Jan. 20, 2009

AMHERST, Mass. - MASSACHUSETTS (10-10-2, 5-6-2 HEA) AT
#7 VERMONT (13-5-3, 8-4-2 HEA)
Friday, Jan. 23, 2009 • 7:00 P.M. (ET)
Gutterson Fieldhouse (4,003) • Burlington, Vt.
Radio: 100.9 FM WRNX/UMassAthletics.com
Live Stats & Video: www.UVMathletics.com

MASSACHUSETTS (10-10-2, 5-6-2 HEA) AT
#7 VERMONT (13-5-3, 8-4-2 HEA)
Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 • 7:00 P.M. (ET)
Gutterson Fieldhouse (4,003) • Burlington, Vt.
Radio: 100.9 FM WRNX/UMassAthletics.com
Live Stats & Video: www.UVMathletics.com

MINUTEMEN HEAD TO VERMONT FOR TWO-GAME WEEKEND TILT
• The Mass Attack heads to Vermont for a two-game weekend tilt this Friday (7 PM) and Saturday (7 PM) at Gutterson Fieldhouse looking to pick up key points in the Hockey East race. UMass is currently tied for sixth-place (12 pts.) in the league standings, while Vermont is third (18 pts). The two team's met earlier this season at the Mullins Center (11/25) with Vermont scoring with 56 seconds left in regulation and then winning the game 3-2 with a goal in overtime. UMass is coming off a 4-3 win at UMass Lowell, while Vermont is coming off a 4-2 win at Northeastern.
• Vermont holds a 30-12-9 advantage in the all-time series including six of the last eight meetings.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
• UMass hockey will once again be broadcast live on 100.9 FM WRNX with Donnie Moorhouse calling the play-by-play and Brock Hines calling the color commentary. The pregame show will begin 30 minutes prior to the opening face-off.
• Streaming video for both games can be accessed through www.UVMathletics.com which is a for-fee service and best viewed on a high-speed broadband internet connection.
• Additionally, GameTracker Live Stats will also be available through www.UMassAthletics.com along with a live in-game blog.

STORY LINES
• UMass enters the weekend with the fifth-best offense (3.14 gpg) and fifth best defense (2.41 gpg) among Hockey East teams. The Minutemen picked up their first win in January (1-3-1) which was a difficult time last season as well (0-5-1). In the last eight games, UMass is 4-4-1 averaging just over four goals while allowing just over one goal in the four wins. Conversely, UMass is averaging just over two goals while allowing just over three goals in the four losses.
• Vermont ranks third in offensive production (3.19 gpg) and seventh in scoring defense (2.67 gpg). The Catamounts sport one of the top power play units in the league converting nearly 22 percent of their extra-man opportunities (24-of-110). UVM's penalty kill, however, ranks ninth in the league with just a 78.2 kill percentage. Vermont has won 10 of its last 13 games. The Catamounts have found success in close games this year with a 7-2 record in one-goal games and a 4-2 mark in 2-goal games. Only three games have been decided by more than three goals.

STATS & STUFF
• In games won this year, UMass is averaging 4.9 goals per game, is 8-for-42 on the power play, and allowing 1.5 goals per game, while in games lost, UMass is averaging 1.7 goals per game, is 5-for-41 on the power play, and is allowing 3.4 goals per game.
• UMass is 10-2-0 when scoring three or more goals this year and 0-8-2 when scoring fewer than three goals.
• UMass has outscored Hockey East opponents 13-to-7 in the first period of league games.
• UMass has played in five overtime games this season going 1-2-2.
• UMass pulled Meyers from goal to score the game-tying goal vs. UNH (1/9) which was the third goal this season UMass has scored in four times with a pulled goalie.
• UMass has scored 22 first period goals, 23 goals in both the second and third periods this season and 1 in overtime periods.
• UMass is 8-2-0 when leading after two periods this year and 0-8-1 when trailing after two.
• When UMass scores the first goal of the game, the Minutemen are 9-4-1 and 1-6-1 when scored on first - UMass has scored first in the last three games.
• The Minutemen have four short-handed goals this season - the total amount from the 2007-08 season.
• UMass is 3-1-1 against teams ranked in the nation's top-5 this season. Included in those wins are victories over a team ranked No. 1 nationally and the defending national champions.
• Eight of UMass' games this season have been against ranked teams. Of those, Vermont and New Hampshire are the lowest ranked opponents at 13th (each) nationally.
• The 26 goals scored in the first seven games are the most since the 1995-96 season when UMass netted 33 goals in the first seven games ... The 26 goals are the most in the first seven games of any season of head coach Don Cahoon since scoring 24 in 2003-04 - the same season UMass appeared in the Hockey East Championship game.
• The trio of Alex Berry-Cory Quirk-James Marcou has accounted for 65 of UMass' 185 total points - 35.1 percent of UMass' point total.

MILESTONES, FIRSTS, WHO'S HOT
• Chase Langeraap has four points in the last three games (2g, 2a) after 10 straight games with just one assist ... Will Ortiz has five points (2g, 3a) in the last four straight games ... James Marcou now has 57 career points in 58 career games including 4 assists in the last 3 games ... With 93 career points, Cory Quirk needs just 7 more to reach 100 points for his career - he also leads UMass with a +23 career rating ... T.J. Syner has 8 points in the last 11 games (4g, 4a) ... Casey Wellman has 12 points in the last 9 games (3g, 9a) ... In the last six games, the line of T.J. Syner-Casey Wellman-Will Ortiz has 8 goals and 12 assists - 42 percent of UMass' scoring - and is a combined +17.

CAHOON BECOMES ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH IN UMASS HISTORY
• Head coach Don "Toot" Cahoon became the all-time winning head coach in UMass history on Dec. 12, 2008 with a 4-0 win over American International. The win over AIC gave Cahoon 121 career wins which surpassed UMass Hall of Famer Jack Canniff who had 120 wins in his career from 1967-79. He earned his 300th overall win as a head coach on Dec. 5, 2008 in a 5-1 win over Connecticut.
• Under Cahoon's tenure, UMass made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance (2007) and played for the Hockey East Championship title in 2003-04.
• Cahoon now has a 123-156-30 record at UMass through his eighth season. Overall, in 21 years as a head coach, Cahoon is 303-329-66.

FANS SET NEW ATTENDANCE RECORD
• With an average of 4,286 fans per home game, UMass ranks 16th nationally in attendance.
• UMass averaged a program-best 5,017 fans at home games in 2007-08 which was an all-time best for the program. Against UMass Lowell (10/19/07), UMass set a new record for opening game attendance as 5,862 fans came through the turnstiles. Attendance has increased in each of the last four seasons.
• A Mullins Center record 8,389 fans turned out to see UMass defeat Boston College on Nov. 22 - a mark that also ranks as the ninth-best UMass hockey attendance for all venues. UMass had 7,212 fans pack the Mullins Center for the Boston University game (11/14).

UMASS IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
• UMass earned its first national ranking of the year at No. 19 in the USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Top 20 poll on Nov. 3 after starting the season 4-1-1. The Minutemen have received votes in either the USCHO.com or the USA Today/USA Hockey Top 15 Poll in each week of the season. In the Jan. 19 polls, UMass is receiving votes (11th team listed), but have fallen out of the USA today poll.
• To begin the 2008-09 season, UMass entered both the USA Today/USA Hockey Top 15 and the USCHO.com/CSTV preseason polls as a team receiving votes.
• At No. 5 in the Dec. 31, 2007 and Jan. 7, 2008 USCHO.com/CSTV.com Top-20 poll, UMass gained its highest ever national ranking in program history. The previous top national ranking was No. 7 back in December 2003.

VS. RANKED TEAMS
• In 2008-09, UMass is 3-5-2 against ranked teams. Of those, UMass has faced five teams ranked in the nation's top-5 posting a 3-1-1 record.
• Last season, UMass was 7-10-1 against ranked opponents including a 5-0-1 stretch against ranked teams through the holiday break. It was UMass best record ever against ranked teams.
• All-time, UMass is 43-170-19 against ranked opponents including a 4-7-2 record at neutral sites and a 5-20-4 record against non-conference teams.
• UMass posted its second ever win over a No. 1-ranked team on Friday, Nov. 14 in the 5-1 win over Boston University. The first came in 1994-95 with a 4-2 win over No. 1 Maine on Jan. 28. In the modern era, UMass is 2-12-1 against team's ranked No. 1.

TEAM OVERVIEW
• UMass returns a strong corps of players in 2008-09 led by seven seniors including co-captain Cory Quirk. The Minutemen also have defenseman John Wessbecker back in the line-up after he missed the second half of last season due to injury. Defensively, the Minutemen will have to find replacements for Mike Kostka and David Leaderer who were two of the most dependable blueliners in all of Hockey East last season. One area of the ice that is looking strong for UMass is between the pipes with sophomore Paul Dainton and junior Dan Meyers both returning.
• UMass returns seven of its top 10 scorers from last season with sophomore James Marcou (8-24-32) and Cory Quirk (11-18-29) leading the way. Justin Braun is the top scoring defenseman returning after scoring 20 point (4-16) last season.
• Bolstering UMass' depth is six newcomers (4 forwards, 2 defensemen). Coach Cahoon is very high on this class stating that each will make an impact on the ice this season.

MARCOU EARNS LEAGUE, NATIONAL PRAISE AFTER PERFORMANCE VS. PROVIDENCE
• Sophomore wing James Marcou, the team's leading scorer from last season as a freshman, had a tremendous weekend in the home-and-home series against Providence with three goals and five assists.
• He was named the CCM/RBK Player of the Week, the UMass/Dinn Bros. Co-Athlete of the Week, the Hockey East Player of the Month Runner-Up, the New England Hockey Journal Player of the Week and the INCH National Player of the Week Runner-Up.

UP NEXT: #5 NORTHEASTERN/MAINE
• UMass returns to action next Friday at Northeastern and Sunday at Maine. Friday's game will start at 7 PM, while Sunday's tilt will start at 4 PM and will be carried live nationally on ESPNU. This will be the first time this season UMass has faced both teams. UMass will finish the series with Northeastern on Feb. 13-14 with a home-and-home series and will host Maine for two games on Feb. 20-21 - the annual Wear White Night at the Mullins Center.

HARD TO BEAT WHEN SCORING 3'S
• UMass is 10-2-0 this season when lighting the lamp three times or more in a game and 0-8-2 when they score fewer than three goals. When UMass scored three or more goals last season, the Mass Attack was nearly undefeated with a 14-3-2 record. When the Minutemen failed to do so, their record was 0-13-4.
• UMass has scored six goals-or-more on two occasions - at RPI (10/21, 6-0) and against Providence (10/31 - 9-4). The nine goals scored against the Friars are the most in Hockey East this season.

FOUR-OR-MORE IS BEST
• Over the last 57 games where UMass scores four-or-more goals, the Minutemen are an amazing 53-3-1. Before the home loss against Vermont (1/25/08), the Mass Attack had not lost a game when scoring four-or-more goals since March 14, 2003 against New Hampshire in the Hockey East Semifinals (5-4).
• UMass scored a season-high five goals on seven occasions last year: in the wins over Merrimack (11/3; 3/7), Boston University (11/9; 3/1), against Union (11/25), Colorado College (12/29), and Maine (2/2). UMass scored four-or-more goals in 11 games.

MULLINS MAGIC
• UMass is 5-5-1 this season at home having played nine of the last 13 games at home. The Minutemen will be at home just once in the next five games.
• The Minutemen lost just three games at home last season going 8-3-4 (.667) at the Mullins Center. The loss to New Hampshire on Jan. 11 broke a 13-game home unbeaten streak which dated back to the 2006-07 season.
• Over the last 53 games at the Mullins Center, UMass is 31-15-8 (.665) including a 14-3-4 mark in 2006-07.
• All-time, UMass is 118-112-27 in the Mullins Center including a 68-96-21 record among Hockey East foes. Under Don Cahoon, UMass sports a 74-58-15 record at home.

LARGEST SHUTOUT WIN IN 12 YEARS
• UMass' 6-0 win over RPI was its largest shutout win since defeating Army 8-0 on Nov. 22, 1996 - nearly 12 years ago. The six goals were the most scored by the Minutemen since beating UMass Lowell 6-3 on Jan. 26, 2007.

MOST GOALS SCORED IN 12 YEARS
• UMass' 9-4 win over Providence was its largest goal scoring night since defeating Air Force 10-2 on Nov. 30, 1996. The nine goals were the most ever scored by UMass against a Hockey East opponent.

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY
• 2008-09 marks the 25th anniversary of Hockey East - regarded as the top collegiate hockey conference in America. To commemorate the anniversary, Hockey East will be debuting a DVD in time for Christmas and will announce several anniversary teams and special moments during the season. Fans can vote on these at www.HockeyEastOnline.com.

BRAUN, MARCOU, QUIRK NOMINEES FOR HOBEY BAKER
• Justin Braun, James Marcou and Cory Quirk are each nominees for the 2008-09 Hobey Baker Award. For Braun and Quirk, this is the second-straight year they have been candidates for college hockey's highest individual honor. Fans can vote online at www.HobeyBaker.com now through March 8 when the initial list is trimmed to 10 semifinalists. The fan vote counts for 1% of the total vote.

MOORE JOINS MINUTEMEN
• Fans noticed a new netminder suited up for the Jan. 9 game against New Hampshire. The mystery man in the black mask is Kevin Moore from the Phoenix Polar Bears (WSHL). A native of Belle Mead, N.J., Moore has joined the team to replace Matt Gedman who has a chance to earn considerable time in his other sport - baseball. The 6-foot-1 Moore will wear #30 at UMass. For the Polar Bears, he was 16-4-0 in 22 games played with a 1.98 goals-against-average and a .941 save percentage this past season before joining UMass in January. Moore attended Williston Academy in Northampton before heading to Arizona for juniors.

FEARSOME FIVESOME
• UMass' top five scorers make up for just over 54 percent of UMass' total scoring. James Marcou (8-17-25), Cory Quirk (7-13-20) and Alex Berry (7-13-20) have spent much of the time as line mates, but Chris Davis (8-6-14) has been mixed between that line and being Casey Wellman's (5-16-21) line mate.

IT'S A PLUS WHEN BEVIS AND WESSBECKER ARE ON THE ICE
• Linemates Topher Bevis and John Wessbecker are a combined +19 this season on the ice. Wessbecker is tied for second on the team at +11, while Bevis is +8 for the year.
• When the duo have finished games with a plus during the course of their careers, UMass is 45-7-3.

BIG BROTHERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE OFF THE ICE
• Often times, student-athletes gain the bulk of their notoriety through their accomplishments in sport. Five Minutemen, however, are trying to make a difference in young peoples lives off the ice as well. Paul Dainton, Brian Keane, Chase Langeraap, James Marcou and Brett Watson each volunteer with the Amherst Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program. Each Big Brother has a `Little' who they spend time with each week.
• Each player had to go through an extensive background check that included visits to their dorm rooms and an interview process that took several months. They spend 3-4 hours per week with their Little Brother whose age ranges from 6 to 13 years.
• Renee Moss is the Director of the program and says she is thrilled to have the guys involved with the project that really came to life last season under Mike Kostka through an independent study project. Kostka put together a successful Big Brother/Big Sister Bowl-A-Thon to raise money from the group last spring.
• Brett Watson is also conducting a systematic evaluation of the local program, which will culminate in a list of recommendations about how to improve the program, and how to recruit more volunteers for his Commonwealth College Capstone Project.

ROOKIE CLASS MAKING IMPACT
• Paced by freshman Casey Wellman, the UMass rookie class has already made a significant impact on the team, especially in the scoring column. Wellman has five goals, including the game-winner over Boston College in overtime, and ranks second with 21 points. His 16 assists ranks second on the team. He is fourth in assists in Hockey East and he leads the league's rookie class in scoring. With a +15 rating, he also leads the conference overall.
• As a class, UMass' rookies have 38 points so far.

GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN THIS FOURSOME SCORES
• Alex Berry, Chris Davis, James Marcou, and Cory Quirk are four of UMass' top scoring threats this year, and historically, as they go offensively, so do the Minutemen.
• This year, UMass is 5-0-0 when James Marcou scores a goal in a game and 10-5-0 when he tallies at least one point.
• UMass is 17-4-1 when Berry finishes with a goal, 23-7-5 when Quirk lights the lamp and 32-15-7 when Davis scores at least a point.

HOCKEY'S A FAMILY LEGACY
• For three Minutemen, hockey is truly a family tradition. Scott Crowder, Shawn Saunders and Brett Watson all grew up around NHL rinks as their fathers played professionally. Crowder's father, Bruce, played for the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, while Saunder's father, Bernie, played for the Quebec Nordiques. Watson's father Jim and his uncle Joe both played 10 years for the Philadelphia Flyers as part of the franchise's only two Stanley Cup Championship teams.

FACING OFF WITH QUIRK
• Cory Quirk established himself last season as one of UMass' top face-off specialists. This season, he is 275-187 (.595) in 22 games. Against RPI, he was 13-for-19 in the face-off dot and in both games against Providence (10/31, 11/1) he was 11-for-17. Against UNH (1/9) he was 18-for-24 and has had only two games this year with a sub-500 face-off mark.
• In 36 games in 2007-08, he had a 556-364 (.604) face-off record which was the best on the team. He won over 300 more face-offs than any other player on the team.

QUIRK A TOP SCORING THREAT
• Over the final 25 games of 2007-08, Cory Quirk picked up his scoring to move into second place on the team with 10 goals and 15 assists.
• With seven goals and 13 assists in 2008-09, Quirk ranks 13th all-time at UMass in career points (93), ranks 12th in goals (39) and ranks 15th in assists (54). His 10 career power play goals ranks 10th overall, while his +26 career rating is tied sixth-best in program history.
• Quirk needs just 7 more points to become the seventh player in program history to eclipse the 100-point barrier at UMass.

MARCOU HAVING A SUPER SOPHOMORE SEASON
• In 2008-09, James Marcou leads the Minutemen with eight goals, 17 assists, and one game-winning goal. He posted five points (2g, 3a) against Providence (10/31) before finishing the weekend with another goal and two assists at Providence (11/1) the next night.
• Following his performance against Providence (10/31, 11/1) he was named the INCH National Player of the Week Runner-Up, the Hockey East Player of the Week, the New England Hockey Journal Player of the Week, and the Hockey East Player of the Month Runner-Up.
• Marcou was one of the top offensive rookies in Hockey East last season after leading the Minutemen with 8 goals and 24 assists for 32 points. In 36 games, he had 11 multi-point nights.
• Marcou earned Hockey East All-Rookie Team honors and was a member of the Hockey East All-Academic Team. Additionally, he was one of 15 semifinalists for the 56th annual Walter Brown Award.
• Marcou also netted UMass' only hat trick of the season last year with three goals against Vermont (1/25/08).

BRAUN ONE OF HOCKEY EAST'S TOP DEFENSEMEN
• Junior defenseman Justin Braun is not only one of the best defensemen for the Minutemen, but he is one of the best in the entire league. Last season, he finished sixth on the team in points with four goals and 16 assists.
• Braun plays on the top power play and penalty kill lines and is one of the team leaders in minutes played.
• The 2007 member of the Hockey East All-Rookie Team was the 201st pick overall last season in the NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins who traded his rights to the San Jose Sharks.

WELCOME BACK John Wessbecker
• Defenseman John Wessbecker missed much of the second half of last season due to injury playing in just 14 games. The 2005 7th round draft pick of Tampa Bay is one of UMass' top returning blueliners along with Justin Braun and Martin Nolet.
• He made his return to the lineup at Rensselaer where he picked up an assist on the very first goal of the game. He also was critical in UMass' penalty kill which allowed just one shot and held the Engineers scoreless on three RPI power plays. Wessbecker also picked up a penalty and added some additional toughness to the UMass defense - when an RPI skater was crashing in towards Dan Meyers after a whistle, Wessbecker promptly impeded his momentum.

THE PUCK STOPS HERE
• Paul Dainton missed the first four games of the season due to injury, but saw his first action in the second period of the game against Providence (10/31) where he made 17 saves and did not allow a goal. He made his first start of the season and picked up his second win the next night at Providence (11/1).
• In the win over Boston College (11/22), Dainton made a career-high 39 saves. He has made 30-or-more saves in four-career games versus the Eagles.
• Dainton recorded his 1,000th career save on Nov. 28 against St. Lawrence.
• All-time, Dainton has already cracked several of UMass' goalie charts. He ranks second in goals against average (2.45), second in save percentage (.912), and ranks 8th in saves (1,118). The man above him in terms of save percentage is none other than former All-American Jon Quick.
• In 2008-09 Dainton is already have a better season than his rookie campaign. He has a 2.17 goals against average compared to 2.56 as a freshman and a .915 save percentage compared to a .911 save percentage in 2007-08.
• A relative unknown heading into the 2007-08 season, Dainton was pressed into action early last season after an injury sidelined Dan Meyers. Dainton quickly impressed the coaching staff and became the team's starting goalie last year. He finished his first season in Amherst with nods to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and the Hockey East All-Academic Team.
• Dainton's story is a unique one as he actually came to UMass without ever having visited the campus. With the summertime departure of Quick, the coaching staff had heard of and seen Dainton play and spoke to him about joining the team looking for a solid goalie.

MEYERS MANS THE PIPES
• With Dainton suffering an injury in preseason practice, Dan Meyers took over between the pipes and started five of the first seven games this season. Meyers earned the win against Army (12/29) and has been outstanding when called upon this year making 296 saves, posting a 2.45 goals against average, and recording a .919 save percentage - All career-best totals for his three years in Amherst.
• In his 11 outings so far, Meyers has set a new career-high for saves (41 at New Hampshire) and earned his first career shutout (vs. RPI). He carried a shutout midway through the third period against Army before the Black Knights were able to slip one by him. He also made a then career-high 40 saves in the win over North Dakota.
• Meyers was twice named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week, the runner-up for the HEA Goalkeeper of the Month, and was a two-time New England Hockey Journal Player of the Week.
• Meyers was the original starting goalie heading in 2007-08 as the lone returner between the pipes, but suffered an injury following the St. Lawrence game. He backed-up All-American Jon Quick as a freshman in 2006-07.
• Having a strong beginning to the season will pay dividends for UMass down the stretch as Cahoon and the coaching staff know they have a pair of quality goaltenders to use on any given night without having to worry about working one too much.

BEVIS HONORS LATE MOTHER WITH FUND TO FIGHT BRAIN CANCER
• Topher Bevis lost his mother Patricia in 1998 when he was 12 to brain cancer. Since that tragic moment, Topher, his father and his two brothers have established The Patty Fund in conjuction with the Massachusetts General Hospital to help fund research for the study and treatment of the disease.
• The fund raised over $50,000 this past summer with its annual Golf Tournament. • Bevis netted his first goal of the season against North Dakota (10/11) in Agganis Arena. His lone goal of the 2007-08 season was also scored in Agganis - then in the 5-3 win over Boston University (11/9).

BERRY, HOBBS, NOLET SPEND SUMMER TIME IN PROSPECT CAMPS
• Alex Berry, Danny Hobbs, Martin Nolet each spent part of their summers working out at prospect camps with their respective draft teams. Berry was a 5th round pick in the 2005 entry draft by Toronto, Hobbs was a 7th round pick in the 2007 draft by the New York Rangers, while Nolet was a 5th round pick in the 2006 draft by the L.A. Kings. Berry and Nolet were both featured in video packages by their respective teams on what the prospect camp was like.
• Berry had his best statistical season offensively in 2007-08 scoring 10 goals and adding 7 assists. He was red-hot to finish the year scoring seven goals in the last nine games.
• The work seems to have paid off as Berry has netted a career-high three assists twice this season - in the win over North Dakota (10/11) and in the win at Providence (11/1).
• Nolet is in his third year as one of UMass' top defensemen and as an integral member of the special team corps.

ORTIZ SPEAKS AT CHESTNUT SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL
• Junior forward Will Ortiz spoke to about 150 middle schoolers and faculty members at the Chestnut School in Springfield last week on the importance of continuing their education and making smart decisions in life. His speech also focused on some decisions he had to make in his life and how he has been able to overcome a tough environment to be able to fulfill his dreams.

LANGERAAP ADDS SIZE, SCORING TO FORWARD LINE
• Along with John Wessbecker, Chase Langeraap made his return to the UMass lineup against RPI after missing the tailend of last season with an injury. He also missed the first two games of this season.
• Now back in the line-up, he has added considerable size and scoring power to the forward lines. At 6-2, 202 lbs., Langeraap is a load on the left wing. Against RPI, he had two assists, while at New Hampshire he scored UMass' lone goal.
• Last season, he played in 21 games posting three goals and two assists.

A PAIR OF DRAFT PICKS ANCHOR BLUE LINE
• Martin Nolet and Justin Braun have started each game this season as UMass' top defensive pair - their first season as line mates. Nolet was a 5th-round draft pick by Los Angeles in the 2006 draft (144th overall), while Braun was a 7th-round draft pick by San Jose in the 2007 draft (201st overall).
• Both players have been key on special teams as they are both on the top power play and penalty kill units. Each also has one assist for the season.
• For the last two seasons, Nolet started every game paired with captain Mike Kostka, while Braun was paired with David Leaderer.

David Leaderer BECOMES UMASS IRON MAN
• Last season, defenseman David Leaderer set a new UMass program record for career games played on March 8 at Merrimack when he suited up for his 147th career game. He broke the school record which was previously held by Marvin Degon who played in 146 from 2002-06. Leaderer finished his career playing in 149 career games - every one of his UMass career.

CANNIFF ENSHRINED IN UMASS HALL OF FAME
• Former all-time UMass hockey coaching great Jack Canniff was enshrined in the UMass Hall Of Fame on Oct. 3, 2008. Canniff served as the hockey coach from 1967-79, leading UMass to its only conference championship in program history, as the then-Redmen won the ECAC Division II title in 1972.
• A fixture on the bench, Canniff is UMass' all-time leader in career victories with 120. Canniff was named the ECAC Coach of the Year in 1972 as he led the squad to a 19-7-0 overall record. UMass captured the ECAC crown with an 8-1 win over Buffalo on March 11, 1972 in Amherst. Canniff ranks second all-time in career win percentage among all hockey coaches and second among all coaches in career playoff appearances.
• He developed three All-Americans, all from the 1972 team (P.J. Flaherty, Pat Keenan and Brian Sullivan). Canniff graduated from Boston College in 1954.

LOOK FOR DAN MEYERS' MOVIE PICKS ON UMASSATHLETICS.COM
• Known to the team as a movie fanatic, Dan Meyers has agreed to share his thoughts and movie critiques with fans with a blog on UMassAthletics.com. Meyers will pick out different movies and share his thoughts on them throughout the season.
• Meyers' movie collection is a big bonus for the team when travelling on long bus trips.

KEY NUMBERS FROM 2007-08
• UMass put up some good numbers in 2007-08 statistically and ranked among the top teams in Hockey East. With the amount of talent returning to each area of the ice, those numbers should continue to improve in 2008-09. Below are the categories and rank among Hockey East Teams.
Team Offense: 2.72 goals per game, 4th
Team Defense: 2.69 goals against per game, 4th
Power Play: 16.9 percent, T-4th
Penalty Kill: 82.4 percent, 9th

MINUTEMEN IN THE PROS UPDATE
• UMass has two alums who are currently on NHL rosters: Thomas Pock with the New York Islanders and Jon Quick with the L.A. Kings. Quick started the first part of the season with the Kings' AHL affiliate Manchester before being called up. Quick was named the NHL's Third Star Of The Week after posting back-to-back shutouts. The LA Times also ran a piece on him and his chance at becoming the go-to guy for the Kings which appears to be unfolding as the Kings traded back-up netminder Jason LaBarbera to make room for Quick on the active roster.
• Mark Matheson was named the AHL's Third Star Of The Night on Tues., Dec. 30 after netting three points (1g, 2a) in the Milwaukee Admirals 6-2 win over San Antonio on Monday.
• All five seniors from the 2007-08 signed contracts to play in various profession hockey leagues including P.J. Fenton who is with the Worcester Sharks in the AHL and Mike Kostka who is with the Portland Pirates (AHL).
• Matt Anderson won the 2008 Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves last season. Mark Matheson and Stephen Werner have once again teamed up as members of the Milwaukee Admirals.

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