AMHERST – If it sounds like UMass hockey coach Greg Carvel is saying the Minutemen are preparing for a really good hockey team every time the Minutemen hit the ice, they are.
No. 13 UMass has played the toughest schedule in the country according to College Hockey News’ KRACH rankings (Ken’s Ratings for American College Hockey, developed by a statistician named Ken Butler) through 15 games. Six opponents are ranked in the top 16 of the national polls, and they all rate in the top 14 of the Pairwise formula used to determine NCAA Tournament participants.
“Which is, I think, helpful the first half of the year, but it’s nice once in a while to win convincingly,” Carvel said. “But it’s been demanding. It’s been a grind, and I don’t expect it to get much easier.”
The Minutemen (7-5-3, 3-5-1 Hockey East) are 4-5-2 against those six teams and face No. 11 Merrimack at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Mullins Center. UMass’ last seven games against the Warriors have been one-goal games, and four have gone to overtime, including the last two.
“They’ve been able to recruit an entire team and to an identity that they play to, and they compete, and they’ve got a good skill level,” Carvel said. “It’s really not that hard to describe. You can tell they’re committed to an identity of play, and they all play to it.”
All of those challenging games have benefited the Minutemen. They’re No. 10 in the Pairwise rankings among six Hockey East teams in the top 16 (the number of teams that make the NCAA Tournament). UMass also ranks eighth in the KRACH formula and has the fewest wins of any team in the top 14 buoyed by their strength of schedule.
UMass and the rest of Hockey East will dip out of conference play during the holiday break for another chance to improve the league’s standing.
“Hopefully over the break, all the teams in our league win a lot of nonconference games because that’ll help ensure us getting a big number in the tournament,” Carvel said.
CARRYING THE FLAG – UMass will send two players, sophomore defenseman Ryan Ufko and freshman forward Kenny Connors, to the 2023 U.S. National Junior Team training camp Dec. 12-17 in Pontiac, Mich. They’ll vie among 32 candidates for 23 spots on the final roster, which will compete in the 2023 World Junior Championships from Dec. 26, 2022-Jan. 5, 2023, in Moncton, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
“You love to see it for the individual, and it’s great for their development, and it’s great for the program,” Carvel said. “The only downside is those handful of games that you have to play without two of your better players. That’s fine. We’ll find a way to get by without them.”
If both are selected, they will be away for the Quik Trip Holiday Faceoff in Milwaukee, Wisc., on Dec. 28-29, which features Clarkson, Lake Superior State and Wisconsin, and miss a Jan. 3 home game against Brown.
“The thing that I’m proud of is that the kids that we have sent there, I don’t think ever came up through the U.S. program. We’re expected to play in those tournaments,” Carvel said. “I like to think that we’ve really helped their development to the point that they then are getting asked to come play in the world junior tournament when they didn’t come up to the national program. So to me, that’s a strong statement on the individual player, but also a strong statement on our program.”
Both players attended the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp over the summer but came up through the USHL.
Ufko, a Smithtown, N.Y., native, leads UMass with 10 assists and has scored three power play goals.
“It’s always an honor to represent your country,” he said. “Nothing’s guaranteed, and I’m hoping to earn my spot.”
Connors is the Minutemen’s top scorer with 16 points and seven goals. The Glen Mills, Pa., native is a two-time Hockey East Rookie of the Week and was named the league’s Rookie of the Month for October.
“It’s a big honor. Obviously, anytime you get the chance to represent your country against other countries, it’s a pretty big opportunity, and you’re really thankful for it,” Connors said. “The next step is trying to make the team.”
UMass has sent a representative to four of the past five tournaments.
MAN IN THE ARENA – Amherst College men’s hockey coach Jack Arena won his 500th game over the weekend, an accomplishment notable to Carvel, who was an assistant for one year under Arena in 1995-96.
“When you grow up, and you live in the college hockey world, it’s not huge. Everybody knows everybody, but there’s only a select few that rise to a really elite level,” Carvel said. “And when you win 500 games, I don’t care what level you are in, in my view, you’re part of the select few, and so I’m very happy for Jack.”
Carvel has maintained his friendship with Arena throughout his coaching career in the NHL and at his alma mater Saint Lawrence before he came to UMass. Being in the same city has only allowed that to deepen.
“I probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him and his recommendation that I take the job,” Carvel said. “I consider him one of my closest friends. He’s a coach that I wish I could be. He coaches with class and keeps everything in perspective. I wish I was able to do that like he does. He’s just to me one of the classiest guys and one of my favorite people in the hockey world to talk to.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.