LAST TIME OUT– No. 13/11 Massachusetts hockey erased a 3-1 deficit in the third period and went on to knock off No. 5 Minnesota in overtime, 5-4 on Thursday night in NCAA first round action at Scheels Arena.– With UMass on a 4-on-3 penalty kill, Jimmy Snuggerud beat netminder Michael Hrabal with a one-timer from […]
LAST TIME OUT
– No. 13/11 Massachusetts hockey erased a 3-1 deficit in the third period and went on to knock off No. 5 Minnesota in overtime, 5-4 on Thursday night in NCAA first round action at Scheels Arena.
– With UMass on a 4-on-3 penalty kill, Jimmy Snuggerud beat netminder Michael Hrabal with a one-timer from the top of the left faceoff circle off a feed from Sam Rinzel and Mike Koster to put the Gophers in front, 1-0.
– Just 20 seconds later, the Minutemen tied the score at one. Senior Ryan Lautenbach and freshman Francesco Dell’Elce started the rush up the ice with the teams skating 4-on-4 and Larry Keenan finished off the play with a low wrister from the point that beat Liam Souliere for his fourth tally of the season.
– The Gophers would pull back in front before the intermission however, with Brody Lamb scoring off an offensive zone faceoff win at 18:49.
– Minnesota expanded its lead to two at the 14:07 mark of the second period. Jimmy Clark’s pass from below the goal line found Connor Kurth at the top of the crease where he tucked the puck around Hrabal’s outstretched pad.
– Midway through the third period, UMass began its comeback. Alone in the slot, sophomore Aydar Suniev buried a wrister from freshman Daniel Jencko below the goal line 7:14 into the frame. Junior Lucas Olvestad earned the secondary assist on the play.
– Moments later, Jencko redirected in junior Owen Murray’s shot from the right point after Murray collected a pass from sophomore Dans Locmelis to tie the score at 3-3 at 8:49.
– The Minutemen took their first lead of the night, 4-3, at the 15:07 mark. Dell’Elce beat Souliere through traffic from the top of the left faceoff circle off a feed from junior Kenny Connors and graduate student Joey Musa.
– However, the Gophers managed to tie things up at 4-4 just 1:17 later. Collecting the puck off a faceoff win by Oliver Moore, Snuggerud skated to the middle of the ice and fired a shot past Hrabal for his second of the night.
– At the 4:49 mark of the extra frame, Locmelis found Suniev at the back post for the tap-in after starting the play from the neutral zone.
– The Minutemen out-shot Minnesota 37-29 on the evening and went 0-for-2 on the power play, while the Gophers were 1-for-2.
SETTING THE SCENE
– UMass has advanced to a regional championship game for the third time in program history and is 2-0 in its previous two trips, 4-0 vs. Notre Dame in 2019 and 4-0 over Bemidji State in 2021.
– The Minutemen are 1-1-0 all-time against Western Michigan, facing the Broncos twice (3-4, 1-0) in December 1998 in Kalamazoo, Mich.
MIKE DROP
– Michael Hrabal’s stellar season has made its mark throughout the UMass single-season goaltending rankings. His 1000 saves rank second in a single season, while his 19 wins are tied with Johnathan Quick for third. His save percentage of .924 is ninth best in a season, as are his two shutouts. Hrabal trails only Quick for most saves in a season, and Matt Murray for most wins in a single season.AN “AY” FOR AN EYE
– In their first NCAA Tournament victory since capturing the a national championship in 2021, Aydar Suniev claimed the game’s first star over Minnesota to push the Minutemen on to the regional championship.
– Suniev’s heroics helped to flip the outcome from UMass’ 2022 NCAA Tournament Regional loss against Minnesota, in which the Minutemen surrendered a 3-1 lead and lost in overtime. Suniev ignited the UMass comeback from a 3-1 deficit 7:14 into the third period, then played the role of overtime hero, tipping home the golden goal 4:49 into the extra frame.
– Ryan Lautenbach, one of three Minutemen remaining from the 2021-22 squad, also finished +1 with an assist on UMass’ first goal of the game, while Linden Alger recorded 2 blocked shots in the victory.
