Its the start of a huge weekend for UMass teams. Two squads battle the No. 1-ranked team in their sport. The hockey team begins a home-and-home with No. 1 Boston University tonight at the Mullins Center at 7:30 p.m. The game airs live on NESN. Tomorrow night the teams rematch in Boston at 8 p.m. The No. 17 UMass softball team takes on No. 1 Alabama in the fifth and final game on Sunday down in Columbus, Georgia. Friday night the football team, which released its schedule on Thursday, holds its annual banquet in the Campus Center. Also on Friday the baseball team opens its season in Florida against Northwestern. So get ready for lots of action!
If you follow JTAM every day, we mentioned early this week the Boston Globe was going to run a story on Marcus Camby and his connections with UMass and coach Derek Kellogg. We it hasn't run yet. Blame it on Stephon Marbury. According to the write Marc J. Spears, the story will run later when the Clippers come to Boston. We will remind you to look for it then.
UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: Trying to keep track of all the UMass teams? Check out our Watch & Listen Online page with all the links to video, audio and live stats for the weekend.
Don't miss this: The pick to click is the Friday night hockey game at the Mullins Center as UMass hosts No. 1 Boston University. A near sellout is expected for one of the best home ice advantages in all of college hockey.
It's Thursday which means another Bud Light UMass Basketball show tonight at 7 p.m. at the Hangar. Stop by or listen in as men's basketball coach Derek Kellogg and women's coach Marnie Dacko talk about their teams' losses to squads from Pennsylvania. Women's lacrosse and tennis also fell on what proved to be a tough Wednesday for UMass teams. Check out this JTAM for basketball stories, and an update from Mass Attack hockey alums in the professional ranks.
Ron Chimelis of the Republican has this nice feature on Derek Kellogg and his wife Nicole as part of his game notes from Wednesday night.
Lacrosse magazine has a story on the women's lacrosse 15-5 loss at Boston University.
The Virginia Tech Hokies official athletic website has a preview of the upcoming softball NFCA Leadoff Classic and sights UMass as one of the 11 teams in the tournament who find themselves in the top 25. WCTV also has a preview of the weekend in the perspective of the Georgia Bulldogs.
Former men's soccer star Ptah Myers is included in Philadelphia Kixx (National Indoor Soccer League) notes as an ironman. As it reads, he "has played in every game each of the last three seasons and last missed an outing when he did not participate in the team's contest versus the Milwaukee Wave on February 9, 2005."
UMass hockey alums are making their marks professionally, with the biggest impact in the American Hockey League: Matt Anderson (Chicago Wolves: 8g, 13a), P.J. Fenton (Worcester Sharks: 1g, 6a), Mike Kostka (Portland Pirates: 4g, 15a), Mark Matheson (Milwaukee Admirals: 2g, 16a), Greg Mauldin (Binghamton Senators: 13g, 16a), and Stephen Werner (Milwaukee Admirals: 7g, 8a).
UMass is well represented in the ECHL too: Chris Capraro (Charlotte Checkers: 7g, 13a), and David Leaderer (Trenton Devils: 9g, 17a).
Two former Minutemen players are in the National Hockey League, led by goaltender Jon Quick, who is 13-8-1 with a 2.51 GAA and .912 save percentage. He has been sighted around the hockey world as the player who has single-handedly turned the Los Angeles Kings around into a playoff contender. Thomas Pock is with the New York Islanders and has a goal and two assists on the year. Unfortunately, he has been out since Feb. 4 with an injury.
UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: With the 100th season of UMass Basketball having only three regular season games remaining, be sure to check out the 100 years web page by clicking here. It has everything from the All-Time Times to All-Time Letterwinners, This Day In UMass Basketball History, and more! All in one location.
Don't miss this: Tonight at 7 p.m. at the Hangar is the Bud Light UMass Basketball Show. Be there for another great show, or listen live!
Today's busy Wednesday for UMass Athletics kicks off with the Sports Luncheon on Noon in Room 1009 of the Campus Center. The Fall Academic Student-Athlete Honors will be presented at Noon with special speeches from two student-athletes. In the afternoon, the women's lacrosse team travels to Boston University for a 4 p.m. tilt against the No. 10 Terriers. At 7 p.m., the men's hoop team hosts Duquesne at 7 p.m., in the Mullins Center. Then at 8 p.m., the women's basketball team takes its turn at The Palestra against Saint Joseph's. JTAM has news on an NCAA Champion coming to Amherst for a game this spring. Check it out.
The Daily Collegian's Eli Rosenswaike has an interesting blog about his car ride to Philadelphia for the St. Joe's game along with fellow journalists Matt Vautour and Ron Chimelis.
A little late, but here is the recap of the UMass men's hoop win at Saint Joe's from the SJU student newspaper: The Hawk.
Soccer season seems far away, but the UMass men's team will get some stiff competition as the Minutemen will host 2008 NCAA Champion Maryland in a spring exhibition on May 1 at Rudd Field.
The best name in college newspapers bring this recap of the women's basketball win over Rhode Island last Sunday. URI's The Good Five Cent Cigar has the recap of the 58-52 decision.
