Congratulations to UMass' own Jonathan Quick who helped the No. 8-seed Los Angeles push No. 1 Vancouver to the brink of elimination with a 1-0 shutout of the Canucks in game three last night. Quick has stopped 111 out of 115 shots in the series, which resumes Thursday night in Los Angeles.
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UMass' Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings begin their quest for the Stanley Cup tomorrow night as the squad's first round series with Vancouver opens up on Wednesday night.
From Fox Sports West:
Is this the season in which the Kings' Jonathan Quick can break through and become an elite goalie?
In the eyes of his coach, Darryl Sutter, that status is only reached in the playoffs, and in his two playoff series with the Kings, Quick has a 4-8 record in first-round losses to Vancouver and San Jose.
Sutter -- who in previous stops coached top goalies such as Chicago's Ed Belfour and Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff -- has been public in his challenges of Quick, who is widely favored to be one of the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy this season.
Sutter even name-dropped San Jose's Antti Niemi, whose numbers weren't nearly as strong as Quick's this season, in comparison.
"San Jose has a goaltender that has won a Stanley Cup," Sutter said. "He quietly goes about his business and doesn't get much credit, just criticism. And we have one that gets a lot of credit."
Does that mean, Sutter was asked, that Quick gets too much credit from the media?
"I'm not getting into that, because I know what happens when you answer those questions," Sutter said. "You have to prove it, right? That's what it's about."
Quick now gets a chance at revenge against Vancouver, the team that eliminated the Kings in the first round two years ago.
From the Worcester Telegram & Gazette:
For the third straight season, there is a Marcou in the American Hockey League, although this one is not playing for the Sharks.
James Marcou's younger brother, Mike, signed an amateur tryout agreement with Oklahoma City and has already gotten into a game. The Marcou brothers were teammates at UMass until James turned pro at the end of the 2009-10 season.
James said his brother called him to talk things over before his AHL debut. "He was a little nervous," James added.
The Marcous have never played against each other in a high-level game. That could happen next year, or they could be on the same team again. James' season is over -- it never even started, actually -- due to a concussion, although he said he is symptom free.
"I wanted to play last week," he said, "but the Sharks said I'd be better off just shutting it down and starting up next year."
Where that will be is another question, since Marcou's contract is up.
"I'll find somewhere to play," he said, "even if it's not back here."
The Los Angeles Kings might win their second division title in franchise history this week, or they still might miss the playoffs.
Although a gritty win over the Edmonton Oilers did little to clear up their fate, the Kings are cautiously confident they can hang on to first place as long as Jonathan Quick is guarding their net.
Quick made 19 saves in his NHL-leading 10th shutout, Slava Voynov scored in the opening minute of the third period and the Kings moved closer to the Pacific Division crown with a 2-0 victory Monday night.
Dwight King also scored with 2:32 to play for the Kings, who began a frantic final week in the Pacific by earning their 93rd point and opening a two-point lead over Phoenix (91), which sits seventh in the Western Conference.
San Jose (90) and Dallas (89) also are in an impossibly tight race for only three playoff spots. The Kings began the day in first only on a deep tiebreaker with Phoenix, and they have no intention of celebrating anything just yet.
"It doesn't matter what our points are," said Quick, who has 24 career NHL shutouts. "We're not in yet. It doesn't matter where anybody is in the standings. We've got two games left, and we've got to get points."
Los Angeles, which has won nine of 12, could clinch its first division title in 21 years with two regulation wins over San Jose in a home-and-home series starting Thursday -- or everything still could go wrong. After their fifth game in eight days, the Kings are simply grateful they can take a day off to prepare for that last push.
New Barons defenseman Mike Marcou talks about his American Hockey League debut, playing at Fenway Park and his preference in pre-game candy. Marcou signed an amateur tryout contract with Oklahoma City and made his professional debut March 30 at Milwaukee after finishing his senior season at UMass. He will likely play his first game in Oklahoma City at 7 p.m. Tuesday when the Barons host the Hamilton Bulldogs in the Cox Center.
Read the Q&A here - Barons Q&A with: rookie defenseman Mike Marcou
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has a story on Justin Braun's play helping San Jose to a 3-2 overtime win against Detroit on Saturday night.
UMass' one-goal loss to No.1-ranked Boston College last night was covered by several media outlets. Tonight the teams will take the ice at 7 p.m. for game two in Conte Forum.
MassLive - UMass hockey gets A-plus for effort, but the final grade is an incomplete in 2-1 gut-wrenching loss at Boston College
Gazette - Boston College ices UMass in Game 1 of Hockey East quarterfinals
Boston Globe - After a blackout, BC sees the light
Boston Herald - Quick flurry enough for BC
Dick Baker has his weekly "UMass hockey: A Baker's Dozen of thoughts for the week" up on MassLive today, primarily focusing on the Minutemen's Hockey East Quarterfinals best-of-three, which begins tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Conte Forum.
Read this week's installment here.
The University of Massachusetts hockey team doesn't feel like a heavy underdog.
Sure, the Minutemen are the No. 8 seed in the Hockey East tournament and Boston College is not only the No. 1 seed but the No. 1 team in the nation heading into today's best-of-three series opener at 7:30 p.m.
But UMass (13-16-5) won the season series with the Eagles 2-1, including once when BC (25-10-1) was ranked No. 1.
Game two is Saturday at 7 p.m. If necessary, game three is Sunday at 7 p.m. All three are at Conte Forum.
"When we bring our best we're just as good as any other team in this country," UMass senior forward T.J. Syner said. "We proved that against them earlier in the season. It's bringing it on a consistent basis. There's no more important time to bring it than this weekend. .... They're not going to take us lightly just because we're the No. 8 seed. The fact that we beat them twice is in the back of their mind."
Beating the Eagles twice during the regular season and winning a tournament series against them are two different things.
"That's definitely a confidence booster for us knowing that we did beat BC twice during the regular season," senior Danny Hobbs said. "But playoffs is a different type of game atmosphere."
Read more of Matt Vautour's UMass hockey faces top-ranked Boston College after taking season series.
Today on MassLive, Dick Baker has a feature on UMass senior forward, Springfield native, T.J. Syner and his cousin Barry Almeida of Boston College, who will be squaring off in the Hockey East Quarterfinals this weekend as the Minutemen face the No. 1 Eagles.
Syner has rewarded UMass hockey fans the past four years with his breakaway speed. He has 96 career points, and a chance to become only the 10th player in the history of the program to reach the century mark.
In the regular season finale at Merrimack, Syner made a highlight film solo rush , weaving and then splitting thrugh the defense for a shorthanded goal with six seconds remaining in the first period.
"Last year, he had a goal against Minnesota that was very similar," UMass coach Toot Cahoon said. "It wasn't shorthanded, but it just took the 11,000 people at that game right out of their seats. It was the same type of play where you just say - Wow that looks like Kharlamov (Valeri, former Soviet superstar). You just don't see too many do that. I can think of some guys - Corey Millen, (Paul) Kariya. Very special athletes make a play like that."
The Minutemen will need big plays to upset the Eagles. BC has won 11 straight games, and has beaten UMass 10 straight times at Conte Forum, including 2-0 sweeps the past two years in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
Scott Cournoyer previews the weekend playoff series between UMass and No. 1 Boston College at the Conte Forum.
"For six long months, the Massachusetts hockey team has grinded its way through the toughest collegiate conference in the country for a chance to make the postseason tournament," writes Cournoyer.
The Republican's Dick Baker lays out the weekend matchup against the Eagles at the Conte Forum for UMass hockey.
The Republican's Dick Baker writes about the hockey quarterfinals at No. 1 BC being broadcast on national television Friday evening. The game will air on the NBC Sports Network Friday night at 7:30.
Dick Baker discusses the Minutemen's chances against No. 1 Boston College this weekend. He also writes about BC coach Jerry York's thoughts on facing UMass.
"The Minutemen have our attention, stated BC coach Jerry York," writes Baker.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette recaps the 1-1 weekend against Merrimack, and how the Mass Attack will face No. 1 Boston College in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs this weekend.
Nick Canelas of the Daily Collegian has a sidebar on the roll defensemen Joel Hanley and Michael Marcou had in the weekend series against New Hampshire.
UMass split its weekend against New Hampshire taking a tough 4-3 loss on Friday night before bouncing back for a 4-2 win on Saturday. With the win and a Northeastern loss, UMass remains tied for 8th place in the league standings and holds a critical tie-breaker against the Huskies entering the final regular-season weekend.
Saturday Highlights:
Saturday Postgame Interview:
Friday Highlights:
Friday Postgame Interview:
Dick Baker has a preview of this weekend's home series against New Hampshire this weekend on MassLive.com today:
Not only are these two home games against New Hampshire huge because of the playoff race, but it's about time the University of Massachusetts beat UNH.
In the last 14 meetings, UNH is 10-1-3.
Last year, the Wildcats won the series 2-0-1, and won the only other game this season, 7-3 Nov. 4 in Durham.
With only four games remaining in the regular season, UMass is tied for the eighth and final playoff spot with Northeastern, and is four points behind 7th-place New Hampshire with a game in hand.
UNH coach Dick Umile is 41-10-7 against UMass. Going back to the start of the series in 1926, UNH is 80-18-8 versus UMass.
The teams play both Friday and Saturday nights at 7 at the Mullins Center.
The UMass hockey team was able to bounce back from a tough loss on Friday night to pull out a 4-1 win at No. 11 Maine on Saturday keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Dick Baker has his weekly column "UMass hockey: A Baker's Dozen of thoughts for the week" on MassLive.com today. Check it out.
Check out this feature on former Minuteman Jonathan Quick from The Fourth Period Magazine:
Next time you're at a casino, here's a reason to play the long shot and put a few dollars down on 32 on the roulette wheel.
Emerging from the nuclear winter that was the NHL lockout, the league conducted their first Entry Draft a few weeks after returning to normalcy in Canada's national capital of Ottawa, Ontario.
Unlike the usual custom of showcasing the restocking of the NHL shelves, the draft was conducted out of the public's purview at the Westin Hotel; ironically the same venue where an international media gathering interviewed some of the same selections six and a half years later about their All Star weekend experience.
Though 2005 was the year Sidney Crosby matriculated to the NHL, other than his pre-determined selection there was zero fanfare that accompanied other first round selections like Bobby Ryan and Anze Kopitar. The latter was likely the finest selection of then-GM Dave Taylor's career, a wunderkind out of Slovenia, not Slovakia or Czechoslovakia.
Kopitar had the benefit of playing two seasons in the Swedish Elite League and although he came from a small country without a hockey legacy, he arrived on the Pacific shores already a man and showed it in his first rookie and then NHL training camp. Anze never spent a day in the North American minor leagues and has become a two time All Star and a vital cog in the Kings' championship hopes.
When one scrolls down the list of Los Angeles selections post-Kopitar that year, the record wasn't pretty. There's T.J. Fast and Dany Roussin, best known for scoring a bushel full of goals on Crosby's line for the Rimouski Quebec junior major team. Roussin's failure at the highest level of hockey is a minor footnote to number 87's greatness and furthers the argument that I could pot double digit markers on if placed on his flank.
With his fourth pick in the third round, Taylor selected a player that shows although the Kings Hall of Famer may have had challenges building an organization, his eye for talent is among the keenest in the game.
At the time, Jonathan Quick was a record setting prep goaltender for Old Avon Farms School in his native Connecticut. His record was a sterling 47-3 over two seasons with his senior season being the finest. He fashioned nine shutouts in combination with a 1.14 goals-against-average and .956 save percentage with the goose egg total still a New England prep record.
Quick declined to go the professional route, preferring to enroll at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, at last check not one of the Boston area powerhouses among NCAA's sextet. Continuing the credo of low fanfare, high performance, Quick led the Minutemen to their first NCAA Ice Hockey Championship appearance in 2006 in his sophomore season. His first NCAA tournament appearance was a shutout victory over Clarkson, a 33 save affair and while a championship was too daunting a task given the lack of top talent on the team, Quick departed Amherst as the holder of numerous records that still stand.
While those numbers were impressive, to say that his future professional employers were impressed would be a bigger stretch than one of Quick's own acrobatic saves.
Read the entire feature here.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has a look around Hockey East which includes a mention of Michael Pereira being named the Hockey East Player of the Week after scoring his second hat trick of the season against Providence after scoring a goal and an assist in the win over No. 1 Boston University.
Check out the highlights and postgame interview from the Mass Attack's win last night over the top-ranked BU Terriers.
Congratulations to the hockey team on securing its second win over a No. 1 this season and first ever against a top-ranked squad on the road after defeating #1 BU last night in Agganis Arena, 3-2.
