AMHERST - After three straight weekends of playing just one game to open the season, the University of Massachusetts hockey team will get into a regular routine with a home-and-home series tonight and Saturday against Providence.

The teams will play in Rhode Island at Schneider Arena at 7 tonight in the first road game of the season for the Minutemen (3-0, 2-0 Hockey East). They play at the Mullins Center at the same time on Saturday.

"It's more challenging. We've got to get through it physically and mentally," UMass coach Don "Toot" Cahoon said. "We have to do it then come back and do it again the next night and hopefully better on the second night."

The Minutemen have been pretty good every night so far this season with three wins that led to a No. 17 ranking in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online poll.

While signature players James Marcou, Casey Wellman and Justin Braun have led the Minutemen out of the gate, UMass has gotten strong play up and down its lineup.

Cahoon singled out several players who have particularly encouraged him.

"I think Will Ortiz is back and has gone beyond where he was when he was a fan favorite a couple years ago," Cahoon said. "He wants to make this a big year. It's nice to have him playing at a high level. We hope that continues. It makes a difference in our total output. It gives us a whole new dimension.

Goalie "Paul Dainton has played at a level I'm really happy about," Cahoon added. "He's showing maturity and showing physical strength and has been a difference-maker. I think we're getting good honest play out of (defensemen) Doug Kublin and Michael Marcou. The (Mike) Donnellan kid has given us valuable minutes as a freshman."

The Minutemen could get Michael Lecomte back from injury shortly, but Chase Langeraap will likely be out two to four weeks.

UMass leads Hockey East with 4.33 goals per game and is third in goals allowed at 2.33. James Marcou leads the nation with seven assists and is eighth in points with eight.

This will be the first Hockey East game of the season for Providence, which enters the game at 4-1. The Friars opened with a win against Holy Cross, split with Notre Dame and swept Bowling Green last weekend, 8-2 and 3-1.

Sophomore forward Matt Bergland, who leads Providence with six points (four goals, two assists) had five of them last weekend, including a hat trick on Friday night.

The Friars have gotten terrific goaltending so far allowing just 1.60 goals per game, which is best in Hockey East and fifth in the nation. Sophomore goalie Alex Beaudry has allowed seven goals in four games. Justin Gates allowed just one goal in his only start.

Hockey East notes

BONINO OUT - Boston University, which was already struggling early, lost top forward Nick Bonino to a shoulder dislocation in the Terriers' 3-2 win Saturday over then-No. 4 Michigan. The junior is expected to be out three to four weeks, leaving No. 4 BU (1-2, 0-1 Hockey East) shorthanded this weekend when it faces No. 9 UMass-Lowell (3-1, 1-0) in a home-and-home series.

HOT STREAK - The surprising Merrimack Warriors, who have won their last four games, will try to continue that streak this weekend against No. 13 Boston College (1-1, 0-1). The Warriors (4-2, 1-0) have gotten a boost from freshman forward Stephane Da Costa, who has five goals in six career games. Junior Chris Barton leads the Warriors with six goals and seven points. Merrimack has eight power-play goals during its winning streak.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.