Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
So much for a lack of offense.
The University of Maine men’s hockey team entered the weekend with just four goals to their credit in as many games. They tripled that sum in a pair of games against one of the elite teams in the nation, sweeping Niagara University 4-2 and 4-1 in the Purple Eagles’ second visit ever to Alfond Arena.
Senior Chris Hahn and sophomore Tanner House scored multiple goals on the weekend, and freshman Gustav Nyquist added a goal and four assists to lead the Black Bears to a confidence-boosting result.
The Black Bears struggled out of the gate Friday night, tallying just four shots in the first period. With a man advantage 9:22 into the game, the Purple Eagles capitalized when forward Vince Rocco sent a slapshot from the point that deflected off UMaine junior goaltender David Wilson onto the stick of center Brian Dowd. Dowd tipped the puck up near the crossbar and batted it down behind Wilson. The play was reviewed for the possibility of a high stick by Dowd, but the goal was not overturned.
The Black Bears came out of the locker room with renewed passion. Starting the period on the short end of a 5-on-3, the Black Bears killed off one penalty and, still down a player, skated shorthanded into the Niagara zone. Sophomore defenseman Mike Banwell found Nyquist between the face-off circles, ready to fire a wrister past Niagara goalie Adam Avramenko. It was the second goal of the season for Nyquist and the first shorthanded goal for the Black Bears.
UMaine took the lead 2:45 into the period on a power play. A shot by Hahn deflected off Avramenko behind the net to Nyquist. House positioned himself at the left post for the pass from Nyquist and flicked it to the roof of the goal.
“I just tried to get in the right spot there for [Nyquist],” House said. “I knew he was going to find me, and the goalie was really deep and looking the other way, so he didn’t have much chance.”
Niagara evened the game back up with three minutes left in the period when forward Ryan Olidis skated in front of the crease and beat Wilson to his stick side.
Just over six minutes into the third period, Niagara attempted to clear the puck from their zone, but Hahn intercepted the pass in front of the net and converted on the one-on-one with Avramenko for what proved to be the game-winner.
The Black Bears got some breathing room at the 13-minute mark as Avramenko lost his balance when freshman forward Brian Flynn directed a pass from behind the goal to House in front, who buried the wrist shot.
“It was a good job by Flynn getting in there, and then knowing that the goalie was out of position and throwing it out,” House said.
The second victory of the season for the Black Bears was earned despite being outshot 35-22 for the game. Wilson saved 33 shots, improving to 1-2-0 on the season while Avramenko saved 18 in his first start of the season. It was also the 700th victory for the UMaine men’s hockey program in its 28-year existence.
In the second game, Niagara called on their regular starter in goal, Juliano Pagliero. Pagliero was eighth in the nation in save percentage last year, leading the team to an NCAA tournament berth. He started all six games for Niagara prior to the weekend, earning a 2-3-1 record with one shutout.
UMaine countered with freshman Scott Darling, who came into the game as the statistical leader of the Black Bear goaltenders, earning a shutout in his first start in Alaska and taking the loss in a 2-1 defeat against Northeastern last Saturday.
Darling was once again phenomenal between the pipes, allowing a lone goal on 29 attempts and securing the 4-1 win.
The Black Bears started better in the second game, taking more shots in the first 10 minutes than in the entire first period the previous night. Neither team could convert on their opportunities. Niagara had eight chances to UMaine’s seven.
UMaine started the scoring one minute into the second period on a power play. Nyquist sent a shot through from the right point that Pagliero had trouble containing. Hahn picked up the rebound and flicked it in to the goalie’s left on a second effort.
The Black Bears capitalized on another power play at the 4:29 mark when defenseman Jeff Dimmen fired a slapshot from the blue line that beat Pagliero stick side for his first goal of the season.
Niagara narrowed the lead to one just over a minute into the third period when defenseman Tyler Gotto sent a wrister from the point that Darling mishandled and could not cover before Rocco got a stick on it and put it between his pads.
“It was a shot through a screen. I picked it up late, and I just got a piece of it and it dropped in front of me,” Darling said, describing the goal. “Before I could freeze it the guy [Rocco] whacked it through my five-hole.”
Shortly after, the Black Bears gave Niagara a 5-on-3 advantage and once again killed the penalties to hold Niagara’s high-powered offense.
UMaine widened the lead back to two midway through the third period when sophomore Josh Van Dyk sent a wrister from the blue line that redirected off Hahn into the goal for the Black Bears’ third power-play tally of the night. Nyquist was also credited with an assist on the play as his pass set up Van Dyk.
The Black Bears capped the scoring 12:50 into the period when Nyquist chipped the puck out of the UMaine zone to House, skating up the right side. House crossed to Brian Flynn on an odd-man rush and Flynn roofed a wrister from the left face-off circle.
“It feels good to get it out of the way,” Flynn said of his first collegiate goal. “It was exciting.”
Pagliero took his fourth loss of the season, while Niagara drops to 2-5-1. Darling earned his second win, and the Black Bears bring their record back to .500 at 3-3-0.
“The team came out and played as good as they did last night and made my life easier,” Darling said.
UMaine coach Tim Whitehead was pleased to see the team bounce back from a frustrating weekend against Northeastern. The Black Bears capitalized on three of six power play opportunities in the second game, which had been a point of concern the previous weekend.
“It was good to get some pucks in the net, and guys to realize that they can score if they get to the net well, and release the puck quickly,” Whitehead said. “I was very pleased to see the goal light on a few times for us.”
Niagara coach Dave Burkholder looks for his team to regroup after a difficult weekend in Orono.
“Both their goalies – I don’t know if either one of them made a mistake for the weekend – and their power play was more than we could handle, that’s for sure,” Burkholder said. “If you would’ve told me flying in here, ‘Thursday we’re going to hold Maine to 45 shots in two games, and we don’t get a win,’ I would’ve said, ‘you’re crazy.’”
The Black Bears return to action Sunday afternoon when they host defending NCAA National Champion Boston College at 4 p.m.
Bangor Daily News