Here are recaps from various media outlets:
USCHO.com - Massachusetts' 'great effort' upsets top-ranked Boston University
Boston Herald - UMass takes down BU
Boston Globe - Minutemen take it to Terriers
Republican - Aghast at Agganis: UMass hockey shocks No. 1 Boston University and wins its first road game of the season
Daily Hampshire Gazette - UMass hockey stuns No. 1 BU
Dick Baker has his weekly "UMass hockey: A Baker's Dozen of thoughts for the week" on MassLive.com today.
Among the mentions is that Toot Cahoon was a three-peat Beanpot winner as a player for Boston University. Cahoon appeared in three Beanpots, and the Terriers won all three. In 1970, they beat BC 5-4 to win the Beanpot final, and took Harvard by identical scores the next two years.
Read the entire UMass hockey: A Baker's Dozen of thoughts for the week
Former UMass hockey standout Casey Wellman, who was traded by the Minnesota Wild last Thursday to the New York Rangers, is featured today by his new team, the Connecticut Whale, on the squad's web site, CTWhale.com
Casey Wellman played several sports growing up in Brentwood, Calif., hardly a hotbed for hockey.
But Wellman got hooked on the game played on ice after his father, Brad, met several New Jersey Devils players who asked him to skate with them in Boston.
"Dad didn't know how to skate, so he was pretty upset about that," Wellman said with a smile.
But Brad, an infielder for 441 games for three major league teams over eight seasons who later managed in the Houston Astros organization, introduced Casey and his brother, Logan, to hockey, and 31/2-year-old Casey fell in love with his new endeavor.
"I have some vague memories (of his dad playing), but I was pretty young," said Wellman, whose uncle, Tom Candiotti, is a former major league pitcher known for his knuckleball. "Having pictures of a father-son game is pretty cool, but I haven't played baseball for a while. It's a great sport, but at the time, it was just a little slow, a little boring, so I stuck with hockey."
Despite his West Coast upbringing, Wellman is now surprisingly playing professionally with the Connecticut Whale, who are about 70 miles from where he competed collegiately on the East Coast. When Wellman was on his way to practice with the Houston Aeros last Thursday, he got "a pretty big surprise," a call that the Minnesota Wild had traded him to the New York Rangers.
"It was definitely pretty crazy, a bit of a shock," said Wellman, 24, acquired for center Erik Christensen, who had a two-week conditioning assignment with the Whale in mid-January, and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2013. "It was tough to say goodbye because I had some good friends (in Houston), but that's the business and that's what can happen and probably won't be the last time."
Wellman quickly returned home, packed and headed for Hershey, Pa., where he met his new teammates. Whale coach Ken Gernander put Wellman on a line with All-Star Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and rugged Andre Deveaux, and the trio helped produce a 4-1 victory over one of the AHL's top teams, including going 5-for-5 on the penalty kill against the league's top power play.
In his home debut Tuesday night, Wellman again helped on the penalty kill, played the power play and assisted on Blake Parlett's winning goal in a 3-1 victory over the Syracuse Crunch as the Whale won their third in a row after an 11-game winless streak (0-6-3-2) in January to reclaim first place in the Northeast Division from the idle Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
From FoxSportsWest.com:
Two seasons ago, Jonathan Quick played a franchise-record 72 games for the Kings. Unless Quick plays every game for the rest of this season, he won't match that record, but he might get close.
Quick started his 45th game on Tuesday -- in the Kings' 54th game, a 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay -- and coach Darryl Sutter indicated that, as the Kings fight for a playoff spot, Quick will get a lot of work.
The Kings are in seventh place in the Western Conference, with their spot in the postseason far from secure with two months remaining in the regular season. Backup goalie Jonathan Benier has been reliable, for the most part, this season, but Quick has been stellar.
Quick has ranked in the top five in the NHL in goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for almost the entire season.
The Kings have six sets of back-to-back games remaining this season, so Bernier is likely to get some work, but Sutter said he doesn't have a schedule, and Quick is likely to get the vast majority of the work.
"It's the age-old thing about coaches trying to decide when their goalies are going to play," said Sutter, whose team next faces Florida on Thursday. "It's easy to have a plan when you're 10 points free of a (playoff) spot or 10 points out of a spot. Then you can have a plan.
"When you've got a clear-cut No. 1 goalie, and he's fresh and sharp, then he's going to play. You'd like to be the New York Rangers. They have the best goalie in the league right now, the goalie with the best goals-against and save percentage, but he has played fewer minutes than our guy. That's the perfect situation."
