Meyers made three starts last season while serving
as an understudy to Jon Quick.
Key Statistics: Meyers
only saw action in five games (three starts) last year
while serving as the backup to Jon Quick. He went 2-1-0
with an .887 save percentage and 2.97 goals-against
average. While Quick was on the bench with an ankle
injury on Feb. 25, Meyers made 29 saves at Northeastern
to lead UMass to a crucial 5-3 comeback victory.
What He Does: The win
over the Huskies marked Meyers’ lone start against
a Hockey East school last year, and Northeastern wasn’t
exactly a model of offensive consistency. There isn’t
a great body of work to go on here, but there are two
ways to look at that game. For starters, Meyers made
29 saves on the road and got the win during UMass’
late-season push up the league standings. But, he allowed
three goals (off a rebound, a wrister through his five-hole,
and a turnaround shot) that he’d probably like
to have back. Either way, the overall performance was
strong, and that's not a bad impression to leave when
there isn't much of a sample size.
The Bigger Picture: Meyers has to be
The Guy Who Replaces The Guy, perhaps the most unenviable
of positions to be put in as an athlete. Quick, who
left after his sophomore campaign to sign with the Los
Angeles Kings, put together the greatest goaltending
season in UMass hockey history in his first full year
as a starter, so folks in Amherst have something to
fall back on with Meyers. While the Minutemen came together
on every part of
the game during their first NCAA Tournament run last
year, Quick was the guy in the spotlight. Whether it’s
fair or not, that spotlight – or microscope –
will now be on Meyers.
Former UMass goalie Jon Quick
on Dan Meyers: "He's fully capable of
[taking over as the starter]. I think he learned a lot
last year working with [UMass goaltending coach] Jim
Stewart, and he gets along well with the team. He should
be fine. The bigger part is being mentally prepared
for it. It's still the same game he’s been playing
for the last 16 years or however long he’s been
playing. He has to be ready for the 40-game season,
mentally and physically. He’s got to be committed
when he is at practice – making practices worthwhile
to get ready for games."
