Brian Tedder/Collegian

Mike Kostka, captain of the Massachusetts hockey team during the 2007-08 season signed a two-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League on Tuesday.

He also signed an Amateur Tryout Contract with the Rochester Americans, the Sabres’s American Hockey League affiliate. At the end of the 2007-08 AHL season, Kostka’s contract with Buffalo will kick in.

Kostka’s four-year career with UMass ended last Saturday when the Minutemen lost, 7-2, to New Hampshire in the second game of a best-of-three series in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs.

Although the Minutemen did not enjoy the success many anticipated in 2007-08, Kostka enjoyed his best individual season. He set career highs in goals (9) and points (21); he also was named a Hockey East All-Star for the first time in his career.

Kostka’s not the only UMass player likely headed to the professional ranks. Winger P.J. Fenton was drafted by the San Jose Sharks after his freshman season. Although no deal is done yet, sources close to the Minutemen report that Fenton is in talks with the Sharks front office.

David Leaderer, Patrick Dineen and Matt Burto are the other three UMass players lost to graduation and are reportedely not in discussions with any professional franchises.

Hockey East honors

Kostka was the lone Minuteman on either the first or second Hockey East All-Star team. But freshmen James Marcou and Paul Dainton received nods to the all-freshman team.

Marcou led the Minutemen with 32 points on eight goals and 24 assists. He established himself as one of the most gifted playmakers in the conference. On a team that struggled to score goals, UMass could consistently count on contributions from Marcou no matter which line UMass coach Don Cahoon placed him on that evening.

The success of Dainton was the most pleasant surprise for the Minutemen after Jon Quick opted to sign with the Los Angeles Kings.

The plan, entering the season, was to platoon Dainton and sophomore Dan Meyers until one established himself as the clear cut starter. Meyers suffered a pulled groin in his first start of the season and it was Dainton’s job from there on out.

Although he struggled down the stretch, he finished the season with a record of 12-14-6 and a 2.56 goals-against average. Dainton beat out fellow freshman John Muse of Boston College who led the Eagles to a Hockey East Championship.

The Minutemen rotated six other freshmen through their lineup until Chase Langeraap suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament against Boston College on Feb. 8.

Stats Inc.

It was difficult at times to explain the second-half struggles of the Minutemen in 2008. But when comparing the statistics of this year’s Minutemen to the 2006-07 edition, the picture becomes a little clearer.

As a team, UMass was a plus-83 last season. This season, the team dropped to a minus-14 over all. Four players ranked at least a plus-10 in 2006-07 including Cory Quirk’s team high plus-15. Kostka was the lone Minuteman with a rating in the double digits this season.

It’s impossible to deduce a team’s exact success from the plus/minus rating, but such a stark difference does tell a big story.

The biggest individual drop-off was Leaderer who fell from a plus-11 during his junior season to a minus-7 this year.

Joe Meloni can be reached at [email protected]