Over the weekend, several in-depth and behind-the-scenes interviews with Jonathan Quick were produced surrounding the NHL All-Star Weekend. Included are Quick's thoughts on his time at UMass.
Is there anything better than a goalie race in hockey? Greg Wyshynski breaks down Jonathan Quick's win over Jimmy Howard at the 2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition.
Scott Cournoyer of the Daily Collegian has a sidebar on the importance of penalty killing in UMass' recent success.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has an update on Paul Dainton returning to Springfield last night to make 37 saves in a 4-2 win over Worcester. One of the goals he allowed was against former teammate Matt Irwin who also assisted on the other goal.
The Springfield Republican has a recap of last night's 4-1 for the Springfield Falcons with UMass alum Paul Dainton getting the win in goal.
From Matt Vautour's Blog on the Daily Hampshire Gazette web site:
Several Minutemen are have written "JABS" on items of their equipment to honor Minnesota High School player Jack Jablonski, who was paralyzed in a game on Dec. 30 after a hit from behind. His injury has spurred an outpouring for support throughout the hockey community with players from every level of the game, including the Minutemen, sending well-wishing messages on Twitter with the hashtag #Jabs.
UMass' sophomore defenseman Anthony Raiola, who attended Minnetonka, a rival of Benilde-St. Margaret's, where Jablonski played, organized the effort.
"I felt like as a Minnesotan and as a hockey player I wanted to make the guys aware of what's going on," said Raiola, who has been Tweeting to him from his @Razor5Guy handle. "We wanted to show him support from out here from some guys he doesn't even know."
Rich Hammond of the L.A. Kings has a feature on Jonathan Quick as he prepares to play in his first career All-Star game which is this Sunday. Coverage of the All-Star weekend begins tonight at 5 PM on the NHL Network. Sunday's All-Star Game will be televised at 4 PM on the NBC Sports Network (formerly VS).
Scott Cournoyer of the Daily Collegian has a look at the start of the second half of the 2011-12 season with the UMass hockey team riding a three-game winning streak heading into this weekend's home-and-home series with No. 11 UMass Lowell.
Behind a hat trick from Danny Hobbs and another 35 save effort from Steve Mastalerz, the UMass hockey team defeated Vermont 4-3 to stay perfect at home this season and took its second season series from a Hockey East opponent.
Postgame Highlights:
Postgame Interview:
Jim Connelly of USCHO.com has a feature story on UMass hockey alum Scott Crowder and his efforts following graduation in creating Pond Hockey events and working with Restore Hockey.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican takes a look at UMass' increase in scoring productivity ranking the Minutemen 11th among all college hockey teams.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican takes a look at the season of Springfield native T.J. Syner who is one of 77 candidates on the Hobey Baker Award this year. The award honors the top collegiate hockey player.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette looks at the success both the men's basketball team and the hockey team have been having at the Mullins Center this year. The hoops team is 9-0 in the building (10-0 overall at home with a win at The Cage), while the hockey team is 6-0-3 and the only team in the country to be undefeated at home.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has a story on new expectations for the UMass hockey program after its most recent string of success and Friday night's 4-0 shutout of No. 4 Boston College.
Jon Rosen of Fox Sports West looks at Jonathan Quicks season in 2011-12 and his chances at being a finalist for the Vezina Award thanks to his stellar play in goal this season for the L.A. Kings.
With an NHL-leading six shutouts -- as well as five straight starts and 14 overall in which he yielded no more than one goal -- Quick is in the midst of posting the best season by a goaltender in Kings franchise history. His results would suggest serious consideration for the Vezina Trophy.
On today's episode of The UMass Sports Insider, we take a look back at last weekend's Frozen Fenway game against Vermont with some behind the scenes footage that you will only see here!
Steve Mastalerz not only posted the first shutout of his career last night at the Mullins Center - the freshman goalie posted the first shutout ever against Boston College since the series began in the early 1920's. UMass cruised to a 4-0 win over the No. 4 Eagles to win the regular-season series thanks to a pair of goals from T.J. Syner and a shorthanded goal from Peter DeAngelo.
UMass Highlights:
Postgame Interview:
Jonathan Quick has been named to the NHL All-Star Team becoming the first UMass hockey player to earn the distinction. The game will be played Jan. 29 in Ottawa. Quick is also the first L.A. Kings goalie to be selected in 30 years.
