Massachusetts hockey alum Steve Mastalerz has returned to his alma mater to join the Minutemen staff as director of player of development.
Mastalerz, who was a goaltender for the Minutemen from 2011 to 2015, comes back to Amherst with nine years of experience coaching goaltenders on a professional, collegiate and youth level.
“We are very excited to add Steve Mastalerz to our staff as our third assistant per the new rules recently adopted by the NCAA,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel in a statement. “Not only is Steve an elite goaltending coach with extensive experience, but he is also an alum and former goaltender for the University of Massachusetts. This season, we will have two NHL goaltending prospects on our team, and we have another committed down the road. Steve will be a tremendous resource in our goaltenders’ development and their success on the ice. As a former UMass hockey player, I had built a friendship with Steve over the seven years I’ve been the head coach at UMass and I’m excited to work with him on a daily basis.”
“I am thrilled for the opportunity to be back at UMass with Coach Carvel and staff,” added Mastalerz. “Watching what this program has turned into and earned as a reputation is very exciting to be a part of. I look forward to continuing to develop the culture and overall success of the team. Being an alumnus of the University of Massachusetts and now be able to contribute to this great University is an honor.”
Most recently, Mastalerz was the vice president and head instructor for Mike Buckley’s Goaltending Development Services and served as the goaltending coach for the NAHL’s Northeast Generals, holding both positions since the fall of 2015.
Upon graduating from UMass, Mastalerz signed with the then-AHL Manchester Monarchs and was with the squad during their 2015 Calder Cup run. He remained with Manchester as their goaltending coach from 2016 to 2018.
In his career with the Minutemen, Mastalerz appeared in 77 career games and logged a 3.12 GAA and a .894 save percentage. He posted 20 wins and four shutouts, which currently ranks 10th in program history, while his career saves total (1,953) is sixth all-time in the UMass record book.
Mastalerz set UMass’ Division I single game saves record, which was then sixth-most in NCAA history, with 75 stops in the Minutemen’s five-overtime victory at Notre Dame on March 6, 2015 in the Hockey East tournament. He was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was twice named to the Hockey East all-academic team.
Mastalerz earned his Bachelor of Science in psychology from UMass in May 2015.