30-POINT CLUB
– Five Minutemen posted 30 points or more during the 2024-25 season: Cole O’Hara (51p), Aydar Suniev (38p), Jack Musa (35p), Dans Locmelis (32p). Lucas Mercuri (31p). -This marks the first season that UMass has had five different 30-point scorers dating back to the 2002-2003 season, surpassing the previous most of four players in both 2008-2009 and 2018-2019.
HOCKEY EAST HONORS
– Three Minutemen received Hockey East Awards this season, each at a different position.
– Forward Cole O’Hara’s spectacular season landed him a spot on the Association’s First-Team All Star Team, while also a finalist for Player of the Year.
– Goaltender Michael Hrabal kept the doors shut and the Minutemen in games with his stellar play, finding himself a member of the Third-Team All Star Team.
– Defensemen Francesco Dell’Elce showed growth game over game, and was a heavy contributor to the success of the Minutemen, recognized on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.
– As a team, the Minutemen were named the winners of the Charlie Holt Team Sportsmanship Award for the third time in the past five seasons.
THE GOLD STANDARD
– UMass is one of just four programs in Division I men’s hockey to post six 20-win seasons since 2018-19, joining Denver, Minnesota State and Quinnipiac.
– Prior to head coach Greg Carvel‘s arrival in Amherst, the Minutemen had just two 20-win seasons in program history. During Carvel’s nine seasons, the squad has reached the milestone six times.
– UMass is just one of five teams to make five or more NCAA Tournament appearances since 2018-19, trailing only Quinnipiac’s six. The Minutemen are tied with Denver, Minnesota and Minnesota State with five appearances in the past six tournaments.
MOST IMPROVED
– Junior forward Cole O’Hara enters this week’s games tied for fifth in the nation in points with 51.
– O’Hara has blown past his previous career high for a season and is +33 past his 2023-24 total for points (19), a greater jump in point production than any player in the top-10 nationally.
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED
-UMass’ victory over unanimous No. 1 ranked Boston College is their first victory over a number one opponent since back-to-back victories over Denver during the 2022-23 season. The victory is their ninth over a number one ranked team.
– The win marked the first time the Minutemen have taken down the Eagles since February 26th 2021, where they won to a score of 3-2 against the then-No.1 ranked team in the country as well.
SECOND HALF SUCCESS
– Minutemen goaltender Michael Hrabal has had an exceptional second half of the season, going 11-5-3 while posting a .930 save percentage, a 2.29 goals-against average and a shutout since returning from the World Junior Championship. He has also accumulated numerous Hockey East honors since his return, including Defender of the Week on 1/13, again on 2/17, and Goaltender of the Week of 2/24.
– Prior to his time at the WJC, Hrabal went 8-6-2 with a .917 save percentage, a 2.49 goals-against average and one shutout, earning Hockey East Goaltender of the Week on 12/9. The sophomore goaltender is already topping a stellar freshman season where he earned a place on the Hockey East Second Team All-Star squad.GRADE-A
– Among UMass’ 22 Hockey East All-Academic Team recipients from the 2023-24 season, 12 return to the squad this season with Jackson Irving, Kennedy O’Connor, Linden Alger, Cam O’Neill, Lucas Mercuri, Ryan Lautenbach, Aydar Suniev, Kenny Connors, Owen Murray, Michael Cameron, Bo Cosman and Michael Hrabal.
– Transfers Lucas Ölvestad and Joey Musa were also named to their respective conferences’ all-academic teams.
YOUNG N’ MIGHTY
– Despite entering the 2024 season as the seventh youngest program in college hockey with an average age of 21.4 years old, UMass ranks second in tallest teams coming in at an average height of 6’1.3″.
– With only two seniors on the roster, the Minutemen have the second fewest in the NCAA and are tied for eighth in total underclassmen with 17 freshmen and sophomores.
THE AMHERST PIPELINE
– The Minutemen were well represented in the NHL during the 2023-24 season ranking tied for fourth-most with North Dakota in number of alumni playing in the NHL last season with 15.
