JASON
TEJCHMA
UMass Lowell
Jr. | F | Muskegon, Mich.
Tejchma
finished sixth on the River Hawks in scoring as a sophomore
and is expected to make big strides this winter.
Photo
by Ken Babbitt
Key
Statistics: First of all, Jason Tejchma has been
very durable during his first two years in Lowell, playing
in all 76 of the River Hawks’ games through his career.
More impressive for the youngster is that his 20 goals rank
him fourth on UMass Lowell over that two-year period. He netted
11 goals last season and contributed 15 assists for 26 points
on a team that opened some eyes by finishing fifth in Hockey
East in 2004-05. The River Hawks tallied three short-handed
goals last year, and Tejchma was responsible for two of them.
What He Does: Those two short-handed lamp lighters
are a perfect example of what Tejchma brings to the ice each
and every night. The coaching staff loves having him on the
penalty kill, and they often keep him on the ice longer in
those situations because of his ability in the transition
game. He can show a burst of speed when the opposition has
dead legs at the end of shifts, which is the first thing that
coach Blaise MacDonald raves about when talking about Tejchma.
The Bigger Picture: The River Hawks won’t be
able to sneak up on anyone this year like they did last, as
22 of the 24 skaters who scored a point last season return
in 2005. Leading scorer Ben Walter will take his 39 points
south to the Boston Bruins this year instead of returning
to Lowell for his senior campaign. The surprising departure
will mean bigger roles for everyone on the team, and MacDonald
is asking that each of his River Hawks be five percent more
productive as a result. An added five percent of production
won’t cut it for Tejchma, however, because MacDonald
has him penciled in for 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points
this season. For those of you with your own pencils at home,
that is a 64 percent increase in goals, a 47 percent increase
in assists and a 54 percent increase in overall production.
UMass
Lowell head coach Blaise MacDonald on Tejchma: “He’s
never out-competed. What I absolutely love about him is he
thrives in situations where he senses a weakness in the opponent,
particularly near the end of shifts. He anticipates well.
He is a calculated risk taker, and he has poise and skill
to be productive on the power play as well.”
