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Articles by James H. Rust
Northeastern tops No. 19 UMass hockey
The No.19 Massachusetts hockey team struggled against Northeastern, losing 4-1 to split the weekend series. The Minutemen (2-3-1, 1-0 Hockey East) couldn’t generate enough scoring opportunities against the Huskies’ defense (2-1, 0-1 HEA) on Saturday night. UMass’ lone goal came on the power play with 8:28 to play in the second period to tie the game at one apiece. Jack Galanek won an offensive zone faceoff, sending the puck back to Francesco Dell’Elce at the point.
No. 19 UMass hockey’s gritty second line grinds down Northeastern
A week after the No. 19 Massachusetts hockey team’s first line exploded for nine points in its first win of the season, its second line of Václav Nestrašil, Jack Galanek and Melvin Novotny turned in a gritty, hard-checking effort to power the Minutemen (2-2-1, 1-0 Hockey East) to their second win of the year. Nestrašil led the way with two goals, but it was the unit’s relentless forecheck that consistently generated high-quality scoring chances against Northeastern.
Rust: Ranking and previewing the 2026-27 Hockey East Conference
As students settle into their schedules and a fall chill replaces the summer heat, college hockey is set to return to the ice. A year ago, I tried to preview and rank every team in the Hockey East Conference before the 2025-26 season, and after a down year for the conference — which sent just three teams to the NCAA tournament — I will attempt to do the same for the 2026-27 season. Will I do better than last year? Probably not.
Don’t take the night away, just make the sunset longer
As I sit here in the living room of my slightly decrepit college house, surrounded by my roommates, with conversation drowning out a movie playing in the background (“27 Dresses,” in case you were curious). I can’t help but think that my college experience wasn’t supposed to go like this. I don’t mean that I wasn’t supposed to have friends or roommates that I liked being around (although I guess those weren’t a given).
Baseball Notebook: UMass baseball battles to series win against Ball State
The Massachusetts baseball team won its third consecutive Mid-American Conference series, winning games on Friday and Sunday against Ball State. After a tough start to their MAC season, the Minutemen (14-22, 10-14 MAC) have built substantial momentum, riding their hot bats to score 26 runs on the weekend.
Baseball Notebook: UMass loses to Harvard in Beanpot tournament
The Massachusetts baseball team fell to Harvard in the consolation game of the Beanpot tournament on Tuesday. The Minutemen (9-19, 5-13 Mid-American) fell behind the Crimson (7-19, 5-6 Ivy League) early but battled back, yet again showing their resiliency as a lineup. Staring down a 7-2 deficit, the bottom third of UMass’ order sparked a five-run inning to tie the game. Vance Bonior quickly put himself in scoring position after being hit by a pitch and then advancing on a wild pitch.
UMass baseball drops home opener to Quinnipiac
The Massachusetts baseball team finally played at Earl Lorden Field on Tuesday after 19 games away from home, but it could not snap its losing streak. The Minutemen (5-15, 1-11 Mid-American Conference) fell 17-6 against Quinnipiac, struggling to limit the Bobcats’ (12-14, 5-4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) bats.
Baseball Notebook: UMass baseball falls to Western Michigan Broncos in series opener
The Massachusetts baseball team lost its sixth straight game on Friday, falling to Western Michigan 6-2. The Minutemen (5-12, 1-9 Mid-American Conference) coughed up yet another early lead and couldn’t finish off a comeback bid, handing the Broncos (11-12, 7-3 MAC) a series-opening win. Facing a 3-1 deficit in the top of the eighth, UMass needed a response to Western Michigan’s three unanswered runs.
No. 14 UMass hockey falls to Merrimack in Hockey East Semi-Finals
BOSTON — The No. 14 Massachusetts hockey team suffered a likely season-ending defeat against Merrimack in the Hockey East semi-finals on Friday night. The Warriors’ (20-15-2, 10-12-2 HEA) two goals were enough to scrape their way past the Minutemen (22-13-1, 14-9-1 HEA), who failed to score for just the fourth time this season. Ryan O’Connell, Merrimack’s fourth-line left-winger, scored the game-winning goal for Merrimack three minutes into the third period.
UMass baseball avoids sweep by Akron
The Massachusetts baseball team earned its first conference win on Saturday against Akron before falling to the Zips (9-10, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) on Sunday for the second time in the series. The win snapped a six-game skid for the Minutemen (5-7, 1-5 MAC) dating back to Feb. 28. After Brody Chrisman’s RBI single in the bottom of the third inning cut UMass’ lead to one, the Minutemen desperately needed an insurance run to secure Saturday’s win.
Baseball Notebook: UMass baseball swept in first series of conference play
The Massachusetts baseball team suffered its first sweep of the season, losing all three matchups with Toledo in its first series of conference play. Across the series, the Minutemen (4-5, 0-3 Mid-American Conference) pitchers failed to quiet the Rockets’ (6-8, 3-0 MAC) bats, surrendering 32 runs on the weekend. UMass positioned itself to win the final game of the series on Sunday, seizing a 5-0 lead by the end of the top of the second.
UMass hockey battles to shootout win against UConn on senior night
The No. 19 Massachusetts hockey team withstood 53 shots from No.13 UConn to pull out a thrilling shootout win on senior night, capturing five of six points on the weekend to keep pace in a tight Hockey East playoff picture. After sending six shooters to take on Huskies (17-10-4, 11-8-3 HEA) netminder Tyler Muszelik, head coach Greg Carvel finally sent the Minutemen’s (19-12-1, 12-9-1 HEA) leading scorer over the boards.
UMass hockey to take on New Hampshire in home-and-home
The No. 19 Massachusetts men’s hockey team is preparing for a series against New Hampshire on Friday and Saturday. The Minutemen (17-11, 10-8 Hockey East) and Wildcats (12-15-1, 6-11-1 HEA) have not met this season and enter the weekend heading in opposite directions. UMass has pulled off an 8-2 record to open the 2026 calendar year, including a seven-game winning streak that ended with a loss to UMass Lowell last weekend.
UMass hockey survives overtime battle with Northeastern
The Massachusetts hockey team won its sixth straight game on Friday night in overtime, 3-2, against Northeastern, which has now lost three in a row. The Minutemen (15-10, 8-7 Hockey East) again rallied around depth scoring and goaltending, with Justin Kerr notching the game-winning goal with 20 seconds remaining in overtime. At the end of a lengthy shift, Jack Galanek skated the puck through the neutral zone to the left wing, drawing two Huskies (12-12, 7-9 HEA) to him.
UMass hockey’s offensive confidence powers sweep of Merrimack
Entering the season, the Massachusetts hockey team was positioned to be a defensive stalwart that could struggle to generate enough offense to win games, and for much of the season, it has fit that description. In the Minutemen’s (12-10, 5-7 Hockey East) 3-1 win against Merrimack on Saturday, however, they produced one of their most complete offensive efforts of the season.
UMass hockey scrapes out 2-0 win over No. 19 Boston University
The Massachusetts hockey team bounced back from a 1-0 loss Friday night to a gritty 2-0 win against No. 19 Boston University. The Minutemen’s (10-10, 3-7 Hockey East) defense stymied the Terriers’ (10-9-1, 7-6 HEA) high-skilled attack, with Michael Hrabal’s 26-save shutout leading the way. Václav Nestrašil scored the game-winning goal 12 minutes into the first period, seconds after UMass successfully shut down Boston University’s first of three power play opportunities.
UMass hockey hangs on for 2-0 win over No. 12 Northeastern
BOSTON — The Massachusetts hockey team, one game removed from an overtime loss, delivered a gutsy performance in a 2-0 win over No. 12 Northeastern on Sunday evening. With the win, the Minutemen (9-9, 3-6 Hockey East) enter a month-long break with a .500 record after an up-and-down first half of the season. Mikey DeAngelo scored the game-winner for UMass 30 seconds into the second period.