Kevin Zeise of InsideCollegeHockey.com has a look at UMass' recent success to close out the non-conference schedule and what that means as the second half of the season is underway with a full Hockey East slate.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette previews tonight's meeting with No. 4 Boston College and what the recent momentum the UMass hockey team has gained my mean for the near future.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican takes a look at tonight's match-up against No. 4 Boston College in the Mullins Center.
NESN is running a fan vote where you can vote for which Hockey East arena has the best atmosphere - should be an easy win for the Mullins Maniacs!
Joshua Boyd of the Melrose Free Press has a story on Conor Sheary's performance in the win over Vermont last Saturday in Frozen Fenway 2012.
Dave Hendrickson revisits last Saturday's Frozen Fenway 2012 win over Vermont with some extended quotes and observations from the games.
Toot and Fenway
While Cahoon has already commented in the preceding section on the event, he holds a special place among hockey people and Fenway Park. He's thrown out a first pitch, coached UMass to Saturday's overtime win, and ...
... well, let's let him tell it.
"I know there are 70,000 people that have said they were at Ted Williams' last game when he hit a home run, but I actually was," Cahoon said. "I was 11 years old and my dad brought me in. There might have been 14,000 people there because I know it was half empty.
"I can remember when Ted Williams hit [the home run], my dad jumping out of his seat, [yelling], 'He did it! He did it!'
"I love this park. I love this city. It's exciting for the team first and foremost and for the school, but on a personal level it's very exciting."
When asked once more about his Fenway notoriety, Cahoon turned humorous.
"It'll be something they put on my gravestone, I suppose," he said. "But I'd rather stay alive and not have that written real soon."
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has a story on youth hockey night for Friday's hockey match-up with Boston College. He also writes that because students are still on break, tickets for the game are still available when it would typically be sold out early.
Dick Baker has some great tidbits relating to the Fenway Festivities from this past weekend in his "Baker's Dozen"
UMass hockey: A Baker's Dozen of thoughts for the week
The Mass Attack will be back in action on Friday at home against Boston College at 7 p.m.
A special night was made historic as senior Michael Marcou scored the game-winner overtime goal on Saturday using his Fenway magic to give UMass a 3-2 win over Vermont in Frozen Fenway 2012. Jeff Teglia earned his first career win as the Minutemen played in front of a crowd of over 38,000 fans - the largest to ever see a UMass hockey game.
ABC 40 Highlights:
CBS 3 Feature:
UMass Highlights:
Postgame Press Conference:
Sights & Sounds From Friday Practice:
Danny Hobbs scored with 37 seconds left in regulation with a 6-on-5 goal in a comeback which forced an overtime 4-4 tie at Providence on Thursday night. Conor Sheary, Michael Marcou and Patrick Kiley each scored goals for UMass which will now head to Fenway Park to take on Vermont on Saturday.
Postgame Interview:
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has a story on UMass defenseman Colin Shea whose older brother Edwin played for Boston College in the first Frozen Fenway and has given advice on the game to his younger brother.
Republican: It's no time for UMass hockey to fantasize about Fenway: First things first - Providence
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has a look at Thursday's game at Providence saying the UMass hockey team has to stay focused and not look ahead to Frozen Fenway on Saturday.
Dick Baker looks at UMass' Frozen Fenway opponent Vermont which fell 3-1 at Maine last night.
In his blog, Criag Custance of ESPN.com looks at the potential goalies for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. UMass alum and current L.A. King netminder was a member of the 2010 team and is among the top-five players who could currently make the roster.
On Monday, former UMass All-American and current L.A. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick was named the NHL's Third-Star Of The Week after winning all three starts last week and is now 5-0-1 over his last six starts.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican looks at Thursday's game at Providence before facing Vermont at Frozen Fenway 2012 on Saturday. Baker calls the game against the Friars big because it is the first league game of the season's second half.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican looks at the scoring numbers of UMass' T.J. Syner and Conor Sheary who are both among the Hockey East leaders in points this year.
In his blog, Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette looks at several of the outdoor college hockey games over the last decade.
Matt Vautour also has a story in today's Daily Hampshire Gazette looking at the weather forecast for Saturday's outdoor hockey game along with events surrounding the event and the future of Frozen Fenway with quotes from Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has a story on UMass hockey coach Don "Toot" Cahoon as he prepares the Minutemen not just for Frozen Fenway 2012 on Saturday, but also for the game at Providence on Thursday night.
