
- Most recently Mastalerz was the vice president and head instructor for Mike Buckley's Goaltending Development Services out of North Andover, Massachusetts, and served as the goaltending coach for the Northeast Generals of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), holding both positions since the Fall of 2015.
- Upon graduating from UMass, Mastalerz signed with the Manchester Monarchs, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings and was with the squad during their 2015 Calder Cup run. He remained with Manchester as their goaltending coach from 2016-18.
- In his career with the Minutemen, Mastalerz appeared in 77 career games for a total of 4217 minutes, 45 seconds, and logged a 3.12 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. The North Andover, Massachusetts native posted 20 wins and four shutouts, which currently ranks 10th in program history, while his career saves total (1,953) is sixth all-time in the UMass record book.
- Mastalerz, a five-time Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week in his career, set UMass' Division I single game saves record, which was then sixth-most in NCAA history, with 75 stops in the Minutemen's five
overtime victory at Notre Dame on March 6, 2015 in the Hockey East Tournament. He was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was twice named to the Hockey East All-Academic team.
- Mastalerz earned his Bachelor of Science in psychology from UMass in May 2015.
IN CARVEL WE TRUST
- Head coach Greg Carvel, in his eighth season of his UMass tenure, has led the Minutemen to four seasons of 20+ wins, including a program-record 31 wins in 2018-19, the second-highest wins total in program history (22 in 2021-22), 21 wins in 2019-20 (tied-third) and 20 wins in 2020-21 (tied-fifth).
- Carvel won his 100th game at the helm for the Minutemen on November 6, 2021 at Providence. He earned his 200th career victory on March, 12, 2022 vs. the Friars in the Hockey East Quarterfinals.
- Among active Division I Men's head coaches, Carvel is second in wins for coaches with tenures of 13 years or less, trailing only Mike Hastings (Wisconsin, 311). Carvel is in his 13th year as a head coach and currently has 224 wins.
- Under head coach Greg Carvel, the Minutemen are 7-2 in the NCAA Tournament with two trips to the National Final (2019 and 2021) and one National Championship (2021) and have made three NCAA Tournament appearances under Carvel.
- UMass is 20-38 all-time in the Hockey East Tournament, 10-7 under Carvel and 8-2 since 2019 with consecutive Hockey East Tournament titles in 2021 and 2022, the first two in program history.
- Overall under Carvel (Hockey East and NCAA Tournament) UMass' postseason record is 17-9 with two Hockey East Championships, two Regional Championships and one National Championship.
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
- UMass have gone 79-26-9 at the Mullins Center over the past four-plus seasons (2018-present) for a .732 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.
BLOODLINES AND FAMILY TIES
- Taylor Makar and his brother Cale (2017-19) are the fifth set of brothers to wear the Maroon & White in the program's modern era. The other four sets of brothers are: Anthony Del Gaizo (2018-22) and Marc Del Gaizo (2018-21), 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.
- 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). Kennedy O'Connor's father, Thomas, was a teammate of Alger's at UMass in 1994-95 and played with the program through 1998 before going on to a professional career with the Wheeling Nailers (1998-99) and Augusta Lynx (2000-01) of the ECHL and the Syracuse Crunch (1998-99) and Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins (1999-00) of the AHL. O'Connor's sister, Kayla, was a college hockey player as well, playing at Trinity from 2014 to 2018.
- Scott Morrow's uncle, Scott (1988-92), and dad, Steve Morrow (1988-91), both played college hockey at New Hampshire. His sister, Sydney, plays hockey at Colgate.
- Owen Murray's great uncle, Dallas Smith, played for the Boston Bruins from 1966 to 1977.
- Jackson Irving's father, Father, Bruce, was a goaltender at Cornell.
- Three newcomers have siblings playing college hockey. Jack Musa's brother, Joey, plays at Dartmouth, Liam Gorman's brother, Brendan, plays at Princeton and Sebastian Törnqvist's brother, Philip, plays at Vermont.
- Cam O'Neill's brother Colin played hockey at UMass Lowell (2016-18) and his brother Jason played hockey at Providence (2017-21).
