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The University of Maine men’s hockey team hopes the confines of Alfond Arena has residual magic from homecoming weekend.
The momentum from their Oct. 17 win against Michigan State University failed to follow the Black Bears on the road last weekend to the University of Massachusetts and the University of New Hampshire, and they returned home with a 1-5-0 (0-2-0 Hockey East) record heading into a daunting Friday night matchup with 10th-ranked University of Vermont.
“We were hoping to steal some points in our first Hockey East weekend, but unfortunately we didn’t get it done,” said UMaine coach Tim Whitehead.
Friday’s 7 p.m. game will be the only one for UMaine to prepare for this weekend.
The 2-2-0 (1-1-0 HE) Catamounts fell to eventual national champions Boston University in the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals, and despite losing sophomore Hobey Baker finalist Viktor Stalberg to the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Peter Lenes to graduation, they return seven seniors.
“Vermont always has a tough team,” Whitehead said. “We know it’s going to be a tough challenge, and there’s a real good rivalry building between the teams.”
Vermont’s two losses this season came to then top-ranked (now No. 2) University of Denver on Oct. 9 and Merrimack College Friday.
Stalberg’s younger brother, Sebastian, is a freshman on the team led by seniors Brayden Irwin and Brian Roloff. Irwin is tied for seventh in Hockey East scoring with six points. Roloff had a 29-point season a year ago, and is chipping in with two this fall. Of the top 11 scorers for Vermont, 10 are upperclassmen.
Sophomore goaltender Rob Madore started 29 games for the Catamounts last year, with now senior Mike Spillane letting him rest for 10 games. Madore has started all four games this season for Vermont and carries a goals-against average of 3.54 and an .895 save percentage.
UMaine is generating 2.8 goals per-game, an improvement from 2.2 goals per-game last year, but the cause of their struggles is difficulty keeping the puck out of their own net. UMaine’s goalies — sophomore Scott Darling, freshman Shawn Sirman and senior Dave Wilson — have combined for a 4.67 team goals-against average. Darling’s average is the team’s best at 4.19. The Black Bears rank last in team defense in Hockey East.
“We just need to tighten up defensively and take more pride,” sophomore defenseman Will O’Neill said.
Darling and Sirman each played three periods between the pipes last weekend but not consecutively. After Darling gave up three first period goals against UMass on Friday he was lifted for Sirman to make his collegiate debut. Sirman played the first two periods Saturday at UNH and allowed all four goals, while Darling finished with a scoreless third frame.
Sirman said he enjoyed his first taste of Hockey East in an opposing arena, but is putting in extra practice sessions this week with Darling and Wilson to resolve technical issues.
“We need to focus and be more ready for games,” Sirman said. “What we want to do is give our team a chance to win every night.”
Whitehead said goaltending is not the only reason UMaine is allowing nearly a goal per-game more than their nearest Hockey East competitor. He stressed that defense at the net-front must be more sound this weekend against Vermont’s skilled forwards and that the team took uncharacteristically bad penalties against UMass. The Black Bears allowed three power play goals by the Minutemen.
“We have to really concentrate on playing the full 60 minutes and playing better team defense to give our goalies an opportunity to succeed,” Whitehead said.
Whitehead also feels it is too soon to panic that the Black Bears have not established a clear No.1 goalie.
“We have confidence that any of our three goalies could rise up and solidify himself as our No. 1 guy,” Whitehead said. “I think the issue is more with our team protecting our goalies than it is with one particular goalie elevating his game. I think as soon as we protect our goalies on a consistent basis from second and third shot opportunities and back door passes, then they’re going to start to shine.”
O’Neill scored his first two goals of the season against UMass and UNH and said the Black Bears are only looking forward.
“With some hard work this week, we can shut down UVM,” O’Neill said. “Just keep our offense going, and we should be OK.”
Even though the Catamounts have a target on their backs as a ranked team, UMaine does not look at the matchup with any more significance than if it was a lower-level opponent.
“Every game that we have is a ‘must win’,” O’Neill said. “This isn’t any different from any other game. It’s just two points in Hockey East, and we want to get them.”
O’Neill prefers two-game weekend sets, but thinks this is good timing for a single-game week.
“We focus on one game. We can’t even look for the next night,” O’Neill said. “We’ve got to win that game, and that’s what it comes down to.”
UMaine took some positives from their misfortune last weekend. They scored three power play goals in the two games to improve their percentage (27.0-percent), which is third best in Hockey East.
“Our power play was clicking,” O’Neill said. “Whenever your power play is that high, it’s a good power play.”
Junior captain Tanner House returned to the lineup Friday night after rehabbing a leg injury suffered in preseason. He scored a power play goal each night. UMaine’s top scoring line last year of House, right wing Gustav Nyquist and left wing Brian Flynn reunited on Saturday.
“Just (House’s) presence alone is calming for his teammates,” Whitehead said. “It’s great to see him getting back towards 100 percent.”
Freshman Adam Shemansky collaborated with speedy line mates Spencer Abbott and Matt Mangene and scored his third career goal on Friday. His five points trails Nyquist for the team lead. Nyquist is tied with U forward Blake Kessel for most points in Hockey East.
UMaine’s schedule does not get easier after Friday. Boston University will come to town Nov. 8 for one game.
“There is a point where we just need to worry about ourselves and come out with an attitude and an edge,” O’Neill said. “If we play like we can, then we’re not going to be getting the results that we have been lately.”
