The Massachusetts club hockey team seeks more consistency this weekend against Marist and Keene State in a challenging series following a shaky start to the season.
The Minutemen (4-3) are fresh off of their 2013-2014 Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association playoff championship last season and lost only two players to graduation from last year. Twenty-four players returned in addition to 10 new freshmen on the roster.
Associate head coach Joe Smith said that high levels of comfort and familiarity between the players and the coaching staff allowed for a small adjustment period this season.
But despite last year’s achievements, UMass got off to a rocky start in 2014. Smith, who has been on the Minutemen’s staff for two years, attributed their recent shortcomings to giving up goals early in the first period.
“We expected to be in a better position right now but we’ve just gotten off to a slow start,” Smith said.
In each of its past four games, UMass has given up two goals in the first period.
“It’s not easy to always be playing catch-up,” Smith said. “We’re a much better team when we can play with a lead, so getting in big holes so early really puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on ourselves for the rest of the game.”
The Minutemen are set to play the Red Foxes this Friday at 9 p.m. in Poughkeepsie, New York and will return home for a game Saturday at 1 p.m. against the Owls. Smith said that both games will be tough, physical games and that it is essential for UMass to be ready to match its opponents’ intensity.
UMass will take on Marist in a smaller rink with less skating surface, restricting the Minutemen from showcasing their speed, according to Smith.
“We’ll need to do a good job along the boards and in the corners to be successful that night,” Smith said. “We’ve had a stretch of bad first periods, so getting off to a quick start will be important.”
A short turnover between games will further test UMass after its long trip back from New York.
“Keene (State) is always a tough team to play against, especially coming off a game the night before,” Smith said. “We will need to stay disciplined and play a very smart 60 minutes.”
Saturday will be the first game back at the Mullins Center this season, as previous “home” games have been held at other venues.
Smith said he has faith in his team and that “balance and depth” make the Minutemen unique. He said the team has four trustworthy lines with a combination of fast scorers at the top of the lineup and bigger players that grind in the fourth group.
Throughout the rest of the season, UMass will aim to balance a strong forecheck with an effective defense behind the play of Harris Stone, Ryan Daigle and Adam Kmetz, who Smith said were the team’s “top producers” last year.
Smith said that he is also optimistic about the future of freshman Robert Tirea, who has contributed to this style of play this season.
Ariel Kallenbach can be reached at [email protected].
