West Roxbury Native Looks to Lead UMass Hockey Team

Photo Credit: @ShaneWalsh10

The UMass Minutemen will kick off Hockey East play on Friday against the University of New Hampshire. The team is already off to a 3-0-0 start and in large part due to the play of West Roxbury native Shane Walsh.

As a junior in 2014-2015, Walsh enjoyed a breakout season. He tripled his career goal total, finishing second on the team with 14 goals in 36 games, including three game-winners.

Since Jan. 1, 2015, Walsh has tallied 21 points in 21 games. He’s among the country’s leading goal scorers with 15 during that time. So far in 2015-2016, Walsh has scored three goals and three assists.

Walsh scored one of the most memorable goals in school history last season, ending the longest NCAA Division I game after 151 minutes, 42 seconds. He scored the game winner in the fifth overtime against Notre Dame during the Hockey East Tournament. His stick now resides in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

As a senior, Walsh will look to lead a young team, which has 19 freshman and sophomores. Walsh is just one of two seniors on the team. He’ll be heavily relied upon to propel the Minutemen to a successful campaign against some of the best competition in the country.