After an embarrassing performance at Lowell Saturday, UMass plays at Vermont Tuesday in the annual pre-Thanksgiving-game between the teams.
UMass plays at Vermont Tuesday night looking to rebound from its bad game Saturday at Lowell.
photo by J. Anthony Roberts
The River Hawks had been shut out 5-0 by New Hampshire on Friday, and were ready to take it out on the Minutemen. Lowell outshot UMass 34-16.
Now it’s the Minutemen’s turn to see if they can erase the embarrassment of that Lowell game when they play a rare midweek game Tuesday night at Vermont at 7:05.
This pre-Thanksgiving game match-up with Vermont has been an annual for the teams since 1996. The Minutemen won last year’s game 4-1 at the Mullins Center, and split two games at Gutterson Field House, known as "the Gut", losing 2-1 and winning 6-0.
The Catamounts (1-7-1, 0-6-1) are still looking for their first Hockey East win after dropping two road games last weekend to Boston University (4-3) and Northeastern (4-1). They are currently in last place, six points behind Maine and UMass (4-5-3, 2-5-3), who are tied for eighth with seven points. But Vermont has played three less games than UMass, and two fewer than Maine.
The Catamounts have had trouble scoring this season averaging only two goals per game in conference play. But in the last five games, they have averaged 33 shots on goal. And despite the loss Saturday to Northeastern, they outshot the Huskies 17-6 in the first period.
Tuesday’s game will also be a preview of the Frozen Fenway clash between the two teams Jan. 7 at Fenway Park.
This is an important game for UMass as it is the last conference game before Jan. 5 at Providence.
The Minutemen will be looking for better numbers on the power play Tuesday after going 0 for 12 last weekend.
UMass is 12th of 58 Division I teams in the nation on offense, averaging 3.3 goals per game, but is tied for 52nd on defense, allowing 3.5 goals per game. Vermont is 57th at 4.44, ahead of only Sacred Heart (5.27).