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UMASS-NEWMASS 2026-2027 Reason to be optimistic?

kahunak

Member
All the pre-season polls think highly of the Minutemen and the roster may be the strongest ever. Of course, with so many new players, it may take a while to gel (like last year). Nevertheless this is the most optimistic I have been in a while! GO UMASS!
 
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With UMass hosting the Springfield regional they would be placed there if they make the NCAA field. That is something to be optimistic about as well.
 
With UMass hosting the Springfield regional they would be placed there if they make the NCAA field. That is something to be optimistic about as well.
BC/HE- thanks for the reminder. I had forgotten that! As a lifelong Red Sox fan I have to remember not to get too optimistic regardless of any team-especially before the season start!
 
And POOF....just like that....all optimism is gone!
I wouldn’t go that far, but they have quickly turned the rest of the NC portion of the schedule into must win games .

Colorado Colllege was a tough way to start the season. They returned most of their players, they have nearly as many draft picks as the Minutemen have, the altitude is clearly a factor. And they’re an NCHC team.

We still don’t know who the starting goalie is going to be. I assumed it would be Irving, but based on this one series the unheralded other freshman is the front runner.

Interesting that Charlie Lieberman never got on the lineup sheet. I don’t think he has what it takes to be a HEA defender, despite all that size he brings to the ice. He’s slow, not particularly agile.

I’m not sold on Galanek as the first line center either. I know he’s Nestracil’s binky, but Nestracil hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire either. I’d like to see Kerr or one of the new guys up there.
 
Well that was a little better but I think it will take more time for Carvel to figure out how to mesh all the new players. I think this will be an annual rite for lots of schools. This year UMASS has so many new players-especially freshman. They clearly have the talent but it remains to be seen if they pull it together.

Surprise is that Eskit seems to be the goalie. I wonder if Eskit is as surprised as I am. He looked good against RIT.
 
Well that was a little better but I think it will take more time for Carvel to figure out how to mesh all the new players. I think this will be an annual rite for lots of schools. This year UMASS has so many new players-especially freshman. They clearly have the talent but it remains to be seen if they pull it together.

Surprise is that Eskit seems to be the goalie. I wonder if Eskit is as surprised as I am. He looked good against RIT.
def an improvement but a work in progress. worth giving them grace and time.

most hockey players, esp goalies, are very confident in themselves so i doubt Eskit is surprised as much as determined to make the most of the shot he has. i'd imagine being a backup for two seasons behind a drafted goalie brings that about. he was really good for a bad Victoria team last year. the coaching staff seems to be surprised though

my friend chirped Hrabal at the cuda/roadrunners game last weekend over the CC result (the away backup goalies sit near fans at Tech CU). she told him UMass needs him... he asked what the score was lol

hey, speaking of victoria royals goaltenders being surprises for NCAA teams, you know who ended up starting a lot of Royals games the season before Eskit was traded there? some kid named Johnny Hicks...
 
Solid win tonight against Northeastern (I feel bad for them this season!). Nastrasil had a couple of goals and Eskit was strong again. Hope they continue to gel.
 
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