University of Maine (21-1-6, 9-0-6, 1st in HE)
at
University of Mass/Amherst (3-16-2, 2-11-0, last in HE)
-->Friday/Saturday 7pm - Mullins Center - Amherst, Mass.
-->No TV coverage reported, local AM Radio 620 will cover the game
-->beginning at 6:30 with the pregame show!
 
This weekend will mark the first time that Maine and Amherst have met in
Division I hockey competition.  The key to this weekend's series is special
teams, and unfortunately it is not pretty for the UMass Minutemen.
 
As Mike reported this week, Maine leads Hockey East in Power-play efficency
converting on 32.2% (28 of 87) chances, while UMass is only killing
penatlies at a 65.3% (49 of 75) clip.  With numbers like these, UMass must
stay out of the penalty box or this game could be over early.  UMass does
however rank 3rd in total penalty minutes in Hockey East games averaging
22.85 minutes in the box per game.  Maine has the fewest penalty minutes in
Hockey East with only 14.20 minutes per game.  UMass will need to take
advantage of every chance Maine gives them, but power-play has been a huge
problem for them.  UMass has only converted on 7% of all power-play chances
in Hockey East (5 for 71) and only 8.1% overall (10 of 124).  Just to
complicate matters more for UMass, Maine ranks 3rd in Hockey East killing
off 83.5% of all chances.  For UMass to have any chance, the power-play
needs to wake up, and they must play disiplined and stay out of the penalty box.
 
UMass is led by forwards Rob Bonneau (11-9--20), and Sal Managaro (8-6--14).
 Bonneau leads the team with a +4, and Blair Wagar is second with a +3.
UMass uses a pair of goal-tenders in freshman Brian Regan (1-7-2, 4.51,
.867) and sophomore Dave Killduff.
 
Maine's defense and goal-tending continue to be strong.  In Maine's last 5
games they have only allowed a total of 7 goals (a 1.4 GPG average).
Maine's goal-tender Blair Allison continues to lead Hockey East with a 9-0-6
league record, with a 2.62 GAA and a .888 SV%.  Overall Allison is 21-1-6,
with a 2.51 and .892, but has a .917 SV% in his last 5 games.  Sophomore
forward Tim Lovell, and Junior defenseman Jeff Tory lead the team in
scoring. Lovell is 12-16--28, while Tory leads the team in assists with 23
(5-23--28).  Sophomore forward Dan Shermerhorn leads a deep Maine team in
goals with 17 (17--8--25).  Eight Maine players have more than 20 points,
and 14 total have more than 10 points.
Before last weekends series with Northeastern, which Maine only took 7 of 10
points, and BU's loss to UNH 4-2 last night, I would have thought that Maine
might not be up for this game, but I believe Coach Shawn Walsh will have the
boys ready.  Check out the quote bellow!
 
** QUOTE OF THE WEEK **
 
" Right now I don't know if I'd really want to be UMass (Amherst), we've got
some pissed off players here that are going to want to take it out on them
(this weekend)."
 
-Senior defensman Jacque Rodrigue on Maine' attitude following Saturday
night's tie with Northeastern. (as printed in today's "Maine Campus")
+--------------------------------------------+
| DERON TREADWELL - [log in to unmask] |
|         University of Maine (21-1-6)       |
|     1994 Great Western Freezeout Champs!   |
|        1995 RPI Invitational Champs!       |
+--------------------------------------------+