UMass ended the first half of the season with another frustrating loss tonight. This defeat came against Yale by the score of 4-2. Tonight was all about penalties. Specifically the UMass team taking some, killing some, not killing others, and not scoring on power plays.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a goal just 3:24 in. What did UMass do for the rest of the period? Took just six shots but also took three penalties. Not surprisingly the score stayed 1-0 after 1. Things looked promising early in the second when two Yale players took two penalties on the same play, giving UMass a full two minutes of five on three. But, UMass couldn’t capitalize on the two man advantage. Yet, in probably the key play of the game, 15 seconds after missing out on the 5 on 3 advantage Rocco Carzo goes into the box for elbowing and then Yale scores a power play goal. 2-0 Bulldogs.
Stephen Guzzo would score toward the end of the second period to give UMass a little momentum going into the third period. That momentum died of self-inflicted wounds shortly thereafter. Just a half a minute into the final period Conor Sheary received as five minute major and a game misconduct for hitting from behind. Just a mere 19 seconds after that, Conor Allen doubles up the penalties with a slashing call. How many bad penalties can one team take in one game? Of course, UMass is able to battle and kill off the resulting five on three and the full five minutes of Sheary’s penalty, only to give up a goal a minute later to allow Yale to go up 3-1. Like we’ve seen too often UMass allowed that key goal to get to them mentally and they immediately give up yet another 21 seconds later. 4-1. UMass would score another late when Micheletto pulled Kevin Boyle with three minutes late (still wondering why he didn’t do that on Friday), but for all intents and purposes the game was already over. In fact another horribly timed penalty by Adam Phillips at 18:35 made sure the victory for Yale was complete.
Now, I think it should be pointed out that UMass was playing the 15th ranked team on their home ice tonight. However, I think it’s also safe to say that this team is playing some terrible hockey right now. The power play struggled again tonight, going one for seven overall and missing out on that key five on three to start the second that could’ve turned around the game. While penalties did not hurt the Minutemen too much on the scoresheet as they were able to keep Yale to just one power play goal on eight chances, the penalties were so ill-timed that they completely kept UMass from climbing back into the game.
So that’s it. UMass limps into the winter break with a 5-9-2 record, going 1-4-1 in their last six games. I’ll have a post in the next couple days on my thoughts on the team at the unofficial mid point.
Fear The Triangle Player of the Game – Stephen Guzzo
Guzzo had a goal and was smart enough to stay out of the penalty box. In fact he’s only taken four penalties all season and hasn’t been in the box at all in his last six games.
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No recaps out yet, if there end up being any at all. The Gazette and Republican both thought it more important to send people to the Faculty Senate discussion on football tonight rather than the hockey team facing the #15 team in the country.
Fear The Triangle - UMass Hockey Blog 
Mel Webster
/ December 11, 2012Fire Toot. Wait, that was last year. I got nothin………….
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Kim Rinard
/ December 11, 2012Wow – this team has just become unbearable to watch, listen to, or follow in the paper period. Robert has hit the nail on the head in the last few posts regarding the defense and the lackluster performance of a few individuals but enough is enough already. As far as the line changes and shuffling players on the lines, Toot did the exact same thing year after year, swapping guys between lines. Can this administration, meaning the academic dept put forth a winning team? I don’t think so, the recent departure of Tegeler and the loss of a recruit in the same week are surely an omen. The writing is on the wall here folks. The terrible rendition of our Star Spangled Banner at the Mullins Center several weeks ago that sounded like the screaming banshees of hell was an omen of this team going down in flame. quickly! Now how many brilliant players that wouldve otherwise had great careers will suffer at the hands of the bureaucratic BS from this admin. The recent posts about the budgets and the recent performance are starting to paint a very bleak picture.
Sorry to be negative Rocks, as I’ll be back in the stands myself and may force myself to make the trip to NH for the New Years games. After this past weekend I could not bring myself to go to the Yale game tonight and sadly I’m working at a construction site right across the street, its just gotten that bad. It would be great to have something to cling to that the team has been doing incredibly well throughout the season, there just isnt anything there.
Let’s hope they pull out of this funk – please! Next will be blaming the “curse of Cahoon”
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Jon Couture
/ December 12, 2012Couple thoughts, as the wife and I made the trek to New Haven:
Felt like UMass got the better of the play in the first and the latter half of the second, but Jeff Malcolm was in control all night in the Yale net. Stuffed a couple breakaway attempts, but he didn’t have to stand on his head by any means overall. Minutemen could have gotten a bounce and made things a little more interesting, but them’s the breaks.
Yale didn’t play its best game, but their skill shone through, especially on the two goals in the third. Tic-tac-toe right in front of Boyle to make it 3-1, then a blast over his shoulder on a 2-on-1 to put it away. UMass was pretty clearly the more physical team, but Yale was better. (If I’m remembering correctly, the 2-on-1 actually sprung from a big hit by Tiefenwerth in the Bulldog zone … freed up the puck, but Yale jumped on it and was off to the races.)
Guzzo’s goal was a great individual effort, basically beating two guys in the slot to get in alone on net. That 5-on-3, though … sucked the air right out. Maybe one real good chance in the full two minutes.
And “The Whale” is a heck of a rink. Though I’m pretty sure it’s the same temperature inside the rink as it is outside … next time, I’ll remember wool socks.
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georgemilt
/ December 12, 20121) They’re Toot’s kids. They’re always someone’s. Will give Mick the benefit of the doubt until a transition is made.
2) Yale is good. We’ve heard that before and they usually do the ECAC fold act in March. Have a feeling that may be different, especially based how I heard last night how they did in their Colorado expedition. Hockey East has owned the ECAC in years past but this year seems to be different.
3) Goaltending is good. Not great but good.
4) Talk about the offense all you want but ask Rocks as he is a Triangle. There have been just a few true pure goal scorers that can finish the deal they start in the offense zone. I think the buzz word is finishers. Compare us to the other H.E. schools and let me know if I’m wrong.
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