Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito welcomed head coach Greg Carvel, members of the and UMass administration to the State House on Tuesday, April 20, to celebrate the program鈥檚 first-ever NCAA Championship.
The ceremony was held at 2 p.m. at the Ashburton Park entrance to the State House on Bowdoin St.
Gov. Baker, Lt. Gov. Polito, as well as state legislative leaders Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano participated in a speaking program, followed by remarks from UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and UMass President Marty Meehan highlighting the Minutemen's ascent to the top of college hockey.
鈥淲e are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to celebrate this national championship with Gov. Baker, Lt. Gov. Polito and our state legislative leadership,鈥 said athletic director Ryan Bamford. 鈥淏eing invited to the State House will be an experience that we will never forget.鈥
UMass students, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to view and take a photo with the national championship trophy in late April at the newly renovated Student Union and other campus facilities. Complete details will be announced soon.
The State House visit is the final formal recognition event for the hockey program in the spring semester. Due to current state guidelines and in accordance with Phase IV, Step 1 of the Reopening Plan, a parade for the team will not be held this spring and may be delayed until the fall. In addition, most hockey student-athletes have returned home for the first time since August 2020 to finish the semester remotely or to pursue professional hockey opportunities.
is currently planning a series of events to honor the hockey program when students return to campus this fall, which include recognizing the Minutemen at a home football game in September. Details surrounding all events, including championship banner raisings at the Mullins Center this October, will be announced as they are finalized.
鈥淭he outpouring of recognition throughout our postseason run has been overwhelming,鈥 said Carvel. 鈥淲e have some of the most loyal and passionate supporters in college hockey, and we sincerely appreciate their dedication to this program. Our team is now looking forward to taking a step back and finishing the spring semester strong in the classroom. We can't wait to be back together soon and share this championship more broadly with everyone in the fall.鈥
Led by the play of Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player Bobby Trivigno and All-Tournament Team selections Filip Lindberg, Matthew Kessel and Zac Jones, UMass defeated St. Cloud State, 5-0, on April 10 in Pittsburgh to capture its first NCAA Championship in program history. The Minutemen finished the season 20-5-4, going unbeaten over its final 14 games (11-0-3) and winning its first-ever Hockey East tournament title along the way.
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