PLYMOUTH, Michigan — At 6 feet, 6 inches, goaltender Colin Purcell was impossible to miss lumbering out of USA Hockey Arena. Although he will be playing 30 minutes Wednesday in the nationally televised USA Hockey BioSteel All-American Game that could directly impact his pro career, Purcell and fellow UMass commit Ryan Ufko had their minds on the Minutemen.
On Tuesday, the boys learned that their future NCAA team lost four players to COVID-19 protocols, including supreme goalie Filip Lindberg. To many, this was a potential death blow to UMass’s chances against two-time reigning national champ Minnesota-Duluth.
“They have four guys out with COVID, which is heartbreaking,” Ufko said.
Purcell, a Shaker Heights, Ohio, native who plays for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, remained optimistic.
“I think they can do it,” said the long-limbed goalie who has been watching the Minutemen all season. He has a fine appreciation for backup goalie Matt Murray, who is more of a 1A than a No. 2 goalie. “Murray had a great first half.” Purcell is spot on. Murray kept one of the most talented college goalies in the country — Lindberg — on the bench because of his own stellar play during the first half of the year.
Ufko, a Smithtown, N.Y., native and Chicago Steel standout, also is optimistic. “I’ve watched all the (NCAA) tournament games this year,” he said. “But I think they are pretty deep, they’ve got a lot of history with Duluth from two years ago. I think they’re going to come out and it will be a pretty good game, maybe go all the way.”
As a defenseman, Ufko was in awe of how UMass activated its blueliners to help on the forecheck, hemming in both Lake Superior State and Bemidji for minutes at a time by outnumbering their opponents down at the hashmarks.
“All their ‘D’ are great, tremendous skill,” Ufko said. “Especially in the offensive zone, creating. I look forward to doing that in my time.”
The two UMass commits both will be staying up Thursday night to see UMass in prime time on ESPN2.
“For sure,” said the future teammates via Zoom following their game-day skate at USA Hockey Arena.
Before that NCAA drama, they will be auditioning for NHL scouts and a national TV audience Wednesday night, hoping to improve their draft status while playing America’s elite from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. Outsiders think this will be a mere tuneup for the NTDP, but anyone who has paid attention to the success of these USHL stars knows that the teens with chips on their shoulders will be a tough out.
Purcell and Ufko are hoping for two upsets in approximately 25 hours: the USHL over the NTDP on Wednesday and the undermanned Minutemen over the reigning champs Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.
“If anyone can do it, it’s UMass,” said Purcell. “They are just so deep.”
