NATIONAL CHAMPS! Amherst College men’s soccer takes down Connecticut College in PKs to claim D3 title

By GARRETT COTE

Hollywood script writers couldn’t have come up with a more perfect story for the Amherst College men’s soccer team on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas.After 110 minutes of soccer wasn’t enough to decide a winner (0-0) between the Mammoths and...

UMass soccer: No. 3 Denver halts Minutemen’s Cinderella run with 3-0 victory in the Elite 8

By GARRETT COTE

The UMass men’s soccer team’s dream season finally came to a close in the NCAA Division 1 Elite Eight, as the Minutemen fell 3-0 on the road to No. 3 Denver on Saturday afternoon.Denver advanced to play Vermont in the College Cup Final Four.The common...

UMass basketball: UMass Lowell runs past Minutemen for convincing 96-83 victory

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — There couldn’t have been a more stark difference in tone and body language in Frank Martin and Pat Duquette’s post game interviews, and rightfully so.Martin, the UMass men’s basketball head coach, was visibly upset with his team’s lack of...

UMass football: Joe Harasymiak formally introduced as Minutemen’s next head coach

By RYAN AMES

AMHERST — “Coach Joe” is now on the job.Joe Harasymiak was officially introduced as UMass’ new head football coach Friday morning with a press conference at the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center.The 38-year-old Harasymiak becomes the...

UMass hockey: Pair with Boston University left for Minutemen before winter break

By RYAN AMES

A pivotal Hockey East set awaits the UMass hockey team as it’ll face off against No. 11 Boston University for two games over the next five days — the first coming Saturday night on the road.The Minutemen (7-6-2) have just one Hockey East win in seven...

College soccer: Amherst College men to meet familiar foe Connecticut College for Div. III national title

By GARRETT COTE

For the second consecutive season, and for the third time in four years, the Amherst College men’s soccer program is playing for a national championship.The Mammoths defeated NESCAC rival Middlebury 2-1 in the NCAA Division III Final Four on Thursday...

UMass soccer: Denver all that stands in the way of Minutemen’s Final Four berth

By GARRETT COTE

They have been road warriors nearly all postseason, and the UMass men’s soccer team will have to embrace that narrative one more time if they want to advance to their first College Cup since 2007.The Minutemen (13-3-5) travel to Denver (12-3-4) to...

UMass football: Behind the discussions that led to the Minutemen hiring Joe Harasymiak

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak spent most of Thanksgiving Day watching film and planning an effective scheme to use against Michigan State. When he finally got home that night, he bypassed turkey and gravy and reached for his...

On The Run with John Stifler: Should you give the gift of running shoes?

Attention, shoppers! Are you thinking of gifting someone on your list a pair of running shoes?Don’t.I’ll qualify that instruction. Give someone running shoes if you (A) are giving them the exact same brand, model and size as the shoes they already use...

College soccer: Mohammed Nuhu’s PK lifts Amherst College past Middlebury, into NCAA Div. III national championship game

By RYAN AMES

One more to go.The Amherst College men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Division III title game after beating Middlebury, 2-1, during the Final Four semifinal Thursday night in Las Vegas.The Mammoths secured two second-half goals versus the Panthers...

UMass basketball: Minutewomen rout Northeastern 80-51, halt 3-game skid

After dropping three games in a row, the UMass women’s basketball team was very much in need of a bounce back performance on Thursday night.The Minutewomen certainly got that – and then some.UMass stormed out to a 26-8 lead after one quarter and...

UMass basketball: Minutemen's struggles continue in 73-69 loss to Central Connecticut State

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — It may be time to lower expectations for the 2024-25 UMass men’s basketball team.The Minutemen have had a tough start to the year – a five-game skid sandwiched in between their season-opening win over New Hampshire and a pair of sluggish...

Amherst College men's soccer travels to Las Vegas for NCAA D3 Final Four

By GARRETT COTE

Consistency is key when it comes to building a successful collegiate program on any level, and Amherst College men’s soccer head coach Justin Serpone has made trips to the NCAA Division III Final Four a consistent destination for the Mammoths during...

UMass hockey: Daniel Jencko’s return to the lineup sparking Minutemen up front

By RYAN AMES

Daniel Jencko returned to the UMass hockey lineup with a bang on Nov. 29.After missing seven games due to injury, Jencko tallied his second goal of the season against Army at Mullins Center, helping the Minutemen pick up their seventh victory of the...

UMass football: Longtime Springfield College coach Mike DeLong talks former player, new Minutemen hire Joe Harasymiak: “He’s really ready for this”

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — Joe Harasymiak had head coaching in his blood, that much was clear from the early stages in his life. That’s all he ever wanted to be when he grew up. And by time he got to college to play defensive back for head coach Mike DeLong at...

UMass to hire Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak as next head coach

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — The wait is over, and the UMass football team has found its next head coach.As first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Wednesday morning and confirmed in a press release by UMass athletics, Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak is...

UMass athletics: Men’s soccer, field hockey tourney runs highlighting final A-10 seasons

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — There may be plenty of reasons for UMass fans to lament the athletic department over the past two weeks – a third-straight disappointing football season and a subpar men’s basketball start (3-5 record) among the results-based reasons outside...

UMass football: Amid coaching search, pair of blunders has athletic department in the spotlight

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — In the midst of trying to hire a new head football coach, the University of Massachusetts athletic department can’t seem to get out of its own way.While Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford hasn’t addressed the fanbase since firing former head...

Fit to Play with Jim Johnson: Lessons of the playground

There was a vacant lot on the corner of 10th Street and Avenue H. I learned to play there, meeting up daily with other children in the neighborhood after school. There is something irreplaceable about unsupervised play; many lessons are learned. We...