– The Minutemen are tied for ninth nationally with nine draft picks on the 2024-25 roster.
– UMass was named the top developmental program in NCAA Men’s College Hockey by The Hockey News in August 2021.
GOING BACK TO THEIR ROOTS
– Sophomore Jack Musa and his older brother Joey Musa have reunited for Joey’s final season of eligibility after Joey previously played three seasons at Dartmouth. The duo was most recently teammates in 2020-21 with the Odessa Jackalopes of the NAHL.
– Despite coming to Amherst from Orange Park, Florida, the Musa brothers have family ties to Western Mass. as their father, Joe Musa is a Springfield native who played college hockey at Division III Western New England (1990-92).
ALGER, LAUTENBACH AND MERCURI TO LEAD MINUTEMEN IN 2024-25
– Graduate student defenseman Linden Alger has been named captain for 2024-25, while senior forwards Ryan Lautenbach and Lucas Mercuri will serve as alternate captains.
– Alger, who announced he would be returning for a fifth season with the Minutemen this past spring, appeared in 66 games over his previous four years in Amherst, including 35 in 2023-24. He is +9 for his career and has 14 points on six goals and eight assists, four of which came last season. The four-time Hockey East All-Academic Team honoree is the first Massachusetts native (Centerville) to wear the “C” for UMass since Conor Sheary (Melrose) did so as a senior in 2023-14.
– Lautenbach entered his senior year coming off his most productive campaign of his collegiate career in 2023-24, which saw him post 24 points on 10 goals and 14 assists, including a team-best three shorthanded tallies and one game winner. The Brighton, Michigan native has seen action in 141 career games to date with 23 goals and 46 assists for 69 points. He is a two-time Hockey East All-Academic Team member.
– Mercuri, a 2020 sixth round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, has appeared in 147 of a possible 148 games over his career in a UMass uniform and has compiled 85 career points on 28 goals and 57 assists with six power-play goals and five game winners. The Montreal, Quebec native posted new career highs in goals (9), assists (16) and points (25) as a junior over 37 games with three power-play tallies and three game winners. He has been named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team twice in his career thus far.
MILESTONE WATCH
– Ryan Lautenbach is two away from moving up into a tie for third all-time for career shorthanded goals, currently with three. Five individuals are tied for third with five with Stephen Werner (2002-06) being the most recent entry into the top-three.
– Michael Hrabal (35 wins) currently ranks fifth for career wins by a goaltender in UMass history. He needs three wins to match Pat Flaherty for fourth.
– Hrabal passed Matt Murray’s 2021-22 total of 910 saves for second all-time in program history for a single season against Maine on March 8. He now has 1000 to his credit, 46 behind Jonathan Quick’s record of 1046 from 2006-07.
IN CARVEL WE TRUST
– Head coach Greg Carvel, in his ninth season of his UMass tenure, has led the Minutemen to six seasons of 20+ wins, including a program-record 31 wins in 2018-19, the second-highest wins total in program history (22 in 2021-22), 21 wins in 2019-20 and 2024-24 (tied-third) and 20 wins in 2020-21, 2023-24 and (tied-sixth).
– Carvel won his 100th game at the helm for the Minutemen on November 6, 2021 at Providence. He earned his 200th career victory on March 12, 2022 vs. the Friars in the Hockey East Quarterfinals. Most recently, he collected his 250th victory as a collegiate head coach on February 7, 2025 against UConn.
– Among active Division I Men’s head coaches, Carvel is second in wins for coaches with tenures of 14 years or less, trailing only Mike Hastings (Wisconsin, 338). Carvel is in his 14th year as a head coach and currently has 256 wins.
– Under head coach Greg Carvel, the Minutemen are 8-3 in the NCAA Tournament with two trips to the National Final (2019 and 2021) and one National Championship (2021) and have made five NCAA Tournament appearances under Carvel.
– UMass is 22-40 all-time in the Hockey East Tournament, 12-9 under Carvel and 10-4 since 2019 with consecutive Hockey East Tournament titles in 2021 and 2022, the first two in program history.