UMass hockey’s young defensemen show out in a tightly-contested 3-2 loss to Northeastern
With Owen Murray forced out of the lineup due to injury, head coach Greg Carvel relied on the efforts of five underclassmen defensemen to shore up his blue line. In the Massachusetts hockey team’s 3-2 overtime loss to Northeastern on Saturday, this young core showed its ability to hold down the back end, both for this season and beyond. “I think [Landon Nycz]’s game is really starting to come,” Carvel said. “I think Larry Keenan [is] as good a defenseman as there is in college hockey.
UMass hockey falls to Army West Point 5-4
In its first non-conference game in nearly a month, the No. 18 Massachusetts hockey team fell to Army West Point 5-4 on Saturday. The Minutemen (8-8, 2-5 Hockey East) drop to .500 after racing out to a 3-0 start and, with one series remaining before the new year, are still searching for cohesion up and down the lineup. UMass tied the game at 3-3 and 4-4 but could not find the next goal on either occasion.
Offense sputters in UMass hockey’s Saturday’s loss to Providence
The No. 17 Massachusetts hockey team entered the season with questions surrounding its revamped forward group after losing key pieces like Cole O’Hara and Aydar Suniev. After Saturday’s 5-1 loss to No. 16 Providence, those questions remain unanswered. “Not much,” head coach Greg Carvel said on the Minutemen’s (8-7, 2-5 Hockey East) offensive game.
UMass hockey looks to bounce back against Providence in home-and-home series
The No. 17 Massachusetts hockey team is preparing to take on No. 16 Providence this weekend in another home-and-home series. The Minutemen (7-6, 1-4 Hockey East) are looking to get back in the win column after being swept by Boston College last weekend. UMass was outscored 11-3 across both games against the Eagles, falling 7-3 on Friday and 4-0 on Saturday. In both contests, the Minutemen struggled to break out of their own zone and establish possession in the offensive zone.
UMass hockey dismantled 7-3 by Boston College
The No. 12 Massachusetts hockey team suffered a demoralizing 7-3 loss to No. 18 Boston College on Friday. The Eagles (5-4-1, 3-2 Hockey East) outshot, outpossessed and outplayed the Minutemen (7-5, 1-3) for nearly the whole game. UMass entered the second period with a 2-1 lead after Jack Musa broke a 1-1 tie with three and a half minutes left in the first off a sequence of well-executed passes.
Jackson Irving’s shutout leads the way for UMass hockey
One day removed from allowing six goals and being subjected to its worst loss of the season, the No. 13 Massachusetts hockey team shut out No. 6 Maine for a 4-0 win on Friday. Jackson Irving, making his second start of the season, saved all 38 shots the Black Bears (6-3-1, 3-1 Hockey East) sent his way, leading the Minutemen (7-4, 1-2 HEA) to a bounce-back victory. From the opening minutes of the game, Irving consistently made timely saves, preventing Maine from seizing momentum.
UMass hockey takes on Maine in first Hockey East series
The No. 13 Massachusetts hockey team takes on its second Hockey East opponent of the season against No. 6 Maine on Thursday and Friday. The Minutemen (6-3, 0-1 HEA) are coming off a series split against No. 17 Cornell, while the Black Bears (5-2-1, 2-0 HEA) enter the series after sweeping Boston University. UMass won the first game against the Big Red 2-1, with freshman Václav Nestrašil scoring his seventh goal of the season with under two minutes remaining to secure the win.
UMass hockey stumbles against Cornell, losing 3-1
The No. 13 Massachusetts hockey team fell to No. 20 Cornell 3-1 on Saturday, leading to its third consecutive weekend split. In a tightly-contested, defense-focused game, the Minutemen (6-3, 0-1 Hockey East) failed to convert on the bulk of their high-quality scoring opportunities. With just under five minutes remaining in the first period, UMass broke through Big Red (1-1) goalie Alexis Cournoyer for its only goal of the night.
