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The UMass Minutemen are the 53rd team in our 2018 schedule preview series and the sixth and final team from the CAA. The Minutemen went 7-8 on the season, but made an appearance in the CAA Championship game thanks in part to a buzzer-beating goal by Dan Muller to upset Hofstra in the semifinals.
Here’s the entire 2018 schedule:
UMass’ 2018 Schedule
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
| 1/27 | Providence | UMass | Scrimmage | |
| 2/3 | UMass | Siena | Scrimmage | |
| 2/10 | UMass | Army West Point | 9-2 L | |
| 2/13 | Sacred Heart | UMass | First meeting since 2010 (15-12 W) | |
| 2/24 | Harvard | UMass | 11-7 L | |
| 2/27 | Yale | UMass | 11-9 W | |
| 3/6 | Albany | UMass | 17-8 L | |
| 3/10 | NJIT | UMass | First ever meeting | |
| 3/13 | UMass | UMass Lowell | 10-8 W | |
| 3/17 | Hartford | UMass | 12-10 W | |
| 3/24 | UMass | Brown | 10-9 L/OT | |
| 3/31 | UMass | Drexel | CAA | 14-8 W |
| 4/7 | UMass | Delaware | CAA | 9-6 W |
| 4/14 | Towson | UMass | CAA | 11-8 L, 9-4 L |
| 4/21 | UMass | Fairfield | CAA | 12-8 W |
| 4/27 | Hofstra | UMass | CAA | 15-8 L, 13-12 W |
The Minutemen lose national runner-up Ohio State from last year and add NJIT and Sacred Heart to their 2018 slate.
Let’s check out some notable games on this schedule:
Best Nonconference Game: @ Brown
The Minutemen were involved in some pretty interesting games last year, with their game against Brown being one of them. Phil Goss had a very good night, stopping 18 shots on goal, and the defense limited Dylan Molloy to only a goal and an assist.
Best Conference Game: @ Drexel
Towson and Hofstra will more than likely make it to the CAA Tournament once again. But after that, it gets competitive. Drexel has made it the past few years, and Fairfield is also in the mix. The Dragons bring back Matthew Varian after missing last season and Reid Bowering after he had a great freshman campaign.
Under The Radar Game: @ UMass Lowell
The River Hawks gave the Minutemen a serious scare when they played at Garber Field last year, leading 8-6 after the third quarter before UMass scored the game’s final four goals. History has shown that a program’s fourth year produces great results. That could mean a tough loss to their rivals from Lowell.
Possible Upset: @ Army West Point
The Black Knights lose Cole Johnson, Reaves Klipstein, and FOGO Dan Grabner as key contributors from a year ago, but return a ton of talent, especially on the defensive side on the ball. The tide has shifted in favor of Army in the past few years, but the Minutemen might be able to change that with a big road win against a favorite to win the Patriot League.
For other schedules and team rosters, check out our Men’s Division I matrix.