Business in front, party in back.
Any pseudo-nostalgic college student worth his or her salt knows that the above is the street definition for the mullet, the (in)famous ’80s-era hairstyle that is as much a part of hockey’s culture as popping the water bottle.
This season, it might also be a good slogan for the Massachusetts hockey team, because the Minutemen (15-5-5, 11-3-2 Hockey East) have certainly taken care of business for much of the season, and wins like last Saturday’s 3-1 triumph over Merrimack has given fans a reason to party in the aisles.
This weekend won’t be any picnic, though. Tonight, UMass hosts UNH (7:05 p.m., NESN) in the first game of a home-and-home series. The No. 10 Wildcats (15-9-3, 7-5-3 HEA) enter the Mullins Center with plenty to gain. At 17 points, they are fourth in the conference, six points behind Maine with nine games left in the season.
On a two-game losing streak, with losses (5-0, 5-4) in Orono, Maine, the Wildcats are always dangerous, and could be even more so tonight.
“The wounded animal syndrome,” UMass coach Don Cahoon said of UNH, “they just fight for survival. They’ve had a lot of success for us in the recent past. So deep down in their hearts I’m sure they think this isn’t a game they can lose.”
The Minutemen are in second place, one point ahead of the Black Bears, who play two non-conference games against Alabama-Huntsville this weekend. They’re also playing for the postseason, because a win tonight or tomorrow would secure a spot in the Hockey East playoffs, and would put them in a tie for first place with Boston College.
The Eagles have a two-point advantage on the Minutemen, but are idle this weekend in preparation for Monday’s Beanpot final against Boston University. It would be the first time UMass held the top spot in the conference this late in the season.
The Minutemen clinched their spot among Hockey East’s elite eight right around this time last year. However, in February 2003, it was by the skin of their teeth, a sixth-place finish that led to the March playoff stunner in Orono. This year, it’s No. 2 in the conference, and the valuable home-ice advantage that’s up for grabs. Not that Cahoon will let on much about that.
“It’s been an interesting year from that standpoint. But that’s a start, not a finish. I can’t get into consuming the whole season and what it represents until the season’s over, because for me that’s a recipe for failure.”
Continuing his mantra of not wanting “historians” on his team, Cahoon also downplayed any lingering effects of the two teams’ last meetingon Dec. 11 in Amherst, when junior Preston Callander tied the game for UNH with 1:18 remaining.
“I don’t think it’s something that we can relate to a whole lot,” Cahoon said. “I think it was important at the time, and it certainly was a good effort on our part, maybe one of our best efforts of the year.”
Tomorrow night, the two teams will meet up again in Durham, N.H. for UMass’ first and only regular season visit to the Whittemore Center. The arena holds 6,100 (2,289 fewer than the Mullins Center), and it’s five feet wider (200 X 100) than UMass’ home sheet, which makes the transition a little easier for UMass, compared to the rest of the conference.
“Certainly, our rink is the second-largest ice sheet in the rink, so I’d like to think as big as [Whittemore] is, as lost as you can get, we can make the adjustment to that sheet easier than most teams can, because we play on a rink that has big seams, big dead areas, so it’s not that big a deal for us.