Seniors lead the way for UMass men’s soccer in feisty Senior Day loss
After the fanfare of Senior Day, as every senior and graduate student lined up at midfield, the Massachusetts men’s soccer team’s veterans fittingly led the way in its 3-2 loss to Kansas City. Senior Matt Cence assisted graduate transfer JP Mbuthia twice on Saturday, accounting for both UMass (6-5-6, 1-3-2 Summit League) goals. Both goals were created by Cence’s ability to maneuver through and around Roos (10-2-4, 4-1 Summit) defenders.
Penalties sink UMass hockey against Omaha
The No. 13 Massachusetts hockey team entered Saturday’s game against Omaha fresh off a thrilling, come-from-behind win that saw Jack Musa score the game-winner with under a minute left in regulation. Instead of carrying that momentum into the next game, the Minutemen (5-2, 0-1 Hockey East) stumbled out of the gate on Saturday, committing five penalties across the first two periods and struggling to string together good shifts.
UMass hockey comes back against Omaha to win 5-4
The No. 13 Massachusetts hockey team overcame a third-period deficit to secure a tough road win against Omaha. UMass (5-1, 0-1 Hockey East) spent almost the entirety of the final frame trailing the Mavericks (1-2), but two late goals powered the Minutemen to the 5-4 win. Jack Musa scored the game-winner on a gritty individual effort with just under a minute to go in the game.
Depth scoring lifts UMass hockey over Bentley
The No. 11 Massachusetts hockey team needed every ounce of offense it could muster to defeat Bentley 5-4 on Saturday. Aside from Václav Nestrašil’s goal in the first period, every tally for UMass (4-1, 0-1 Hockey East) came from either a bottom-six forward or a defenseman. With ten minutes left in the game and the Minutemen trailing 4-3, Matthew Wilde and Nick VanTassel battled for the puck along the boards in the defensive zone.
UMass hockey beats Stonehill 4-1
The No.14 Massachusetts hockey team triumphed over Stonehill 4-1 in its first away game of the season. After going 1-for-9 on the power play in the season-opening series against Northern Michigan, the Minutemen (3-0) went 2-for-4 Friday night. "[The power play] is going to take time," head coach Greg Carvel said. "We got new guys, they need reps.
UMass hockey's top line fuels weekend sweep of Northern Michigan
The No. 15 Massachusetts hockey team defeated Northern Michigan 4-1 to complete the weekend sweep in its opening series. Entering the season, there were lingering questions about who would provide the bulk of the Minutemen's (2-0) offense, but through two games, the top line of Daniel Jenčko, Mikey DeAngelo and Jack Musa has answered the bell. An early hooking penalty on the Wildcats' (0-2) Grayden Slipec sent UMass to the power play with 14 and a half minutes remaining in the first period.
UMass hockey outlasts Northern Michigan in 5-3 win
The No. 15 Massachusetts hockey team battled its way to a 5-3 win against Northern Michigan in its season opener. The Minutemen (1-0) outshot the Wildcats (0-1) 70-26 and controlled play for most of the game, but it took a three-goal third period to secure the win. With just over six minutes remaining in the game and the score knotted at three, UMass controlled possession inside the offensive zone.
UMass men's soccer wins thriller 2-1 in Elite Eight rematch against Denver
The Massachusetts men's soccer team survived a ferocious Denver attack for a 2-1 win in a rematch of last year's NCAA tournament quarterfinals. UMass (5-3-4, 1-1 Summit League) withstood a 27-shot onslaught from the Pioneers (5-6, 1-1 Summit), capitalizing on the counterattack twice to secure the win. After JP Mbuthia got a red card, the Minutemen were forced to play a man down for much of the second half, trying their best to weather Denver's pressure.