– Overall under Carvel (Hockey East and NCAA Tournament) UMass’ postseason record is 20-12 with two Hockey East Championships, two Regional Championships and one National Championship.
FILL THE BILL
– UMass finished its home slate ranked 13th nationally in attendance and 11th average attendance (5,544) over 17 home games on the year in 2023-24.
– The attendance vs. No. 6 Michigan tied the program’s Mullins Center attendance record at 8,412 after packing the building with 7,361 fans the night before against the Wolverines, good for 17th-most all-time. That weekend series against Michigan set a new non-conference weekend series attendance record with a combined total of 15,773 coming through the doors at Mullins on Oct. 13 and 14.
– UMass drew 7,737 fans against Maine on Feb. 3, 6,342 against UConn on Feb. 10, 8,412 against Boston College on Feb. 16 and 6,089 on Feb. 23 vs. New Hampshire. It matched a program record of four straight home crowds of 6,000+, first set in 2007 (3/2, 3/3, 3/9, 3/10). Then for the home regular season finale, 6,289 fans came out to the Mullins center to break the record with a fifth-straight home crowd of 6K+.
-The streak of 6K+ attendances continued for the Minutemen in their 2024-25 home opener with a crowd of 6,022 vs. Sacred Heart on Oct. 18 and a sellout crowd of 8,412 against UConn on Oct. 25.
– UMass had the 19th largest crowd in Mullins Center history on February 15, as 7,606 fans were in attendance to see the Minutemen take on Boston College.
PROSPECTS APLENTY
– The Massachusetts roster features nine NHL draft picks across eight different franchises. UMass returns Dans Locmelis (Boston, 2022 fourth round), Michael Hrabal (Arizona, 2023 second round), Cam O’Neill (Ottawa, 2022 fifth round), Aydar Suniev (Calgary, 2023 third round) and Nick VanTassell (Ottawa, 2023 seventh round) for a second season, while Kenny Connors (Los Angeles, 2022 fourth round) and Lucas Mercuri (Carolina, 2020 sixth round) are in their fourth years with the Minutemen, respectively.
– Freshman Larry Keenan was selected in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings in the fourth round (117th overall).
MINUTEMEN FROM NEAR AND FAR
– UMass’ 2024-25 roster is composed of student-athletes from seven different countries.
– There are three different Canadian provinces (Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec) represented and nine different states (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and Pennsylvania).
– Springfield native Kennedy O’Connor is the closest to home at 27 miles, while Aydar Suniev is the furthest from home (Kazan, Russia) at 4,844 miles.
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE
– UMass has gone 94-34-13 at the Mullins Center over the past six seasons (2018-present) for a .713 winning percentage. This stretch included a 16-game unbeaten streak (15-0-1) that began on Jan. 11, 2019 against Vermont and came to an end on Nov. 30, 2019 with a 2-1 loss to Quinnipiac.
BLOODLINES AND FAMILY TIES
– Jack and Joey Musa are the sixth set of brothers to wear the Maroon & White in the program’s modern era, the fifth duo to play together at UMass. The other five sets of brothers are: Anthony Del Gaizo (2018-22) and Marc Del Gaizo (2018-21), Taylor Makar (2021-24) and Cale Makar (2017-19), James Marcou 2007-10 and Michael Marcou 2008-12; Jeff Turner 1997-2001 and Tim Turner 1999-2003; Mike Warner 2000-04 and Tim Warner 2001-05.
– Linden Alger’s father, Richard, played for UMass in the program’s inaugural Division I season (1993-94) and then played the next two campaigns at Boston University (1995-97). Kennedy O’Connor’s father, Thomas, was a teammate of Alger’s at UMass in 1994-95 and played with the program through 1998 before going on to a professional career with the Wheeling Nailers (1998-99) and Augusta Lynx (2000-01) of the ECHL and the Syracuse Crunch (1998-99) and Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins (1999-00) of the AHL. O’Connor’s sister, Kayla, was a college hockey player as well, playing at Trinity from 2014 to 2018.
