It’s been 12 days since the No. 8 Massachusetts hockey team last played a game, 16 days since the Minutemen’s last win, and 22 days since their last game against a Hockey East team.

Needless to say, they’re ready to get back to hockey. They’ll get that chance tonight when the No. 5 New Hampshire Wildcats visit the Mullins Center (7 p.m.).

UMass hasn’t posted a victory since Nov. 25, a 4-2 non-conference win over Vermont. Since then, the team has lost a 7-2 decision to

Nebraska-Omaha, and fought to a 1-1 tie with UNO the next night. As a result of its trip to Nebraska, the team saw a number of its players contract the flu.

For the Minutemen, however, it couldn’t have come at a better time, because after the postponement of Sunday’s game at Boston University due to the Nor’easter that struck the region, the squad had a full 12 days to shake the affliction that weakened its ranks.

Tonight, the Minutemen have their first shot at the team that eliminated them from the Hockey East playoffs since March 14, when the Wildcats ended UMass’ historic playoff run with a 5-4 win at the FleetCenter in Boston.

In that game, the Minutemen battled back from a pair of two-goal deficits, but Preston Callander’s goal at 17:01 of the third period gave the Wildcats the final edge.

UMass has never had much success against UNH. The all-time series is skewed heavily towards tonight’s visitors, and the Minutemen haven’t beaten the Wildcats in over a year and a half, dating back to March of 2001.

UNH is the only Hockey East team the Minutemen didn’t defeat at least once last year.

“There’s a little revenge factor,” UMass junior forward Greg Mauldin said. “They eliminated us from the ‘Cinderella’ type of season that we were having, and that’s the only team we didn’t beat last year in Hockey East. It’d be a good note to end the semester on, and it would be nice to jump over them in the standings.”

The two teams are deadlocked at 11 points apiece in the Hockey East standings.

While the Wildcats have another conference game before the holiday break, against Merrimack on Saturday, tonight is the last chance for the Minutemen to make strides in Hockey East before the new year.

“It’d be nice to get a win over this team, and stop that cycle,” UMass coach Don Cahoon said. “It’s real important for us to play well at home, real important for us to play well against a top team. That’s all the motivation right there. And hey, if we do a good job and beat them [tonight], we’re ahead of them in the standings.”

The prolonged break from competition brings with it the threat of rust, but neither Cahoon nor Mauldin think the Minutemen will have any trouble hitting full speed tonight.

“I’m not really too worried about it,” Mauldin said. “Our practices have been intense, with a lot of energy. The guys haven’t been home in a little while, I think we’ll be O.K.”

The hosts are also hoping for a large turnout at the Mullins Center tonight, and the athletic department staff is following suit. The first 2,000 fans to enter the arena will receive Hawaiian leis for tonight’s “Cahoonaville Night” promotion. UMass hopes to break the attendance record set on Nov. 14, when 7,113 people saw the Boston College Eagles down UMass 4-1.

That crowd was the largest ever to see a home UMass hockey game.

Ticket sales have reportedly been high this week, and a large crowd, according to Mauldin, might just be what the Minutemen need to break their eight-game losing streak against UNH.

“It’s almost like a playoff atmosphere,” he said. “Any time you have

5,000, 6,000 in here, or anywhere, it’s going to be like a playoff atmosphere.

Obviously you want to play better, you want to be that much more ready for the game.”

While they’re still among the best in the conference, the defending

Hockey East champion Wildcats have been underachieving this year. Even goaltender Mike Ayers, who shared Player of the Year honors with Boston College’s Ben Eaves last season, hasn’t been himself.

Although his .904 save percentage is fourth-best in Hockey East, a 2.75 goals against average has him down at seventh among HEA netminders.