Don't miss this:Just two home men's basketball games left to come out and cheer seniors Luke Bonner, Tony Gaffney and Chris Lowe. Join us tonight at 7 p.m. as UMass hosts Duquesne at the Mullins Center. Also the UMass Sports Luncheon honoring the top student-athletes from the fall will be held today at 12 Noon at the Campus Center.
Welcome back on Tuesday to Just Take A Minute. We are just four days away from the big UMass-BU hockey game on Friday Night at the Mullins Center. The game with the No. 1 Terriers will be featured on NESN's Friday Night Ice Package. Also, the men's lacrosse team has stayed steady at No. 20 in the USILA Coaches Poll after a heartbreaking 11-10 loss to still-No. 13 Hofstra last Saturday. Football alums Mike Dawson and Brandon London are in the news as well. JTAM also has stories on swimming, basketball, hockey, women's lacrosse, baseball and skiing.
In the newest USILA lacrosse coaches poll, UMass is hanging in at No. 20. Minutemen opponents are all over the poll: No. 1 Syracuse, No. 5 Georgetown, No. 13 Hofstra, No. 14 Harvard, No. 15 Brown and No. 16 Loyola.
In the Springfield Republican, Ron Chimelis has a story on UMass basketball's sixth man which is now Anthony Gurley. Chimelis touches on Matt Glass' return to the starting line-up.
The Daily Collegian has a story on the men's swimming team winning the Atlantic 10 Championship.
Former UMass football player and former assistant coach Mike Dawson has been hired by Boston College as the Eagles new special teams assistant.
Former UMass football star Brandon London continues to garner attention from the Miami Dolphins. London is mentioned in this story as it says he is an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, has already been re-signed with the Dolphins.
Looking ahead to April, NESN.com has a piece on the Baseball Beanpot which has its championship played at Fenway Park, where UMass captured the title last season. Tickets for the April 13 event go on sale on Wednesday.
The Daily Collegian has a piece on the UMass skiing teams. The Minutewomen ski team earned an invitation to the USCSA National Championships in Winter Park, Colo., after it finished fifth overall at the ECSC regional competition at Waterville Valley Ski Resort in New Hampshire over the weekend. Only the top five teams advance to the National Championships. On the men's side, Alex Zahoruiko's seventh-place finishes in both events, earning an individual invitation to the National Championships.
UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: Four new auction items are up for bid. They are all centered on the 1990s celebration with autographed items from the players who were honored as part of the 100 Seasons of UMass Basketball.
Don't miss this: Check back to see where the UMass softball team is ranked after its upset of No. 3 Arizona State, the defending NCAA Champion. The coaches and media polls will be released midway on Tuesday. Also, looking ahead to Wednesday, the Boston Globe is running a story on former UMass star Marcus Camby, check it out.
What a busy weekend! Where to start? UMass teams picked up some big wins including men's basketball pulling off a thriller at Saint Joe's, softball topping the defending national champs, and hockey winning two straight against Maine. Don't forget the men's swimming team that captured the Atlantic 10 Championship! The men's and women's lax teams were also in action as was women's basketball, track, tennis, and skiing. JTAM is the place to find all the news about your favorite teams.
Penn Live.com has a mention of an incredible feat that Tony Gaffney should reach this season. He is within reach of "becoming the first player in Division I in three years (since Shelden Williams of Duke) to turn the 100-block-50-steal trick in a season."
In case you missed it, two UMass connections met in a big Conference USA game on Saturday. Despite trailing at the half, Memphis came back to beat UTEP, 70-63. The game featured former UMass and current Memphis head coach John Calipari along with UTEP head man Tony Barbee. Barbee's director of basketball operations is Mike Babul, who (like Barbee), played his college ball for the Minutemen. Babul was honored as part of the 2000s celebration in Wednesday's game vs. Rhode Island.
What an impressive win for UMass softball over defending national champion Arizona State! That improves UMass teams to 3-2 this year against defending national champs. Along with softball, men's basketball defeated Kansas as did hockey over Boston College. AZ Central had a story on the Minutewomen's 1-0 victory.
SoonerSports.com had a recap of UMass softball's close 5-3 loss to No. 8 Oklahoma. The Republican also ran a snippet about Friday's split (win over N.C. State and loss to Tennessee).
For as painful as it is to relive, here is an article on Hofstra men's lacrosse player Jay Card, who broke the hearts of Minutemen fans with two goals in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, including the game-winner with four seconds remaining in regulation.
The Springfield Republican had this brief recap of the Hofstra game as part of its daily roundup. Also in the roundup is a mention of women's lacrosse. The following media outlets also ran stories on the men's lacrosse game: Inside Lacrosse, and Lax Power.
Inside Lacrosse wrote a game blog from all the action in a great early season lax contest. It's a great read!
UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: A HUGE hockey game is on the horizon as the Mass Attack hosts the top team in the country, Boston University on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Mullins Center. The game will be televised on NESN with Tom Caron calling the action. Also, you can vote for the UMass All-Hockey East 25th Anniversary Team, which will be announced at Friday's game. Don't miss all the action. Get your tickets today. Pack the Mullins Center!
Don't miss this:Derek Kellogg is scheduled to have his weekly Atlantic 10 Teleconference on Monday. Check back for a full transcription. Also look for the announcement of the UMass Athlete of the Week and other conference honors during the day.
