FTT has learned that UMass has picked up a commitment from Pat Kiley, who played with fellow recruit Peter DeAngelo on the NH Junior Monarchs this past season.  Kiley had 14 goals and 38 assists in 44 games, good for the 5th leading scorer on the EJHL championship squad.  Kiley originally committed to DIII Utica over the winter but has apparently changed his mind.

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Recruit Shane Walsh was picked in the 5th round of the USHL Draft this week by the Tri-City Storm.  Assuming he does so, this should be a great opportunity for him to play with some of the best hockey players his age before coming to Amherst in 2011.

John Parker, who has played the last two years in the USHL for the Indiana Ice, was picked by the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the expansion draft, meaning he’ll likely be spending one more year in juniors.

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Wisconsin has released their official schedule confirming that the Minutemen (and hopefully yours truly) will be spending New Year’s in the Land of Cheese.  UMass has only played the Badgers twice before, dropping both games in Madison to start the 2000-2001 season.

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USCHO covers some of the potential rule changes that may be made this offseason.  I really hope they don’t decide to adopt a shootout to decide ties.  I realize ties aren’t the most satisfying of outcomes, but I don’t like the outcome of 60+ minute games essentially determined by what’s basically a skills competition.  I do realize that I’m in the minority when it comes to that however.  Most of the other potential changes seem completely unnecessary.  Not allow shorthanded teams to ice?  Ban sliding on the ice to block shots?  Hell, that’s old time hockey right there.  Let’s not mess with it.

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This blog post mentions Mike Pereira and the types of activities he’ll be doing at next week’s NHL Draft Combine.