Good morning!

Never count out a hockey team coached by Greg Carvel. At Christmas they were 50th in the NCAA Percentage Index and this week they’re 21st. What’s more, six of their last nine games are against losing teams.

January had never been kind to the Minutemen until recently. In 12 seasons from 2006 – 2018 they were 26-50-11 under coaches Toot Cahoon, John Micheletto and Carvel, but since then it’s 30-25-6 

Going into last night’s tilt versus Northeastern, the Minutemen had won five straight since a 1-0 loss to BU on Jan. 9. That’s a 15-point move up the standings from last place into a sixth-place tie with Maine.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, January is named for the Roman god Janus, the protector of gates, doorways and hockey nets if you’re Michael Hrabal. At this writing he’d allowed four goals on 177 shots this month, a phenomenal .977 save percentage.

Credit also Carvel’s umbrella defense — a D-Zone Dome composed of Landon Nycz, Larry Keenan, Cole Hanrahan, Francesco Dell’Elce, Owen Murray and Lucas Olvestad that neutralizes attackers the way bug zappers kill houseflies.

The Minutemen have a game in hand against the Black Bears, fifth-place Northeastern and third-place UConn, and two games in hand against fourth-place Boston University. Where once the season seemed doomed, it suddenly seems possible for UMass to make its fifth trip to the NCAA tourney in six seasons.

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The UMass basketball team was a 10 1/2-point underdog against undefeated No. 24 Miami-Ohio on Tuesday and lost, 86-84, in front of 9,223 fans at sold out Millett Hall. The RedHawks and top-ranked Arizona are the only undefeated teams in the country, both are 21-0.

The blemish dropped UMass to 13-9/4-6. Its last four conference losses have been by a total of eight points; all nine losses by 34 points. UMass hosts Eastern Michigan (9-12/3-6) today at 6 p.m. 

Meanwhile the Minutewomen (15-4/7-2) will host Eastern Michigan on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Last Wednesday coach Mike Leflar’s team beat Ohio, 85-76, in front of 692 fans at the Convocation Center in Athens. The straws that stir the drink, Yahkami Mckayle and Megan Olbrys, combined for 49 points and 16 rebounds.

Now that both hoops teams play in a conference where they’re legitimate contenders, the Mullins Center will start to fill up — provided the marketing department does its job. Promote. Promote. Promote. Somebody give that crew a copy of Bill Veeck’s Hustler’s Handbook.

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The 50-member selection committee that kept Bill Belichick out of the NFL Hall of Fame on the first ballot is composed of writers, broadcasters and former coaches and players like Tony Dungy, Dan Fouts, ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio and former Houston Chronicle columnist John McClain. 

It also includes Ron Borges who was writing for the Boston Herald when he broke the story that several Patriots players were getting high before Super Bowl XX. Borges reportedly said he did not vote for Belichick because of Spygate.

There are others who have it in for Belichick, just like those who had it in for Ted Williams, notably Dave “The Colonel” Egan of the Boston Herald. Legend has it the mechanical rabbit the dogs chased around Hinsdale Race Track was named the Colonel after Egan because the Sullivan family that owned the track hailed from Greater Boston.

More likely it was named for the town’s founder, Colonel Ebenezer Hinsdale. At post time the track announcer would tell the crowd, “Here comes the Colonel” and the railbirds would snicker and say, “Here comes the bunny, there goes your money.”  

Williams may not have been as fond of baseball as most think. Wingmen by Adam Lazarus details his friendship with John Glenn during the Korean War. One day a second lieutenant named Harold Breece was introduced to him at the Officers Club.

Breece didn’t follow baseball and apologized to Williams for not recognizing him but Williams shrugged it off. “I’m up to here with baseball. I go to the club and that’s all they want to talk about! … I’m full of it. That’s my occupation. I love fishing.”

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Mike Noonan who shared his views here about a likely MLB lockout is wintering with his wife Sylvia on Lake Keowee in South Carolina.

During Sunday afternoon’s ice storm they settled in to watch the Patriots when the power went out. “No internet, no TV, not even a transistor radio, and then the generator gave out early this morning so we got a hotel room in Seneca.”