– Lucas Ölvestad’s father, Jimmie, played for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2001-2003 and Lucas was actually born in Tampa during his father’s NHL tenure. Jimmie Ölvestad went on to have an extended pro career with Djurgårdens IF back home in Sweden.
– Owen Murray’s great uncle, Dallas Smith, played for the Boston Bruins from 1966 to 1977.
– Jackson Irving’s father, Father, Bruce, was a goaltender at Cornell.
– Cam O’Neill’s brother Colin played hockey at UMass Lowell (2016-18) and his brother Jason played hockey at Providence (2017-21).
– Freshman Larry Keenan’s grandfather Larry Keenan played in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1961-62), St. Louis Blues (1967-71), Buffalo Sabres (1970-72) and Philadelphia Flyers (1971-72).
– Freshman James Duerr’s brother Sam plays hockey at Bentley.NO ORDINARY LEAGUE
– The Minutemen continue to light up the lamp this season, taking over the scoresheets in conference play. Cole O’Hara leads the way, ranking fifth in points with 29 (13g, 16a). Other Minutemen with double-digit points in league play include Lucas Mercuri (4g, 16a) and Jack Musa (1qg, 9a) tied for 15th in the league with 20 points. Aydar Suniev trails just behind with 19 (9g, 10a) while Kenny Connors makes the list with 15 points (8g, 7a). Dans Locmelis and Lucas Olvestad continue to produce for the Minutemen, scoring 13 points (3g, 10a) each.
-The power play, dominant all season, has scored 14 power play goals at a 19.7% success rate, good for fifth in Hockey East. The penalty kill ranks third, killing the man-advantage 85.5% of the time and allowing a second-least 10 goals when down a skater.
– Defensively, the Minutemen have kept pucks out of the net, allowing the third-least goals against in league play with 58, and the third-least goals against per game at 2.4. This comes despite allowing the most shots against, however stellar play from Michael Hrabal and Jackson Irving lead the league with 706 saves, and a .924 team save percentage good for third in conference play.
– UMass has scored a season high of five goals in conference play six times, all against different opponents- UConn, Merrimack, Northeastern, Providence College, UMass Lowell and Maine. They have also posted shutouts twice on the season, once against Boston University and again against Northeastern.
KEEPING THE GOAL LIGHTS ON
– With an empty net goal against Boston College on 2/14, Kenny Connors set a new program record for the most consecutive games with a goal with six. Connors recorded seven goals during that span, including a two goal performance against Merrimack. The streak is tied for the third-longest in college hockey this season.
HOT ONES
– Concluding at 13 games, Cole O’Hara’s 13 game point streak ends as the fourth longest in college hockey this season and the second longest in 2025. Jack Musa saw his nine-game point streak come to an end, a streak good for tied for 13th longest this season in college hockey.
– During his 13 game streak, Cole O’Hara racked up 22 points (13g, 9a), including four on the power play, and 12 blocked shots as his contributions extend beyond the offensive zone. O’Hara also notched UMass’ first shorthanded goal of the season in a 5-1 rout of Maine.
– Cole O’Hara’s 13 game point streak is nothing new to him, as it is his second streak of eight-plus games of the 2024-25, posting four goals and eight assists during his initial eight game streak.
– O’Hara’s point streak ends as the longest in UMass history, topping Tim Turner’s 11 game streak during the 2002-03 season.
MAKING HISTORY
– Cole O’Hara currently has 51 points (22g, 29a) through 38 games, tying him sole for 4th on UMass’ all-time single-season list ahead of a pair of Hobey Baker finalists in Cale Makar and Bobby Trivigno.
– O’Hara’s 50th point came in an opening round victory over Vermont, an assist that made him only the second player ever to reach the 50 point mark in UMass’ Division I history. His 51st point was an assist in the quarterfinal round of the Hockey East tournament, tying James Marcou for the most points in a D1 season by a Minuteman.
– O’Hara’s 51 points through 38 games is the second fastest pace, only trailing UMass’ Division I single-season record holder James Marcou (51 points in 36 games) who finished at that mark in 2009-10, the only other Minuteman in the program’s DI history to break 50 points in a season.
– Hobey Baker Top-10 Finalist Bobby Trivigno had 49 points through 37 games in 2021-22, while Cale Makar finished with 49 in 41 games during his winning campaign.
– His 22 goals are the third most in UMass’ D1 history, while his 29 assists are fifth in a single season.
NEXT IN LINE
– Defenseman Francesco Dell’Elce has risen up 2025 Entry Draft boards as of late, slotting in at 91st among North American skaters per NHL.com. Dell’Elce has 24 points on seven goals and 17 assists and is +18 through 39 games as the Minutemen’s top scoring defenseman.
GOT YOUR (NU)MBER
– Since the beginning of the 2019-20 season, the Minutemen have emerged victorious in 11 of their 14 matchups against Northeastern, including an eight game winning streak. UMass has outscored the Huskies 45-28 during that span including two shutouts and six of the eleven victories coming with a two goal margin of victory or greater.
TWICE AS NICE
– Michael Hrabal continued his stellar play against the Northeastern Huskies that saw Hrabal stop 77 of 79 shots faced, good for a .975 save percentage and a 1.02 goals against average. Collecting his second shutout of the season, the netminder was also recognized as Hockey East’s Defender of the Week, his second honor this season. Hrabal’s shutout marked the second in as many games for the Minutemen, who outscored their opponents 13-0 during the two games.
RAPID FIRE
– The Minutemen’s three goals in 49 seconds in the second period against Robert Morris on January 4 marked the quickest three goals in program history.
– The previous record was set on December 1, 2017 with three goals by George Mika, Jack Suter and Mitchell Chaffee in 1:18 against UConn.
MORE HARDWARE FOR HRABAL
– Sophomore goaltender Michael Hrabal earned Bronze at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship after helping his native Czechia defeat Sweden, 3-2, in a 14-round shootout in the Bronze Medal game at Canadian Tire Centre on January 5.
– Hrabal is the first two-time medal winner from UMass after also helping Czechia to Bronze in 2024. In total, seven individuals from UMass have collected eight medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Current junior Kenny Connors and Ryan Ufko were part of a Bronze Medal winning Team USA squad in 2023. Goaltender Filip Lindberg captured Gold with Finland in 2020 and Cale Makar took home Gold with Canada in 2018, while that same tournament Director of Equipment Operations Josh Penn earned a Bronze medal on staff with Team USA. Stephen Werner was the first Minuteman to collect a medal at the World Junior Championship, winning gold with the United States in 2004.
– Hrabal started six of seven of Czechia’s games in the tournament, posting a 3-2 record with a .919 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average over 366:45 in net, totaling 169 saves. He helped the Czechs reach the Semifinal Round with 29 saves on 32 shots in a 4-3 victory over Canada in the quarterfinals.
– In the Bronze Medal game, Hrabal 32 shots through three periods and overtime and then denied 12 of 14 shootout attempts to help seal the medal-clinching win over Sweden, earning Player of the Game recognition. He was selected as one of Team Czechia’s Top-Three Players of the Tournament by the team’s coaches for a second straight year, as well.
– Freshman Daniel Jencko also competed in the 2025 World Junior Championship and put up four points (2g, 2a) in five games for Slovakia, helping the squad reach the tournament’s Quarterfinal round.
IRVING EARNS FIRST CAREER WEEKLY HONOR
– Sophomore Jackson Irving was selected as the Hockey East Stop It Goaltending Goaltender of the Week on January 6, marking the third time this season that a Minuteman has earned a weekly award and the first career weekly honor for Irving.
– The Newbury, Massachusetts native started in both games at the Desert Hockey Classic for UMass and posted a 1.51 goals against average and a .946 save percentage with 53 saves on the weekend over 119 minutes.
– Irving made 31 saves on 34 shots in a 4-2 loss to #16 Cornell in game one. In game two, he posted his first career win, first career shutout and had his first career assist in an 8-0 win over Robert Morris, stopping all 22 shots he faced.
