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UMass-Amherst head coach John Micheletto appears in the midst of transforming the Minuteman program. The former Vermont Associate Head Coach just finished his first season at the helm in Amherst. He has asked three players to not return for the 2013-14 season and more departures could be imminent.
Sophomore goaltender Kevin Boyle will not return to the program. The Manalapan, NJ native appeared in 20 games this past season recording an 8-10-2 record with a 2.73 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. Boyle's absence will leave the goaltending duties to fellow sophomore Steve Mastalerz who played in 15 games.
Freshman K.J. Tiefenwerth has also been asked to leave the program. The former BC recruit was once a hot commodity. He fell out of favor with the BC coaches, which led to his commitment to UMass. The Bellmore, NY native had two goals and four assists in six games.
Former Northeastern forward Rob Dongara who transferred to UMass will also not be back. He sat out this past season due to transfer rules.
Defenseman Conor Allen signed with the New York Rangers following the season foregoing his final year of eligibility.
According to sources, more departures could be on the horizon. Had there not been any departures, and all the recruits came as expected, the roster size would have been over 30.
Jeff Cox covers college hockey for SBNation. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSBNation.