The No. 11 UMass hockey team is facing off against the best team in the country, the Boston College Eagles, in a home-and-home series this weekend, with game one set for a 7 p.m. puck drop at the Mullins Center on Friday.
Boston College, who comes into the weekend with a dominant 21-5-1 record on the year, are third in the nation in goals per game and fourth in goals allowed per game with both numbers topping the Hockey East Conference. Freshman goaltender Jacob Fowler also leads Hockey East with a .924 save percentage.
The Eagles are stacked with four players taken in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft including three top ten picks, Cutter Gauthier, Will Smith and Ryan Leonard with Gabriel Perrault going later in the first round.
The trio of Smith, Leonard and Perrault form one of the most lethal lines in all of collegiate hockey, with all three having played together on the same line for years, going back to their days of the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Perrault leads the nation with 45 points in only 27 games. Gauthier is tied with the consensus 2024 number one overall pick Macklin Celebrini for the Division I lead in goals with 23.
UMass coach Greg Carvel is excited for the challenge. “Obviously they’re number one in the country,” Carvel said. “High end offense. Really good goaltender. I am excited because it’s going to force us to be our absolute best.”
UMass comes into the game winning four of their last five, only giving up five goals in the process. Carvel believes the biggest reason for that is because of freshman goaltender Michael Hrabal.
“We didn’t overnight become an unbelievable defensive team. We’re trying to become one,” Carvel said. “I think the bigger factor is that [Hrabal] is really finding his game.”
Hrabal comes into the game with the second best save percentage in Hockey East, just behind Fowler, with a .922.
Besides Hrabal, Carvel pointed to the Minutemen’s discipline and adjustments to the penalty kill as reasons for the recent defensive efficiencies.
“A month ago we looked at the numbers, we were the worst defensive team in the league,” Carvel said. “We reset our focus and adjusted.”
Boston College’s special teams have played a big factor into their historic season. They come into the game with the fourth most power play goals in the country, as well as the best penalty kill percentage. As mentioned earlier, Carvel alluded to UMass making some penalty kill adjustments that have helped improve the unit. They will face a big test this weekend.
UMass is currently tied for fourth place in the Hockey East standings with Providence College. The top five seeds in the Hockey East at the conclusion of the regular season earn a first round bye, avoid the winner-take-all opening round and advance straight to the quarterfinals. With a daunting weekend ahead, UMass will look to gain six valuable points and assert themselves in the national landscape as a contender.