SERENITY NOW!
– The Minutemen defeated Boston University 4-0 in their first shutout of the Terriers in program history, and their largest margin of victory since 2013 on December 7. The game featured three power-play goals as a result of 48 penalty minutes taken by the Terriers, as well as five goals disallowed-three against the Minutemen and two against the Terriers, all as a result of goaltender interference.
I AM > I WAS
– Linden Alger has surpassed his career-high totals in goals, assists, and points (3g, 6a – 9p).
– Kenny Connors has continued to heat up during the second half of the season, now setting a career high in assists with 19, surpassing his previous best of 17 set during his freshman season. He has surpassed his freshman goal total of nine, netting a career high of 10. His 29 points are a career best, once again topping his 2022-23 freshman campaign of 26 points.
– Bo Cosman’s three helpers are a career high in points and assists (3a).
– 34 games through the 2024-25 campaign, Michael Hrabal is playing some of the best hockey of his college career, with a career high GAA of 2.40 and a save percentage of .924.
– Jackson Irving continues to impress, posting a 1.50 GAA on the season to go with an outstanding .943 save percentage through five games. He also has a shutout on the season.
– Ryan Lautenbach has surpassed his previous career high in assists with 15, topping his total of 14 from a year ago.
– Dans Locmelis has posted a career-high 32 points this season vs. 14 points (7g, 7a) in 30 games as a freshman last season. His playmaking production has more than tripled, tallying 25 assists on the year.
– Lucas Mercuri’s ten goals set a career high, while his 21 assists and 31 points are both career highs, previously set at 16a, 25p last season.
– Owen Murray’s five goals and nine assists set career highs previously set in 2023-24 (2g, 7a). He has also surpassed his career high in points with 14.
– With 18 goals on the season, Jack Musa has surpassed his freshman total of 12, tied his previous best with 17 assists, and surpassed his freshman point total of 29, up to 35 on the year. This is accompanied by a healthy jump in his shooting percentage, up to 18.6% on the year.
– Kennedy O’Connor’s six assists surpass his previous high during the 2022-23 season (2a).
– Cole O’Hara has dominated the score sheet thus far, setting a career high in goals while also setting new marks in assists and points (22g, 29a – 51p). O’Hara’s previous bests were seven goals and 18 points in 37 games in 2023-24 and 13 assists in 32 games in 2022-23. His shooting percentage has jumped over 10%, up to 19.6% and is an exceptional +21 on the season.
– Lucas Olvestad’s four goals and 16 assists thus far have set a new career-highs, while surpassing his previous point total (six in 32 games) with 20.
– Aydar Suniev continues to make waves, surpassing totals from his freshman campaign (12g, 13a – 25p). Suniev’s 20 goals and 18 assists for 38 points come in part from an improved shooting percentage, 16.8%, and an impressive +11 on the season.
– Nick VanTassell’s 2g and 2a have yielded a new career-high in points with four.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
– Since the 2018-19 season, UMass is 14-6-2 against Providence College, while all other opponents are 27-59-15 against the Friars in that span.
– The Minutemen are 7-2-1 in their last 10 matchups at Schneider Arena, an improvement from 0-10-1 in their previous 11 games dating back to the 2017-18 season.
O’HARA COPS WEEKLY HONOR
– Junior forward Cole O’Hara was selected as the Hockey East Player of the Week on Oct. 14 for his first weekly honor of his career from the league.
– The Richmond Hill, Ontario native led UMass in scoring at the Ice Breaker Tournament where the Minutemen went 1-1-0 with an 3-2 overtime loss to #15/16 Omaha and a convincing 5-1 win over Air Force and earned a spot on the Ice Breaker All-Tournament Team.
– O’Hara registered an assist against Omaha and then followed up with a then career high three-point night against Air Force, which included two goals—the game-winning power-play goal and an empty net goal. He also registered one block against the Falcons.
HOW DO YOU DUERR?
– Freshman forward James Duerr collected the first three points of his college career against Vermont on Nov. 8, netting two goals and an assist, factoring in on all three UMass goals on the evening.
