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It’s been a long six months for the University of Maine men’s hockey team. After a crushing overtime defeat to eventual national champions Boston College in March, the Black Bears’ season was suddenly over.
The time off has been painful for the team and fans alike, as everyone has been anticipating the Black Bears’ return to the ice.
“We had a great run last year,” head coach Tim Whitehead said. “We came up one goal short from making a run at the National Championship. We’re taking the plus and minuses of last year and applying them this year.”
The wait is finally coming to an end, as the Black Bears’ first game is this coming Sunday against Acadia University.
Expectations are high heading into the season, as the team returns its top seven scorers and 11 of the top 12 from a season ago.
Those expectations have led the Black Bears to a predicted second place finish in Hockey East, as well as the seventh-ranked team in the country heading into the season.
Headlining the list of returnees is the nation’s leading scorer from last year, junior forward Gustav Nyquist. Nyquist is the only Hobey Baker Hat Trick recipient to return to college. The Hobey Baker Hat Trick is handed out to the three top performers in the country.
Also returning is last year’s captain, senior forward Tanner House. House finished with 39 points and led the nation’s top power play unit with 10 goals with a man advantage.
“They’ve all improved individually since last season,” Whitehead said. “The team came back in great shape both in a cardio sense and physically. We’re going to be a bigger, stronger, faster team.”
In addition to the firepower returning on the front line, the Black Bears also return plenty of experience on defense. Four returning defenders saw action in at least 30 games last season, including assistant captain Jeff Dimmen, who was one goal shy of tying the UMaine record for goals by a defender.
One position that remains a question mark is between the pipes. After losing last season’s end-of-the-year starter Dave Wilson to graduation and with the team and majority starter Scott Darling parting ways, the Black Bears suddenly appear ill-equipped in the net to keep up with the rest of Hockey East — the conference in which the Black Bears are picked to finish second this year.
Coach Whitehead sees the opening in net as an opportunity for the goalies on the team to prove that the spot belongs to them. The leading candidate is sophomore Shawn Sirman, who appeared in limited action last year.
“Sirman admittedly came in out of shape last year, which happens a lot with true freshmen goalies,” Whitehead said. “He’s come back this season in great shape and with the added benefit of last season.”
Whitehead is stressing team defense this season, hopefully to counteract any shortcomings that may appear in the net.
It appears all the pieces seem to be in place for the Black Bears to return to glory in collegiate hockey, and no one believes that more than the players and coaches calling the shots on the ice.
“We realistically believe we can compete for a league and national championship,” Whitehead said. “I understand that it’s difficult to get [to the frozen Four], and no one on our roster has been there before. That’s what we’re aiming for. We took a step forward last year, and we want to take one more this year.”
Bangor Daily News