Ranking and previewing the 2025-26 Hockey East Conference
With the leaves falling, the dust of the offseason long settled and the calendar flipping to October, college hockey returns after eight long months away. After a season that saw six Hockey East teams make it to the postseason, 2025-26 looks to be just as competitive. To get everyone up to speed, I put together my own preseason ranking of the 11 Hockey East teams, previewing each group and highlighting what to look for as the season kicks off.
JP Mbuthia's return to lineup sparks offensive resurgence for UMass men's soccer
The Massachusetts men's soccer team tied Yale 2-2 in a back-and-forth match that the Minutemen (4-2-3) largely dominated. After scoring just one goal in the last four games, UMass desperately needed an offensive spark, and graduate transfer JP Mbuthia was more than up to the task. The Minutemen came out of halftime with their foot on the gas, immediately applying pressure on the Bulldogs' (0-4-2) defenders that had already conceded 13 shots but had yet to concede a goal.
UMass men's soccer battles to a 0-0 draw against New Hampshire
The Massachusetts men's soccer team tied New Hampshire 0-0 in a tight defensive battle. Minutemen (4-1-2) goalkeeper Dean Linden earned a clean sheet in his first collegiate start, stepping in after usual starter Alex Geczy was scratched from the lineup right before kickoff. Linden was tested early and often, but the most important of his five saves came with 27:30 left in the game. With the Wildcats (0-3-2) on the rush, Terry Makedika settled the ball on the right wing.
UMass men's soccer grinds out 1-1 draw against UConn
The No. 8 Massachusetts men's soccer team battled to a 1-1 draw against the UConn Huskies in their first meeting in 31 years. The Minutemen (1-0-1) took the lead in the second half, but they could not hold off the persistent attack of the Huskies (1-0-1) over the final 30 minutes. After a tightly contested first half that ended scoreless, UMass came out of the break with an increased sense of urgency. A consistent wave of pressure led to a Minutemen corner kick 61 minutes into the game.
UMass softball walks off Saint Louis to claim series win
The Massachusetts softball team walked off Saint Louis, 4-3, in eight innings on Saturday to take two of three games against the Billikens (30-21, 18-7 Atlantic 10) this weekend. The Minutewomen (14-33, 6-16 A-10) rode the momentum of a seventh-inning comeback to secure their second walk-off win of the week and end the season with a series victory. Odyssey Torres led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk before moving to second base on Sarah Keagy's sacrifice bunt.
UMass softball walks off Stonehill in eight innings
The Massachusetts softball team walked off Stonehill 3-2 in eight innings after a late comeback effort by the Skyhawks (14-34, 5-13 Northeast Conference) forced the game into extras. Entering the bottom of the eighth, the Minutewomen (12-32, 4-15 Atlantic 10) had been held scoreless for six straight innings and were only able to scatter two hits across those frames.
UMass softball drops three straight to Loyola Chicago
The Massachusetts softball team, fresh off a thrilling comeback victory on Wednesday, got swept by Loyola Chicago over the weekend. The Minutewomen (11-27, 4-10 Atlantic 10) struggled to score consistently throughout the series, but almost staged another come-from-behind win on Friday. After an early three-run home run by the Ramblers' (15-30, 10-10 A-10) Alli Pawlowicz and a string of base hits in the top of the seventh, Loyola Chicago held a 6-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
UMass softball loses two of three against George Washington
The Massachusetts softball team fell to the George Washington Revolutionaries in two of three games in its first homestand of the season. In the lone win, starting pitching and timely hitting led the Minutewomen (6-20, 1-5 Atlantic 10) to victory. UMass defeated George Washington (18-10, 5-1 A-10) in the first game of the weekend, 3-1. The Minutewomen offense jumped all over the Revolutionaries' Cece Smith in the bottom of the first inning.
UMass loses two of last three to close UNCW Tournament
After starting the UNCW Tournament with two shutout losses on Friday, the Massachusetts softball team desperately needed a win. On Saturday, the Minutewomen (5-10) got the win, scrapping their way to a 2-0 triumph over Rider. Riley Kairer continued her scorching start to the season in the second inning, smacking a triple to center. Just a few pitches later, Kairer scored off a wild pitch by the Bronco's (1-3) Fallyn Stoeckel.
