:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52053047/usa_today_9527682.0.jpeg)
The UMass Minutemen are the 44th team in our 2017 schedule preview. The Minutemen went 4-9 overall in 2016, and 0-5 in CAA play. Because they won no CAA conference games, UMass failed to make the CAA Tournament last season. Let’s dive into their schedule.
UMASS
The Minutemen have scrimmages against St John’s in the Bronx (January 28) and against Siena (February 4) before opening the regular season at home against Army West Point on February 11. Following that, UMass begins a four-game road trip, starting February 18 against Ohio State. They’ll finish the month of February on the 25th against Harvard.
The month of March opens with a trip to Albany to take on the Great Danes on March 1. The Minutemen then take on another Ivy League opponent in the defending Ivy champion Yale on March 7. Fellow UMass school UMass Lowell comes to Amherst on March 14, followed by a trip to Hartford to take on the defending America East champion Hawks on the 18th. Nonconference play wraps up at home against Brown on the 25th.
The most important month for the Minutemen will probably be CAApril™. Even though they went winless in CAA play, they lost by either one, two, or three goals in four of five conference games. The month will start at home against Delaware on April 1, followed by a trip to Maryland to take on defending CAA champion Towson a week later. The team will take on CAA finalist Fairfield at home on the 15th, before heading to Long Island to take on Hofstra on April 22. The regular season finale and Senior Day is set for April 29 against Drexel.
UMass doesn’t lose a ton of talent on offense from last season, which is a very good thing. They’ll bring back their leading scorer in junior midfielder Buddy Carr, along with Dan Muller, Gianni Bianchin, and Grant Consoletti. Ben Spencer and Tyler Bogart also return, but the loss of Brendan Hegarty will hurt. On defense, that’s a different story. Kyle Karaska, Bob Fahey, and Kevin Porzelt are all gone. The close defense will need some help, so look for Luc Valenza, Greg Pandise, Max McCabe, and probably some freshmen to step up this year, as well as LSM Tyler Weeks. Isaac Paparo, Dylan Gruder, and Shane Rinkus are back as defensive midfielders. In goal, sophomore Sean Sconone and senior D.J. Smith are the lone keepers after Dan Dolan left the team. Noah Rak and Tom Meyers will return and take the majority of the face-offs.
To see every team’s schedule and which one’s we’ve highlighted, check our our master schedule list.