Check out the highlights from UMass' 5-2 victory over #13 Cornell last night in the opening round of the Florida College Hockey Classic. Be sure to listen to tonight's game on 91.1 FM WMUA as the Mass Attack faces Maine for the championship!
Earlier today, the Minutemen went to the beach for a pregame jog and stretch. Check out the photo gallery on Facebook
Thanks to a pair of goals and an assist for Conor Sheary and 27 saves from Kevin Boyle, the UMass hockey team beat No. 13 Cornell 5-2 last night in the Everblades College Hockey Classic in Estero, Fla. UMass will face Maine tonight at 7:30 PM for the tournament championship. The game will be a non-conference match-up between the two Hockey East rivals and can be heard on 91.1 FM WMUA.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW:
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette previews the Everblades College Hockey Classic where UMass will face No. 13 Cornell tonight at 7:30 PM.
CBS Boston has a look at the transformation of Fenway Park in preparation for the Sun Life Frozen Fenway 2012 - just one week from this Friday when UMass takes on Vermont at 4 PM.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has a preview of tonight's meeting with No. 13 Cornell in the Everblades College Hockey Classic in Florida.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has his Baker's Dozen for the week where he looks at the match-ups in the Everblades College Hockey Classic which starts tonight along with other items surrounding the UMass hockey season.
David Moulton of NaplesNews.com has a look at the Everblades College Hockey Classic in Estero, Fla., where UMass will take on No. 13 Cornell on Thursday and either Clarkson or Maine on Friday.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has a look at UMass hockey's attendance figures through the first half of the season. UMass ranks 16th nationally after 8 home games.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has an update on three former Minutemen now in the NHL ranks: Jonathan Quick (L.A. Kings), Justin Braun (San Jose Sharks), and Casey Wellman (Minnesota Wild).
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican takes a look at UMass' next opponent, Cornell, which the Minutemen will face following Christmas in Florida.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has an update on Justin Braun (San Jose Sharks, NHL), Matt Irwin (Worcester Sharks, AHL) and Casey Wellman (Minnesota Wild, NHL).
Braun played a season-high 21 minutes in a 3-2 win over Edmonton, while Irwin was reassigned to Worcester. After being called up from Houston, Wellman has been sidelined with the an injury for the Wild.
Be sure to check out the Boston Bruins hosting the L.A. Kings tonight at 7 PM as Jonathan Quick makes a return trip to New England. You can watch the game on NESN or listen on 98.5 FM The Sports Hub.
The Holy Cross hockey team raised $7,400 for the Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund last Saturday after wearing special camouflaged jersey's in the game against Army. The Crusaders then auctioned off the sweaters.
The MSLF was founded by UMass alum Peter Trovato who was also in attendance at the game and took part in a ceremonial puck drop.
REPUBLICAN: Ex-UMass goalie Jonathan Quick to get new coach - Former Springfield Indian John Stevens
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican takes a look at the coaching change with the L.A. Kings who have named John Stevens as the interim head coach.
Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has a feature on Casey Wellman that was picked up nationally. The story centers on the development of Wellman who is a rare Californian playing in the top professional ranks between the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the AHL's Houston Aeros - whom he helped nearly win the Calder Cup last season.
The San Jose Sharks of the NHL called up Matt Irwin on Sunday from the AHL Worcester Sharks. That gives the Sharks a pair of UMass blueliners as Irwin will join former teammate Justin Braun.
Braun has played in 14 games this season with a 1 goal, 2 assists and a +5 rating.
The Minutemen will be putting their seven game home unbeaten streak on the line tonight when the squad plays host to Yale at 7 p.m. With a 4-7-4 overall record this season, each of its four wins have come on home ice.
Both MassLive and the Daily Collegian have coverage looking ahead to tonight's matchup:
MassLive: UMass hockey: A Baker's Dozen of thoughts for the week
MassLive: UMass hockey hosts Yale in last game before Christmas break
MassLive: UMass hockey's mid-week opponent: There's something really special about Yale, and something quite strange too
Collegian: Getting back to a defensive state of mind
Collegian: No place like home for UM
Former UMass Minutemen, Casey Wellman currently of the Minnesota Wild, Johnathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, Victor Cruz of the New York Giants and Jeremy Horn of the Kansas City Chiefs continue to excel as their professional athletic careers continue to take form in the 2011/12 hockey and football seasons.