SAVES GALORE: 44
– With a career-high 44-save performance in a victory over AIC on November 2, Michael Hrabal picked up the third 40+ save performance of his college career, topping his previous best of 41 saves against Denver in the 2024 NCAA Regional Tournament and a 40-save game against Boston College earlier in the 2023-24 season.
HATS OFF, AYDAR
– Netting three goals in the 2024-25 season opener, Aydar Suniev recorded his first career hat trick, passing his previous single-game high of two goals and the first hat trick by a UMass forward since the 2021 NCAA Tournament (Carson Gicewicz vs Bemidji State 3/27/21). The feat is also the first in a season opener by a Minuteman since Austin Plevy in a 6-3 win over Colorado College on 10/9/15.
CARVEL’S FAST-150
– The 2024-25 season began by waves around Amherst as Greg Carvel collected his 150th win at UMass with a victory over Bentley (10/5/24). His continued success through only 289 games put him in the Massachusetts record books next to Don “Toot” Cahoon, reaching the milestone 87 games quicker.
– On March 1 with a 5-3 win at UMass Lowell, Carvel became the all-time winnigest coach in program history, passing Cahoon.
– Cahoon recorded his 150th win in his 376th game and his 166th win in his 434th. Carvel passed Cahoon with his 167th win in his 322nd game.
ALL EYES ON U
– Three Minutemen have made The Hockey News “Top 100 NCAA Players to Watch in 2024-25” with Michael Hrabal (29), Aydar Suniev (73), and Kenny Connors (100).
– Hrabal’s size, sky-high potential, and solid freshman season have set eyes on him as the season kicks off.
– Suniev receives praise for his intelligence and skill, while Connors could be in store for a strong junior season.
SUMMER SUCCESS
– Following his 2023-24 season with the Minutemen, Dans Locmelis took the ice for Latvia in the Olympic Games Qualification this summer, posting a goal and an assist in three games to help his nation earn a spot in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.
RAIN OR SHINE
– Among players returning to the Minutemen for the 2024-25 season, five players played in all 37 games during the 2023-24 season: Kenny Connors, Ryan Lautenbach, Lucas Mercuri, Jack Musa and Cole O’Hara.
THE MORE THE MERRIER
– In the first-ever meeting between the two teams, the Minutemen set a program record for the most goals scored against a Division I program in an 11-2 win over Alaska Anchorage on December 8, 2023.
– Among the top scorers for the Minutemen, Aydar Suniev led the way with five points with fellow linemates Jack Musa and Dans Locmelis collecting two and three points, respectively.
– Jackson Irving also made his collegiate debut, stopping all six shots faced in 8:50 of game time.
– Suniev’s five points marked the most points by a UMass freshman in a single game in the program’s DI era.
NUMBER FOUR IS MONTOUR
– After posting 33 points (8g, 25a) during the 2023-24 season, UMass hockey alumnus Brandon Montour hoisted his first career Stanley Cup, the fourth Minuteman to do so and the seventh Stanley Cup for a Minuteman overall.
– Montour, a second-round selection of the Anaheim Ducks in 2014, spent the 2014-2015 season with the Minutemen, earning Hockey East All-Rookie team honors after scoring 20 points (3g, 17a) in 21 games.
HRA-BALLIN’
– The second-highest Minutemen ever selected in the NHL Entry Draft at 38th overall, Michael Hrabal’s highly anticipated freshman season landed him on the Hockey East Second Team All-Star squad, the first UMass goalie to do so in their rookie campaign.
– Over 29 games played, Hrabal posted a 2.62 GAA and a .912 save percentage with a 16-12-1 record. He was named Hockey East’s Goaltender of the Week three times during the 2023 season (10/23, 11/20, 2/12).
– Hrabal was named a Top 3 Player for Czechia during the 2023-24 World Junior Championships. Entering the 2024 season, Elite Prospects named Hrabal the fourth-ranked prospect of the Utah Hockey Club and the 11th-ranked NHL-affiliated goaltender.
