patfanmike

BU and BC has been great and now Northeastern is having a good year. But as Massachusetts Fans we know UMass Amherst is our school and the one that represents the State of Massachusetts Nationally.

And we and our Hockey Program are starting to get the National Recognition we deserve!

BU is Great, BC is Great, Northeastern and Harvard are good hockey programs. You may even go to one of those schools and may even play for them.

The UMass Minutemen Hockey Team is the team that represents you Nationally. Keep track of the Hockey Team That represents You.

Inside College Hockey | Recruiting Progress, Team Improvement Make the Road Easier for UMass

By Jeff Howe

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.With sophomore Jon Quick in net in 2006-07, the Minutemen returned to prominence with their run to the NCAA tournament. But Quick, who Cahoon called “the most significant recruit [UMass] has ever gotten,” left early after receiving a maximum contract from the Los Angeles Kings, and Anderson’s class - the most successful group in UMass’ Division I history with Chris Capraro, Mark Matheson and Kevin Jarman - was out the door. The Minutemen finished eighth again last year and were again swept out of the playoffs.

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By Cahoon’s admission, this year’s crop of freshman “could turn out to be” the best class he’s ever had. In terms of overall skill - even after they lost John Carlson, a 2008 first-round pick by the Washington Capitals to the Ontario Hockey League - Cahoon is probably right on the money, but he’ll let the program’s success dictate where they stand after they leave. Casey Wellman has been the gem of the freshmen so far, as he’s second on the team with 16 assists and 24 points. And then there’s Marcou, who is second (behind Wilson) in Hockey East with 31 points. The play-making forward could have a similar impact in Amherst as Pock and Quick, but Cahoon sounds certain Marcou will be sticking around for at least one more season, which will give the coach an extra year - or two, as Marcou could certainly finish out his eligibility - to keep padding the deepest roster he’s ever built. With Marcou, Wellman, Justin Braun and the goaltending tandem of Paul Dainton and Dan Meyers, plus a few other upper-echelon players, Cahoon has a core intact to remain successful for a longer stretch of time. But it all starts up top.

“He’s certainly going to be one of the most elite players that have played here,” Cahoon said of Marcou, who needs to add about 20 pounds before he can think about turning pro. “He’s going to continue to develop, and he’ll be one of our most productive players ever if he keeps moving in a positive way forward, getting stronger, keeps getting puck touches, has a couple people around him that can finish plays, he’ll end up being maybe the best point producer we’ve ever had at the Division I level. That very well could take shape. He’s a special player. He sees the ice differently than everybody else.

“Hockey-wise, he’s on another planet.”

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Cahoon’s most significant allies on the recruiting path are his results. Recruits who balance that knowledge with the intrigue of driving a program toward the right direction are taking shape. And more now than ever, they’re emerging from Cahoon’s own backyard.

“They know we’re in the mix,” Cahoon said. “We haven’t won a league championship yet. We haven’t been to the Frozen Four. There are still many levels of advancement that need to take shape for us to be the upper-echelon team that we want to be, but there’s no question that they understand this is a serious program. There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that we can beat anybody in college hockey. Now the question is can we become more consistent, can we sustain it, can we continue to develop athletically so we’re more threatening in every sense.”

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patfanmike

Marcou first met Cahoon when he was 15 years old in New York. He was sought after by Yale and UNH, but neither had a chance against UMass.



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“He (Cahoon) was just a very energetic guy, real excited about his program,” Marcou said. “And I think that’s a thing that sticks out to a lot of people.”


UMass has the facilities to compete with the most nationally prominent programs. It’s got the academic integrity, too. Cahoon points out his team’s cumulative GPA after last semester is 3.1. And Marcou saw something during one of his recruiting visits that has become the norm in recent years - a packed house for a Hockey East affair. The Mullins Center has eclipsed 7,000 fans twice this year, including a sellout crowd that witnessed the Minutemen grab a 4-3 win against Boston College on Nov. 22. And if the last few years is any indication, those crowds will increase exponentially as the spring semester moves forward. More and more younger, talented prospects are noticing.

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Lark

The great thing about UMass hockey is that nearly all the away games are closer to Boston than the home games.

Edit: Btw, that link in your signature should read "UMass Wins 1998 National Championship".

kurtinelson

Thanks for the post. I moved from WMass to NH so I don't get a chance to stay current with UMass athletics. Glad to hear the Hockey program continues to improve.

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Scooter_McGruder

Here's hoping for an upset at Northeastern this weekend in the HE Tourney!

Lark

We won the season series 2-1. Gotta think we've got a chance.

sohel001

Hello everyone and thanks for joining us today for the live blog from Thompson Arena on the Dartmouth College campus as UMass and Army meet tonight in the consolation game of the Ledyard National Bank Classic. John Sinnett and Matt Houde of the Media Relations Department here to bring you updates as the game progresses. Hopefully, the Minutemen can take a win away from tonight to end 2008 on a positive note!

Today was pretty much exactly the same as yesterday in terms of the team's preparation. An early rise and breakfast followed by a brief skate around at the rink to get the team ready for the afternoon. Another lunch of pasta, chicken, salad, and soup came after that and then a little down time before coming back to the rink to get ready for the game. Several of the guys who aren't playing tonight went down to the gym on campus to get a workout and play a little basketball to get in an additional workout.

This should be a good game tonight. UMass is definitely looking to get back into the win column and took a lot away from the game last night. Army showed its mettle by battling back from an early deficit to force overtime against Dartmouth before falling on an amazing shorthanded goal two minutes into the OT.

Matt and I would like to give a shout-out to Mark Brumbaugh in the Army Sports Information Office. Mark was a student at UMass and worked in the media relations office with us before moving on to the real world.

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Lark

Uh... great.

I'm going to predict that UMass wins this game 4-1, with goals from Wellman, Marcou, and two from Ortiz. Army will get a late short-handed goal after it's 4-0 when we get sloppy.

124

UMass-Lowell, #1!

Go Riverhawks!