So I've now completed the Hockey East road trip, getting the Mullins Center at UMass-Amherst under my belt. The game itself was a 3-2 win that saw us take our now-usual sluggish start that builds into a lead, but with the wrinkle of either fatigue or complacency allowing UMass to get back into the game. Throw in a penalty with two minutes to go and you have some interesting 6 on 4 play which thankfully didn't lead to a tie.

There was a fair amount of pre-game spectacle, from a dry ice-filled intro to a pre-game speech from the UMass coach (which at times seemed like a dig at our fans with the multiple exhortations for classiness). The fans were pretty into the game, and there were good numbers, though at least some of the students are still learning the game (it seems like many of them were sitting right behind us).

A big chunk of the arena is sold as general admission, which is good in that it allows you to stake out decent seats. It's bad in that you have people scouting out seats into the first period, like they just got to the movies and are trying to find seats together. That'd be less irritating if the place was full, but it wasn't. Not that I'd expect it, given that it seats over 8300 for hockey.

Two things I didn't care for:

1. The lack of a central scoreboard. They've tried to remedy this by putting video scoreboards at either end, but it's not optimal for a newer building, I think. All of the banners use the middle space, which seems like a waste.

2. The general boxiness of the arena, which was reminiscent of both Tsongas and the DCU Center in Worcester that way. That's more aesthetic than anything else, of course.

All that being said, I did enjoy the experience and would go back out to Amherst for games without reservation. Now that I've been there - and now that Vermont is in Hockey East - my new arena rankings are:

10. J Thom. Lawler Arena, Merrimack College - I've now been since the renovations, and while it's an improvement, it's still not good. Sorry.

9. Schneider Arena, Providence College - though I should go back next season for a re-assessment. Just when they're not playing BU, as I don't think I've seen us win there.

8. Alfond Arena, University of Maine - my last experience has soured me on the building, with the lack of seat backs and oddly pitched roof. That and the price gouging.

7. Matthews Arena, Northeastern University - given how close I work to this venue, I've not been to a game here in years. I can't imagine it's improved, but it's still one of the few old barns out there.

6. Conte Forum, Boston College - for the same reasons as before.

5. Tsongas Arena, UMass-Lowell - I've not been here for a long time, so I'm kind of defaulting here.

4. Whittemore Center, University of New Hampshire - again, a building I could stand to revisit.

3. Gutterson Fieldhouse, University of Vermont - one of the old barns that's still a good place to see a game, as long as you don't mind bleachers. Always good energy from the crowd.

2. Mullins Center, UMass-Amherst - perhaps a little too recently visited compared to others, but a new fave for sure. Just wonder what the building is like when they play Merrimack or Providence (such as last night, when they drew fewer than half as many for the Friars as they did for us).

1. Agganis Arena, Boston University - the homer raises his head again, but really this is the class of the league. It better have been, given the cost to build it.