Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Former Northeastern forward transfers to UMass

Flickr/Teka England

Rob Dongara is the newest member of the Massachusetts hockey team.

The former Northeastern forward has transferred to UMass and is officially enrolled at the school after two years with the Huskies.

Dongara chose the Minutemen after turning down opportunities at schools out west as well as some Hockey East schools that he chose not to mention.

“The coaching staff made me feel really comfortable about coming here and the role I’m gonna be filling for the team,” Dongara said. “It just felt like a good fit.”

The Scituate native will sit out the 2012-2013 season due to NCAA regulations, but is allowed to take part in team activities before beginning the first of his final two years of eligibility in the 2013-14 season.

The junior made the decision to leave Northeastern in March following a sophomore year that he believed took away the fun in playing hockey. He said it was his six games under first-year Huskies coach Jim Madigan that took away the excitement.

Dongara had a solid freshman season under then-coach Greg Cronin in 2010, tallying 14 points on six goals and eight assists in 36 games for Northeastern.

Following that season, Cronin left to take a job as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Madigan was hired as his replacement. However, it appeared Madigan didn’t see Dongara as fit for his full-time rotation and only played him on an as-needed basis.

As a result, Dongara finished the season with just a goal and an assist.

Dongara admitted that this coaching change played a significant role in his decision to leave Northeastern.

“We just came to our differences and at the end of the day I no longer felt that it was the right fit for me and my career,” he said.

But he fully believes that coming to UMass will help bring back his passion for hockey.

He said his decision to come to UMass “is getting the love for the game back. It’s something I told myself I would never lose again because once the game is not fun anymore then I don’t want to play anymore.”

Following a 13-18-5 campaign in 2011-2012, the Minutemen are also in the midst of a coaching change after UMass coach Don Cahoon stepped down in June after 12 seasons in Amherst.

Taking Cahoon’s place in former Vermont recruiting director John Micheletto, who comes in after nine seasons with the Catamounts that included a trip to the Frozen Four in 2009.

Cahoon was still in charge when Dongara initially enrolled at UMass, which means he will also be going through some unexpected changes before even stepping on the ice at the Mullins Center.

But Dongara also believes in the system that Micheletto is selling.

“Things are obviously gonna be different,” Dongara said. “Each coach brings something different to the table. But I’m very confident in coach Micheletto … I definitely have a lot of confidence in all of the coaches as a staff.”

After having the opportunity to meet his new coaches and teammates, Dongara is also confident in what he can bring to the Minutemen.

“I feel like I’m a hard-nosed player and I work really hard,” Dongara said. “I got good speed which matches up well with the big ice surface.

“I want to do whatever I can for the team because at the end of the day it’s about putting W’s on the board and winning championships.”

The real challenge for Dongara comes this year as he is left to watch his new team take the ice from the stands. But he embraces the opportunity to continually improve as a player in practice.

“You’ve got to put your nose to the grindstone,” Dongara said. “It’s definitely gonna be a mental battle, but I plan on working as hard as I can day in and day out to come back a different player and a better player.”

However, Dongara said his role this year is arguably just as vital to the Minutemen’s success this year, which is to push his teammates every day in practice in order to prepare them for the games.

“You gotta go out there with the mentality that practices are the games and you have to give it 100 percent because this year is all about making myself better as a player,” Dongara said. “I also want to push my teammates … to be their best.”

Nick Canelas can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @MDC_Canelas.

 

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