The goal for UMass should be fourth place; Minutemen averaging 4,601 at home
Be on guard UMass. Vermont is plotting the "Revenge of Fenway" Friday night at the Mullins Center.
photo by J. Anthony Roberts
1. This is the first time UMass has been back up to .500 since beating Northeastern 4-2 at the Mullins Center. That was the third game of a three-game winning streak at home with Boston College and Holy Cross the other wins.
2. Let's hope that things fare much better than last year after game 21. The Minutemen are 8-8-5 after 21 games this season. They were 6-12-3 last season after 21, and didn't win another game the rest of the year.
3. UMass has soared over the 40,000 mark in home attendance with the BC game last Friday of 5,823 bringing the season total to 41,411, an average of 4.601 over nine dates at the Mullins Center.
Now, USCHO gives UMass and Maine, who would have had home games against Vermont and New Hampshire respectively had it not been for Frozen Fenway, full credit for the 38,456 fans. Now, they don't give them one-fourth credit, sharing the gate with all four teams. Nor, do they even give them half credit, and a split of the credit. They each got 38,456! That act of kindness makes UMass look like its fifth in the country in home attendance, and Maine 6th. Thus, UMass' total is shown at 79.867, which over 10 games would be an average of 7,987, 95.4 percent of Mullins Center capacity.
Now wouldn't that make a good sales pitch for a slimy recruiter?
If the Minutemen really had 79,867 at home this year, the Chancellor and John McCutcheon would be doing shots at the Hangar in celebration.
Still, taking the 4,601, the Minutemen should be 17th, not fifth, behind St. Cloud State at 5,083.
4. Staying on attendance, the Vermont game on Friday will be the last game without the students helping the gate. As a result, UMass is putting on a push to discount the adult tickets from the normal $12 down to $10. Children under 13 and under pay only the normal $6. Todd McDonald, the UMass marketing guru, would like it better known that kids get in for only $6, so we're here to do our part.
In any event, the Minutemen could use the hometown support because...
5 Vermont wants revenge from the Frozen Fenway OT loss. Their plan Friday will be to turn the Minutemen into Fenway Franks. Don't think coach Kevin Sneddon and the team captains aren't going to play this Fenway card. They're going to play it up to the hilt.
6. I've decided BC coach Jerry York should run for President, and not just because he's more qualified than any of the candidates we're watching on the debates. The guy is always positive, thorough in his explanations, measured, dressed in his BC dress attire. Of course, the Eagles win most of the time, but even when they don't, you don't get that Jack Parker anger. Jack's the best when you want to see somebody down on his team after a no-show.
7. We have nine days to find it before Lowell comes to town - the Alumni Cup.
8. Why do I get the feeling that UMass sophomore thumper Patrick Kiley was at the top of his class - in detention?
9. Scoreboard watching: Here's who UMass fans should root for this weekend: You want President York and BC to sweep Maine at Alfond. You want Merrimack to sweep UNH in a home and home set. You want BU to sweep Providence in another home and home. You want Northeastern to get a win and a tie in the home and home with Lowell. Why? Lowell has played three less games than NU. If UMass beats Vermont, it will still be one point ahead of Northeastern with two games in hand, and be only one point behind the River Hawks and playing them twice the following weekend.
And does this mean that I'm willing to concede the top three places to BC, BU, and Merrimack? Yes.
The goal would be to beat out Maine, and all the rest for fourth place, and home ice in the playoffs.
10. Back to UMass marketing. They did a great job with all the kids groups for BC. I wrote that it would have been a sellout if the students were on campus. Here's why. Students average about 2,000 per game, up to 3,000 for the big ones like BC. The building is listed as seating 8,373, so with 5,823 on hand, it would have taken only 2,550 students to fill the place. Keep up the good work.
11. I remember talking with Toot Cahoon a couple of months back, and he was telling me that sometime in January, he'd have to start planning on having a go-to guy in goal. Now, we have no idea who the No. 1 goalie is, and I'd say there isn't going to be one. It's going to be game to game.
In fact, a great fund raiser for the Pond Club would be "Guess the starting goalie". But nobody would win. I guessed right on Jeff Teglia at Fenway, but I'm about 5-16 on the year.
12. The Minutemen have four players who are in double-figures on the plus side. Joel Hanley and Steven Guzzo are a plus-10. T.J. Syner is a plus-11, and Conor Sheary is a plus-12.
13. Just a gut feeling. But I really think the Minutemen are better than they think they are.