Good news: Shemansky plays

Maine's Adam Shemansky, the freshman forward who left Friday's game with UMass on a stretcher after suffereing a neck injury, was not only O.K., but good enough to play in the Black Bears' loss to New Hampshire.

From the Portland Press Herald Blog:

Freshman forward Adam Shemansky returned to the ice less than 24
hours after he was taken off the ice on a stretcher Friday night at
Massachusetts, the result of being hit from behind into the boards.

"I got treatment this morning, talked to the coach and I felt
confident I could play," Shemansky said. "I felt confident I could make
a positive impact for the team today."

Rivalry weekends?

The national attention didn't arrive in South Bend until Saturday afternoon. The annual Holy War game between Boston College and Notre Dame is certainly the main course of the rivalry weekend between the two schools.

But in recent years, a hockey meeting between the two national powers has usually served as an appetizer and in some cases dessert. On Friday many of the BC fans that traveled to South Bend got to see the the No. 14-ranked Eagles edge No. 9 Irish, 3-2.

It's an idea that other New England schools should copy. Four different schools - New Hampshire, Maine, Northeastern and UMass - play in Hockey East and football in the Colonial Athletic Association's North Division.

New Hampshire visited UMass in football on Oct. 24. Less than a month later the Wildcats will be in Amherst for two hockey games on Nov. 13 and 14. Why not play the two sports on the same weekend? If the two leagues coordinated schedules, the atmosphere and paying crowds for each sport could be enhanced.

Few of the New England FCS schools travel more than a few dozen fans to road games in either football or hockey and Durham, Amherst and Orono aren't exactly weekend getaways.

But a three-game weekend might make shelling out for a hotel more palatable. Bus trips, tailgating and other organized fan gatherings would most certainly follow.

Scott Meyer of the CAA and Pete Souris of Hockey East each said schedule coordination hasn't been discussed.

Obviously the schools involved as well as the two conferences would need to cooperate for this to happen. Meyer said the CAA has already begun scheduling conference games for the 2011 season. So dates for hockey would have to be blocked off well in advance. The coaches might need some convincing as well.

But these aren't difficult hurdles and the potential payoff seems worth it.

UMass 3, BU 2 - F

 Greetings from the Mullins Center, where the students are out in forcefor the first Hockey East game of the season.

FIRST PERIOD

15:18 - 0-0- First replay check in Mullins Center history since it's been added for all Hockey East games. Sean Escobedo's shot was ruled no-goal on the ice and the replay confirmed it.

14:39 - UMass 1, BU 0 - Rocco Carzo off a pretty Will Ortiz pass from behind the net.

11:02 - UMass 2, BU 0 - Goal-machine Matt Irwin one-timer off the face-off for his third goal of the season.

6:43 - UMass 2, BU 1 - Alex Chiasson off a rebound on the power play.

SECOND PERIOD

13:28 - UMass 2, BU 2 -  Chiasson again.

THIRD PERIOD

This has been an absolutely terrific back-and-forth hockey game. Both teams have had chances. Both goalies have made big saves. There's been posts and crossbars.

18:03 - UMass 3, BU 2 - Will Ortiz, who has played a terrific game, appeared to push the back for a defenseman's stick who had the puck and knocked it by Millan to put UMass ahead.

FINAL

UMass holds on in a terrific hockey game. Dainton finished with 39 saves.

Friday links

Slam Magazine previews the Minutemen.

Q&A with Central Florida's Marcus Jordan on ESPN. Jordan of course is the son of Michael and Central Florida is UMass' opponent.

Concord Monitor UMass-UNH Preview. Seacoast Online's preview.

BU Daily Free Press on tonight's hockey game.

Tony Gaffney had two points, two boards and a block in last night's exhibition game for the Lakers, but his -12 plus-minus was glaring.

UMass 5, RPI 2 FINAL

Greetings from high above the Mullins Center.

PREGAME

Lines for UMass:

Syner-Wellman-J. Marcou

Langeraap-Lecomte-Ortiz

Keane-Watson-Saunders

Hobbs-Carzo-Olczyk

Defense

Nolet-Braun

Irwin-Donnellan

Kublin-M. Marcou

Dainton in goal

FIRST PERIOD

3:27: RPI 1, UMass 0 - After the Minutemen couldn't clear the zone, RPI takes a 1-0 lead on a goal by Tyler Helfrich.

SECOND PERIOD

16:58: 1-1 - If you had Casey Wellman in your "who-will-score-UMass'-first-goal-this-season" pool, collect your money. He scored a pretty goal on a 5-on-3 power play.

11:59: UMass 2, RPI 1 - Braun from the point on the power play. 

10:02: UMass 3, RPI 1 - ROCCO CARZO!!! First goal for the fun named feisty freshman forward.James Marcou had his third assist.

2:13: UMass 3, RPI 2 - Jerry D'Amigo on the power play.

THIRD PERIOD

19:40: UMass 4, RPI 2 - Matt Irwin blast from the point on the 5-on-3 power play.

10:36: UMass 5, RPI 2 - UMass appears to be really good when its opponent has just three guys on the ice. Another Irwin slapshot, this time on a 4-on-3.

Nice story on Greg Mauldin

Andrew Merritt has a good story on former UMass hockey star Greg Mauldin.

UMass picked No. 7 in Hockey East

Here's the Hockey East Preseaon Poll (picked by the coaches) that was released at Media Day Wednesday:

(First place votes)

1. Boston University (6)
2. UMass-Lowell (2)
3. Boston College (2)
4T. New Hampshire
4T. Vermont
6. Northeastern
7. UMass
8. Maine
9. Providence
10. Merrimack

Nice story on Jon Quick in the Los Angeles Times

There's a nice story on Jon Quick in the Los Angeles Times.

Speaking of Quick, check out the Promotion here on Jan. 31.

It's Northeastern

Thanks to Northeastern's loss to Boston College and Boston University's win today over Providence, the Minutemen will face the Huskies. The games are likely Friday, Saturday and if necessary Sunday. But times haven't been officially announced yet.

This seems like a good matchup for UMass, or at least a better one than BU would have been. UMass won the season series with Northeastern, 2-1 and all the games have been relatively recently, while the Terriers dominated UMass last weekend.

...four or five days til UMass-Northeastern...

UMass All-Hockey East Era Team

UMass released its all-Hockey East era team chosen from fan ballotting. The list is heavily recent as Rob Bonneau was an unfortunately snub.

UMass Hockey All-25th Anniversary Fan Ballot
Best Forwards (select seven):
Matt Anderson (2003-07)
Chris Capraro (2003-07)
James Marcou (2007-pr.)
Greg Mauldin (2002-04)
Tim Turner (2000-03)
Cory Quirk (2006-pr.)
Stephen Werner (2003-06)

Best Defensemen (select five):
Justin Braun (2007-pr.)
Marvin Degon (2003-06)
Mike Kostka (2005-08)
Nick Kuiper (2001-04)
Thomas Pöck (2001-04)

Best Goalies (select three):
Markus Helanen (1998-01)
Jon Quick (2006-07)
Gabe Winer (2003-06)

...one minute til UMass-BU...

Sunday's car crash

Got a call yesterday afternoon with this message "UMass hockey team in bus crash in New Hampshire."

One phone call later says "accident not serious."

Eventually it became the UMass women's hockey team, which in Amherst is a club team not a varisty one.

Finally the UMass-BOSTON women's hockey team meaning I spent an hour chasing my tail on a day off. Not the first time.

I'm glad everyone is all right.

By about 10 p.m. last night however Channel 22 was running promos for its 11 p.m. post-Golden Globes newscast billing the "huge accident on 93" that involved some UMass athletes." 

