AMHERST - It's probably a little too early to be thinking about what it would take for the University of Massachusetts hockey team to make the NCAA Tournament. There are still 25 regular-season games left on the Minutemen's schedule.

But UMass is ranked No. 11 in this week's U.S. College Hockey Online poll and its strong start at 7-2 and fist-place standing in Hockey East at 4-2 has made the postseason a realistic goal. Tonight's nonconference game at 7 at No. 9 Yale could help make that happen.

"I think Yale is going to have a good season. Their success would put us in better shape in terms of the RPI if we're fortunate enough to take care of business," UMass coach Don "Toot" Cahoon said. "It would be a well-received win. People would look at it in their building as a real success."

Senior defenseman Martin Nolet agreed.

"If they keep doing well the rest of the season, and we beat them Thursday, it will obviously help us," Nolet said. "Hockey East games are the most important because one of our objectives is to win Hockey East. But nonconference games are obviously important and we've done a good job winning our nonconference games."

The Minutemen are 3-0 this season outside of Hockey East. Tonight's game starts a stretch of three straight on the road and four of the next five away from the Mullins Center.

Yale enters the game at 2-1-2. The Bulldogs have beaten Princeton and Cornell, tied Colgate and Union and lost to Rensselaer.

Junior forward Broc Little leads Yale in scoring with five goals and three assists, while Brian O'Neill has two goals and five assists.

Yale has split its goalie chores between freshman Nick Maricic and junior Ryan Rondeau. Maricic is 1-0-1 with a 2.40 goals against average and a .896 save percentage.

Rondeau is 1-1-1 with a 3.26 goals against and a .906 save percentage.

"The players have to respect the fact that this is a really good team," Cahoon said. "This team is very athletic. They have center-ice men that can move the puck, defensemen that can move the puck and consistent goaltending,

"They're a really solid team," he added. "We're going to have to play a really solid game in order to succeed."

Nolet said getting off to a good start is particularly important against an unfamiliar foe.

"It's important to come out hard and put them on their heels," Nolet said. "We want to impose our own tempo and see how they react to it. We want to have a strong start and keep it going for the rest of the game."

The Minutemen expect to have forwards T.J. Syner and Rocco Carzo, who have been out of the lineup the last two weekends, back in action.

It's the first time all season, that Cahoon would have his full roster ready to play.

"It looks like both of them are going to be available," he said. "This is the healthiest we've been in a few weeks, that's for sure. One of the things we like about this team is the depth. It helps you when you're dinged up and strengthens you when you've got everybody available."

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.

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