This Weekend
The Dutchmen head to No. 4/5 Massachusetts this weekend, Oct. 18-19, for a two game series against the Minutemen. Both games this weekend are slated for 7 p.m. (ET) start times.
Media Coverage
Friday's game at Mullins Center will be broadcast live on NESN. Both games will also be streamed on CBS All Access. A live audio feed for both games will also be provided through WHMP.com, and be available over air in the Amherst area on AM-1400/1240 and 101.5/107.5-FM.
Social Media
Receive real-time updates during all Union men's hockey games by following the team's official Twitter account @UnionMHockey. Additional behind-the-scenes looks are also available through the team's official Instagram account, UnionMHockey.
Career Firsts
Seven of the 10 first-year skaters have already recorded their first collegiate points, with six of them doing so in the first weekend of competition.
Christian Sanda and
Chaz Smedsrud scored their first goals, with Smedsrud scoring against Boston University and Sanda at Army West Point.
Alex Cohen,
Colin Schmidt,
Gabriel Seger and
Dylan Anhorn, all recorded assists during that first weekend.
Liam Robertson became the seventh first-year to record a point, scoring the lone goal in Union's 2-1 loss to then-No. 15 Northeastern on Oct. 11.
vs Massachusetts
Union enters the weekend with a 3-7-0 all-time record against Massachusetts. The Dutchmen and Minutemen last met during the 2017-18 season as Union hosted UMass for two non-consecutive games on Oct. 13, 2017 and Dec. 10, 2017. The Minutemen came away both times with one-goal wins, earning a 5-4 victory in the first meeting and a 2-1 victory in the second.
The Dutchmen only have six student-athletes that saw ice time against the Minutemen during the 2017-18 season:
Jack Adams,
Brandon Estes,
Parker Foo,
Sean Harrison,
Vas Kolias and
Anthony Rinaldi. Of those skaters, only Rinaldi and Adams recorded points during those two games.
In Amherst, Union is 2-2-0 against Massachusetts, and the last time the Dutchmen played at Mullins Center was on Dec. 11, 2015. That game also marks the last time Union defeated the Minutemen, as Union skated to a 4-3 win.
Scouting the Minutemen
Massachusetts enters the weekend series with a 1-1-0 overall record. UMass won their season-opening contest against Rensselaer, 5-3, but then dropped a league game to No. 14/15 Northeastern, 3-1, on Tuesday night.
In the polls, Massachusetts enters the series as the No. 4-ranked team in the nation, earning 784 points in the USCHO.com poll, and 346 points in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
Junior forward Mitchell Chaffee is the top-returning point leader for the Minutemen, having recorded 33 goals and 36 assists through 81 career games. UMass lost its top-two scorers from last season in the-sophomore Cale Makar (16g, 33a) and then-senior Jacob Pritchard (16g, 31a). They also lost their fourth leading scorer in John Leaonard who had 16 goals and 24 assists. In all, UMass returns less than half of its offensive production from the 2018-19 season.
Doing it the Hard Way
Freshman forward
Christian Sanda was one of five players to score a shorthanded goal during the opening weekend of play, Oct. 5-6. His shorthanded goal came during the second period at Army West Point on Oct. 6.
Last Time Out
The Dutchmen dropped a pair of games last weekend to then-No. 15 Northeastern. Both games resulted in 2-1 wins by the Huskies, and neither team scored a power-play goal all weekend.
Union vs #15 Northeastern - L, 2-1 - Oct. 11 - Messa Rink
Union Goals:
Liam Robertson
Northeastern Goalie: Craig Pantano (W) - 18 saves, 1 goal against
Union Goalie:
Darion Hanson (L) - 28 saves, 2 goals against
Power Play: Union 0-3, Northeastern 0-3
Noteworthy: First-year forward
Liam Robertson scored his first collegiate goal, scoring unassisted off a Northeastern turnover in the first period. Robertson and his linemates,
Christian Sanda and
Colin Schmidt finished the night with a +1 plus/minus rating. The Dutchmen out-shot the Huskies 15-14 through the first two periods. However, Northeastern out-shot union 16-4 in the third period. Both teams went scoreless on the power play, with each side have three opportunities apiece. Junior netminder
Darion Hanson made 28 saves in the contest, while NU goaltender Craig Pantano made 18 saves.
Union vs #15 Northeastern - L, 2-1 - Oct. 12 - Messa Rink
Union Goals:
Sam Morton
Northeastern Goalie: Craig Pantano (W) - 20 saves, 1 goal against
Union Goalie:
Darion Hanson (L) - 22 saves, 2 goals against
Power Play: Union 0-4, Northeastern 0-5
Noteworthy:
Sam Morton scored his first goal of the season, banging home a loose puck in front of the net early in the third period.
Anthony Rinaldi and
Vas Kolias received assists on the goal. It was Rinaldi's second point of the season, and the first for Kolias. So far this season 14 skaters have now recorded points for the Dutchmen, which includes seven of the nine first-year skaters. Both teams were perfect on the penalty kill, as Union killed off five penalties and Northeastern killed off four. For the first time this season, Union out-shot an opponent in the third period, out-shooting the Huskies 10-8.
Darion Hanson made 22 saves in net for the Dutchmen, while Craig Pantano made 20 stops for the Huskies.
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