Victor Cruz:
Yahoo! Sports: Giants WR Victor Cruz Knocking on 1000 Receiving Yards
Yahoo! Sports: New York Giants' Report Card for Week 13: Fan's Take
Jeremy Horne: Kansas City Chiefs
Arrowhead Pride: Chiefs Depth Chart Has A Couple Of Changes For Steelers Week
Jonathan Quick: Los Angeles Kings
Bleacher Report: Los Angeles Kings: Why Jonathan Quick Will Win the Vezina Trophy ...
Bleacher Report: Los Angeles Kings: Explaining Jonathan Quick's Dominance ...
Casey Wellman: Minnesota Wild
Boston Globe: Johnson lift Wild past Ducks, 5-3
China Post: Johnson boosts Wild past Ducks in 5-3 victory
WJON News: Wild Down Anaheim 5-3
Overcoming a three game losing streak, the UMass men's hockey team fought hard against the Crimson and took the game in to overtime resulting in a 4-4 tie on Friday night.
Daily Collegian: Losing streak ends, hockey team draws with Crimson
Daily Collegian: Scoring drought ends against Harvard; Boyle starts in net
Daily Hampshire Gazette: UMass hockey settles for 4-4 tie with Harvard Friday
Harvard Crimson: Comeback Crimson Finds Equalizer at UMass Amherst
Harvard Crimson: Crimson Fights Back to Tie UMass
Highlights:
Post Game Interview:
Check out the newest episode of One Moore Minute as Kevin Moore takes fans behind the scenes of Thanksgiving for the UMass hockey team.
Peter Ruicci of The Sault Star has a feature on hockey freshman Zack LaRue and his adjustment to the college game.
Steven Guzzo and Troy Power will be the player guests on the UMass Hockey Radio Show which is live tonight at 7 PM from the Hangar Pub & Grill on University Drive.
Be sure to send in your questions for head coach Don "Toot" Cahoon and he will answer them on the air.
If you can't make it to the show, be sure to listen on 100.9 FM KIX or online by clicking here.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette looks at the importance of the weekend against Maine and UMass Lowell.
Scott Cournoyer of the Collegian previews the upcoming games against Maine and at UMass Lowell this weekend.
Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette has a preview of the weekend home games for the UMass hockey team. The Minutemen will host Holy Cross tonight at 6 PM, before returning to a normal starting time on Saturday (7 PM) against Northeastern. The special start time against the Crusaders is part of a hockey-basketball doubleheader as hoops will open the season against Elon in the Cage at 9 PM.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican previews the pair of weekend home games for the UMass hockey team starting tonight at 6 PM against Holy Cross.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican looks at the attendance at the Mullins Center through three home games. UMass is ahead of last season by nearly 3,000 fans which has been aided by key game dates and big name opponents.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican writes that UMass hockey could use some help from Boston College on Friday night when the Eagles play Northeastern. UMass will host the Huskies on Saturday night at 7 PM.
Steve Levin of The Daily Collegian previews the upcoming home games for the UMass hockey team against Holy Cross and Northeastern. The Minutemen face the Crusaders on Friday (6 PM) and the Huskies on Saturday (7 PM).
Friday's game will be part of a double-header with basketball which will open the season against Elon at 9 PM in the Cage.
Michael Wood of The Daily Collegian looks at the impact Steven Guzzo is making after missing last season with a knee injury. The redshirt freshman has played in seven games this year and has two goals and an assist.
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican looks at the challenge that will be the Holy Cross power play unit - No. 1 in the country - on Friday night at the Mullins Center (6 PM).
Dick Baker of the Springfield Republican has a feature on 6-foot-7 rookie defenseman Oleg Yevenko. Primarily known for his defensive presence, it was his offense that stole the show last Saturday night as his 3rd period goal stood as the game-winner against No. 1 Boston College.
Scott Cournoyer of the Daily Collegian recaps the hockey team's win over Boston College on Saturday night.
The Homecoming night cap proved an exciting one as the UMass hockey team knocked off No. 1 Boston College in front of over 7,600 fans in the Mullins Center on Saturday.
Springfield Republican: UMass shocks No. 1 Boston College in Hockey East
Hampshire Gazette: UMass scores three third-period goals to upset No. 1 Boston College
Boston Globe: UMass beats No. 1 BC
Boston Herald: UMass comes out on top vs. BC
NCAA.com: UMass stuns No. 1 Boston College
HIGHLIGHTS:
POSTGAME INTERVIEW:
