Recruiting Progress, Team Improvement Make the Road Easier for UMass
UMass Faces Hockey East Leading #3 Northeastern In Home-And-Home Series
• Looking to move up in the playoff standings, UMass will face league-leading No. 3 Northeastern this weekend in a home-and-home series that starts in Amherst on Friday night (7 PM). The Minutemen have won six straight meetings in the Mullins Center against the Huskies who are coming off the Beanpot Championship game on Monday against No. 1 Boston University.
• On Jan. 30, UMass won the first meeting of the series, 6-4, in what turned out to be a wild shootout from two relatively defensive minded teams. The finale of the regular-season series will be on Saturday night (7 PM) at historic Matthews Arena.
• The Minutemen enter the weekend ranked 8th in the Hockey East standings just six points out of fourth place, but just four points ahead of 9th place Providence.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• On Friday Night, 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.
• Saturday night will be a very special 91.1 FM WMUA broadcast of the game at Northeastern. Donnie and Brock will call the action with the pregame show still starting at 6:30 PM.
• Streaming video for both games can be accessed through www.UMassAthletics.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 seventh-best offense (2.82 gpg) and third best defense (2.36 gpg) among Hockey East teams. On Friday night, UMass battled tough against the #12 team in the country, but Boston College's offense proved to be too much as they fell 2-1 at the Conte Forum in Boston. The Minutemen came out strong on Saturday night, scoring the first goal of the game against UMass-Lowell, but again they were unable to hold on as the final score was 2-1. UMass now sits in eigth place in the Hockey East Standings with 15 points. Six points currently separate the fourth place and eight place teams in the conference standings heading into the final four weeks of the season.
• Northeastern ranks second in offensive production (3.25 gpg) and second in scoring defense (2.29 gpg). The Huskies special teams sit in the top three amongst Hockey East teams. Northeastern has the conference's fourth best power play, converting on 17% of their man advantages (27-for-158). The Huskies' penalty kill is third in the conference, killing off 87% of their penalties (138-for-157). Northeastern earned two points in their last Hockey East game in a 4-3 win over Merrimack. On Monday night the Huskies fell in the finals of the Beanpot with a 5-2 loss to Boston University. When scoring the first goal of the game, Northeastern is 15-1-1 overall, but are 4-6-1 when their opponent scores first.
LAST TIME THEY MET: UMass 6, #3 NU 4 - Jan. 30
• UMass tallied two goals in the first period and never trailed in the 6-4 shootout with No. 3 Northeastern back on Jan. 30 at the Mullins Center. Alex Berry scored twice and James Marcou had a career-high four assists in the win. It was the sixth straight win for UMass over the Huskies in the Mullins Center. The win also improved UMass to 4-1-1 this year over team's ranked in the nation's top-5.
STATS & STUFF
• UMass is now 4-1-1 against teams ranked in the nation's top 5 after the Northeastern win (1/30).
• UMass was 0-for-10 on the power play this past weekend after being just 3-for-14 in the previous three games.
• Eight of UMass' last 10 games have been decided by one-goal or less (1-6-2) - for the season, UMass is 3-13 in games decided by less than two goals and 7-1 in goals decided by three goals or more.
• UMass has allowed just four first period goals in the last 10 games - UMass is 10-2-0 this season when leading after the first period.
• UMass is 10-2-0 when scoring three or more goals this year and 0-11-3 when scoring fewer than three goals.
• UMass will finish the regular-season series with Northeastern this weekend after defeating the Huskies 6-4 at the Mullins Center two weeks ago.
• In games won this year, UMass is averaging 5.0 goals per game, is 10-for-44 on the power play and has 55 goals; while in games lost, UMass is averaging 1.4 goals per game, is 6-for-64 on the power play and has 20 goals.
MILESTONES, FIRSTS, WHO'S HOT
• Shawn Saunders tallied his first goal of the season, the second of his career, in the loss to UMass Lowell - it was just his second career goal in his first action since Nov. 28.
• Paul Dainton has started the last 7 straight games posting a 2.13 GAA and a .927 save percentage.
• Casey Wellman has 15 points in the last 15 games (6g, 9a).
• James Marcou now has 63 career points in 64 career games including 19 points (3g, 16a) in the last 18 games
• With 95 career points, Cory Quirk needs just 5 more to reach 100 points for his career - he also leads UMass with a +23 career rating.
• In the last 12 games, the line of T.J. Syner-Casey Wellman-Will Ortiz has 12 goals and 13 assists - 35 percent of UMass' scoring - and is a combined +20.
Wellman Named Hockey East January Rookie Of the Month
• UMass freshman center Casey Wellman was named the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month for January as announced by the league office on Feb. 2. Wellman, the top Rookie Scorer in the conference, netted three goals and five assists to earn the honor. After scoring a pair of goals against No. 3 Northeastern and at Maine, he was also named the league's Rookie of the Week on Feb. 2 - his third such honor this year. Nationally, Wellman ranks eighth among all Rookie Scorers with 8 goals and 16 assists so far this season.
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 124-160-31 record at UMass through his eighth season. Overall, in 21 years as a head coach, Cahoon is 304-333-67.
FANS SET NEW ATTENDANCE RECORD
• With an average of 4,551 fans per home game, UMass ranks 14th 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 Feb. 9 polls, UMass is receiving votes (8th 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 4-7-3 against ranked teams. Of those, UMass has faced six teams ranked in the nation's top-5 posting a 4-1-1 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 44-172-20 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.
UP NEXT: Maine - "Bright Out" Weekend
• In one of the more popular weekend's of hockey season, next week will be "Bright Out" Weekend as Maine visits on both Friday and Saturday nights. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the games and the Athletic Marketing Department will hand out 3,500 special t-shirts prior to the game on Friday night. Both games are slated for 7 PM in a series that will certainly have an impact on the Hockey East standings and the playoff picture as the season winds down.
HARD TO BEAT WHEN SCORING 3'S
• UMass is 11-2-0 this season when lighting the lamp three times or more in a game and 0-12-3 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 three occasions - at RPI (10/21, 6-0), against Providence (10/31 - 9-4) and against No. 3 Northeastern (1/30 - 6-4). The nine goals scored against the Friars are the most in Hockey East this season.
FOUR-OR-MORE IS BEST
• Over the last 58 games where UMass scores four-or-more goals, the Minutemen are an amazing 54-3-1. 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 6-6-1 this season at home with four of the next five games at home.
• 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 55 games at the Mullins Center, UMass is 32-16-8 (.590) including a 14-3-4 mark in 2006-07.
• All-time, UMass is 119-113-27 in the Mullins Center including a 69-97-21 record among Hockey East foes. Under Don Cahoon, UMass sports a 75-59-15 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.
Marcou Semifinalist For 57th Annual Walter Brown Award
• For the second consecutive season, UMass winger James Marcou is a semifinalist for the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston's 57th Annual Walter Brown Award. It is presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England. The candidates include eleven players from Hockey East, four from the ECAC Hockey League, and one from Atlantic Hockey. The slate comprises 12 forwards, one goalie, and three defensemen.
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 (8-23-31), Cory Quirk (8-14-22) and Alex Berry (10-13-23) have spent much of the time as line mates, but Chris Davis (9-6-15) has been mixed between that line and being Casey Wellman's (8-16-24) line mate.
IT'S A PLUS WHEN BEVIS AND WESSBECKER ARE ON THE ICE
• Linemates Topher Bevis and John Wessbecker are a combined +17 this season on the ice. Wessbecker is third on the team at +9, while Bevis is +8 for the year.
• When the duo have finished games with a plus during the course of their careers, UMass is 46-7-3.
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 eight goals, including the game-winner over Boston College in overtime, and ranks eighth with 24 points. His 16 assists ranks second on the team. He is 10th 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 43 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 11-6-1 when he tallies at least one point.
• UMass is 18-5-1 when Berry finishes with a goal, 24-7-5 when Quirk lights the lamp and 33-15-7 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 333-245 (.576) in 28 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 eight goals and 14 assists in 2008-09, Quirk ranks 9th all-time at UMass in career points (95), ranks 12th in goals (40) and ranks 14th in assists (55). His 11 career power play goals ranks 10th overall, while his +25 career rating is tied sixth-best in program history.
• Quirk needs just 5 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, 23 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. He had a career-high four assists in the win over No. 3 Northeastern.
• 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 in 2007-08 and was named to the list again in 2008-09.
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. He averages over 30 minutes of ice time per game.
• 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 (2.40), second in save percentage (.914), and ranks 7th in saves (1,276). 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 2.10 goals against average compared to 2.56 as a freshman and a .920 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.
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.
SIGN-UP FOR THE E-MAIL LIST
• If you want to get the latest UMass hockey news straight to your e-mail account, then sign up for our online e-mail list. You will receive previews, game notes, boxscores, recaps and feature stories delivered right to you. To sign up, e-mail John Sinnett (jsinnett@admin.umass.edu) with the subject line "Sign Up For Hockey Newsletter".