Noonan worked at the Daily Hampshire Gazette for 30 years and was the circulation manager when he retired. “We printed during the blizzard of ’78 and the kids had to go do their routes— if they found their newspaper bundles. Missing a couple of football games and spending the night in a hotel sure beat delivering newspapers in a blizzard.”

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No one thought in September that the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, both 75-1 to win the Super Bowl, would be in Santa Clara next week, thus we bring you Patriotic Moments: 

“In a lot of ways this game has been anything but picturesque,” Pats play-by-play voice Bob Socci said of the popup snowstorm. “The worst nightmare has returned,” chortled sidekick Scott Zolak while Drake Maye was taking a knee. … “It’s been a rough road for them the last couple of years,” said WFAN’s Jerry Recco, after which Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannatti burst out laughing. … Pats cornerback Christian Gonzalez will have his hands full covering Jaxson Smith-Njigba who had 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown against the Rams in the NFC championship. … BSJ’s Greg Bedard wasn’t sure which of the Patriots defensive tackles said it, either Christian Barmore or Milton Williams, but coming into the tunnel afterward one of them yelled, “Number one offensive line my ass!” Williams is a latter day Vince Wilkork, “Little Vinny!” as Gary Sanderson called him …  Sam Darnold will be seeking redemption for his “seeing ghosts” comment made during a 33-0 shellacking by the Patriots against the Jets in 2019. … CBS analyst and former Steelers coach Bill Cowher said he saw Mike Vrabel in the tunnel at halftime and had three words for him: “Run the ball!” The Pats rushed 29 times for 98 yards and passed six times for 36. … Afterward, Broncos fans went home and watched “Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead.”

SQUIBBERS: Greg Bedard on why the Patriots are already next season’s AFC East champions: “We have Aaron Glenn who as a defensive coach couldn’t get his team to make an interception, Jeff Hafley and his flat top is head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and now Buffalo GM Joe Schoen has installed internal puppet Joe Brady to replace Sean McDermott.” … This is when I miss SI the most, grabbing  from the mailbox to read the Super Bowl preview and see Dr. Z’s prediction. … Macklin Celebrini who UMass fans got to see play for BU at the Mullins Center, is the second choice (+330) behind Nathan Mackinnon to win the Hart Trophy. … Lookalikes: Brad Marchand and Ken Linseman, aka The Rat. … Gavin McKenna, the highest paid player in college hockey has 10 goals and 19 assists at No. 5 Penn State (18-6-0). … Adam Wodon on the College Hockey News podcast: “We got a message about a rumor that Oklahoma State is considering adding Division I hockey. I looked into this and it stems from one Spittin’ Chiclets blogger who says, ‘He heard…” …  The Deerfield Academy hoops team hosted Williston Northampton School yesterday, notable because Derek Kellogg’s son Max plays for Williston and is a top college prospect. … Prior to the UMass-Miami tipoff, ESPN’s Mark Adams said Frank Martin had the Minutemen in a “physical football like mentality.” … At Gulfstream Park last Saturday, Test Score trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Manny Franco won the $1 million Pegasus World Cup and paid $17.20. … Today at Gulfstream, Nearly (9-5), Cannoneer (2-1) and Incredibolt (3-1) are the morning line favorites to win the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes, a Kentucky Derby prep for 3-year-olds pointed toward the first Saturday in May. …

The Post’s Phil Mushnick asks what NFL messages like “It Takes All of Us” painted in the end zone means. “It takes all of us to do what? Bet parlays? Buy added streaming services to watch exclusive telecasts?” …  Nice move by the Orioles overlooked when it was made in November to land power hitter Taylor Ward from the Angels for oft-injured pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. Ward has missed eleven games in two seasons during which he’s hit 61 home runs and driven in 178. … Former UMass goalie, 40-year-old Jonathan Quick, passed Glenn Hall into 12th place on the all-time wins list with his 408th on Monday, backstopping the Rangers to a 5-4 OT win against the Bruins. … With all due respect to UMass hockey, good riddance to January, long, cold and seemingly endless.