UMass men's club hockey completes weekend sweep, beats RPI 7-4
The Massachusetts men's club hockey team muscled past Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 7-4, completing a sweep for the weekend. Saturday's win extends the Minutemen's (12-10) winning streak to five games. UMass held a 4-1 lead and a 5-2 lead in the second period, but after a deflection by the Engineers' (14-9) Ryan Caraher five minutes into the third period, the Minutemen's cushion was cut to one.
UMass men's club hockey drops third straight, losing 3-1 to New Hampshire
The Massachusetts men's club hockey team fell to New Hampshire 3-1 on Sunday for its third loss of the weekend. UMass (6-7) couldn't keep up with the Wildcats (8-5), who utilized their speed and skill to carry the play for much of the game. New Hampshire's third goal of the day was emblematic of its ability to push the pace of play. Halfway through the second period, Ethan Burgess carried the puck into the Minutemen's zone with speed, looping around the wing.
UMass men's club hockey struggles, losing 5-2 to Florida Gulf Coast
The Massachusetts men's club hockey team fell to Florida Gulf Coast 5-2 on Saturday for its second loss of the weekend. UMass (6-6) got outplayed by the Eagles (8-3) in every phase of the game, unable to muster much of a comeback after a three-goal first period for Florida Gulf Coast. The Eagles broke the game open in the final ten seconds of the first period, scoring two goals to take a 3-0 lead.
UMass men's soccer falls in quarterfinals of Atlantic 10 Tournament
The No. 20 Massachusetts men's soccer team lost in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals, falling in penalties to the Saint Louis Billikens. UMass (10-3-5, 5-2-1 A10) entered the game as the third seed in the conference tournament and No. 19 in the RPI rankings, right on the fringe of the NCAA tournament field. After Saint Louis' (7-3-8, 4-1-3 A10) Max Floriani converted his penalty kick to put the Billikens up 1-0 in the shootout, the Minutemen's leading scorer, Alec Hughes, stood at the marker.
How the Commanders and Bears will likely decide this year's election results
When the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears faced off in Landover, Maryland on Oct. 27, much of the attention was paid to the matchups on the field. Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams, the number two and number one picks in this past year's draft, headlined those storylines, but their Offensive Rookie of the Year campaigns shouldn't have been the race fans paid the most attention to that night.
UMass men's club hockey falls 2-1 to Vermont
The Massachusetts men's club hockey team lost 2-1 to Vermont on Friday. The Minutemen's (2-3) comeback attempt ran out of time as the Catamounts (6-0) remained unbeaten. After killing its fifth penalty of the game, UMass regrouped in its own zone before connecting on a stretch pass through neutral ice. The puck swung around to behind Vermont's goal, then bounced out to the Minutemen's Matt Carrara who was in tight on goalie Justin Dickinson.
UMass men's soccer falls 2-1 to George Mason in Atlantic-10 opener
The Massachusetts men's soccer team lost its first Atlantic-10 game of the season, falling 2-1 to George Mason. Saturday's loss ended the Minutemen's (4-2-2, 0-1 A-10) winning streak of four games. Despite outshooting George Mason (6-1, 1-0 A-10) 14-6, UMass was unable to capitalize on its chances until after the Patriots built a two-goal lead.
UMass softball sweeps series with George Washington
The Massachusetts softball team swept its weekend series against George Washington. The Minutewomen (16-31, 12-11 Atlantic 10) rode an offensive explosion to their series win over the Revolutionaries (24-25, 9-14 A-10), tallying a total of 30 runs across the three games. Seniors Chloe Whittier and Bella Pantoja led the way for UMass, with Whittier tallying four hits, five runs and four RBI and Pantoja adding six hits, four runs and five RBI.
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