That's cheap sensationalism by any definition. Channel 22 is too good not to know by then that they weren't UMass Amherst athletes. Now I get it when an accident is involved, we should care about the welfare of everyone, but imagine someone comes up to you and says "Cousin injured." Well every injury that occurs is somebody's cousin, but I'm a lot more interested if it's my cousin.

Channel 22 has UMass-AMHERST sports fans in its viewership. The UMass-AMHERST hockey team played in New Hampshire this weekend. Some of the UMass-AMHERST hockey team is spending this intersession working with Big Brothers. I hate to think some kid stayed up late to watch the news worried that some hockey player he just met has hurt in a bus accident.

...0 seconds til I get off my high horse...

Degon for Die-Del All Star Game

UMass is promoting former defenseman Marvin Degon's canidacy for the All Star team in his German professional league.

If you're interested try to navigate the German here.

What interests me however is the Degon plays for the Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams. That's the name of his team, the Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams.

I'm aware German's have odd pop culture obsessions (Don't believe me? Click this link), but Grizzly Adams?! According to the Wiki link the team is in fact named for the character of the movie and TV show (that used to be on Channel 56 on Saturday when I was about 7).

I mean what else was considered? The Wolfsburg Dukes of Hazard? The Wolfsburg Knight Riders (That would have made more sense)? The Wolfsburg T.J. Hookers?

...five days til Hofstra...

A long November

There are still four days left in November, but the University of Massachusetts athletic department can't wait for it to end. as its been loaded with heartbreakers.

To recap:

UMass men's soccer lost an NCAA Tournament game in double overtime.

Field hockey lost a one-goal game it had previously led.

Men's basketball blew a six point lead in the final minute and lost to a team picked to finish last in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The hockey team lost a lead in the last Minutemen to Vermont and then the game in overtime.

A missed extra point ended up costing the football team a playoff berth.

...five days til December...

Vermont 3, UMass 2

UMass vs. UVM

Alex Berry out with an undisclosed injury.

FIRST PERIOD

Dan Meyers for UMass. Rob Madore for Vermont.

4:39: UMass 1, UVM 0 - Chris Davis scores on the power play.

SECOND PERIOD

16:49: UMass 2, UVM 0 - Justin Braun's slapshot through traffic eludes Madore.

5:35: UMass 2, UVM 1 - Dean Strong beats Meyers from the right face-off circle.

THIRD PERIOD

0:56: 2-2 - Viktor Stalberg ties the game ending a bad period for the Minutemen

OVERTIME

UVM 3, UMass 2 -Peter Lenes scores with 23 seconds left to finish UMass' rough night.

MSU 3, UMass 1 - F

After the game UMass coach Toot Cahoon revealed that sophomore goalie Paul Dainton and freshman defenseman Matt Irwin are both out with undislosed injuries. Neither will play against North Dakota, Saturday either.

...17 hours til UMass-NU football...

MSU 3, UMass 1, late third

After review Brian Keane's goal while being checked into the net makes it 3-1.

...seven minutes left...

MSU 3, UMass 0, late second

I don't see UMass scoring three goals of Jeff Lerg in this game so I'm pretty much couting this one as a Minuteman loss.

...four minutes left in the third...

MSU 2, UMass 0, early second

Andrew Conboy's first collegiate goal beat Meyers on a power play.

...19:08 left in the second...

1-0 after one

UMass is outshooting the Spartans 13-7.

North Dakota has traveled pretty well as there are quite a few Sioux jerseys in the building. There are several Wisconsin fans here too in red and white jerseys. The Badgers are at Boston College, a few miles up Commonwealth Ave.

There's a Charleston Chiefs 18 jersey walking around too. That's Jeff Hanson, if you were wondering. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, look it up and then rent it.

..one minute left in intermission, one minute...

MSU 1, UMass 0 early first

Andrew Rowe scooped a rebound that Meyers was late on, 3:04 into the game.

...11:31 left in the first...