The University of Maine hockey team’s performance in its 6-0 season-opening win over Atlantic Hockey America power American International College (Massachusetts) on Saturday night was impressive.
“It’s only one game but we’ve been here a bunch through the years and this looks like one of the better versions of their team,” said ninth-year AIC head coach Eric Lang. “They’re deeper, faster, stronger and have more up and down their lineup.”
One of the trademarks of teams where UMaine head coach Ben Barr had been an assistant coach was their depth.
When he was at Union, Providence and the University of Massachusetts, teams that went on to win their first NCAA titles with players he recruited and coached, depth was a key component to their success.
They each had a handful of elite players but not an overabundance of them. There wasn’t a massive drop-off from the first to fourth lines or first to third defense tandem.
The fact they could roll out four lines and three defense tandems comfortably, knowing that their role players were going to be able to positively impact a game even if they didn’t dent the scoresheet, was crucial to their title runs.
Being able to play four lines and six defensemen keeps high-end players fresh.
That is what Barr and his staff are building in Orono.
With just one NHL draft choice on their roster a year ago in Carolina Hurricanes first-rounder Bradly Nadeau, the lowest number in Hockey East, the Black Bears went 23-12-2 and made their first appearance in a Hockey East semifinal and NCAA Tournament since the 2011-12 campaign.
They only have one again this year, senior left wing and UMass transfer Taylor Makar, a seventh-round choice of Colorado.
The line of Nolan Renwick between Makar and Ross Mitton (Colgate) took center stage, combining for four goals and six assists.
Renwick had two goals and two assists, Makar had two goals and an assist and Mitton had three assists.
This is a power forward line with the most collective experience among the four lines on Saturday night.
Left wing Makar stands 6-foot-3 ½ and weighs 210 pounds: Renwick is 6-2 ½, 215 pounds and Mitton is 5-10 but a solid 200 pounds.
They entered the game with a combined 309 Division I games under their belts.
They are the type of line that will control the puck in the offensive zone with their strength
and reach and they will also get to the net front.
They also have skill so they can score off the rush like they did on Makar’s two goals.
Renwick had only two goals in 25 games a year ago due largely to an ankle injury and Makar had four in 36 games at UMass.
Senior Harrison Scott and junior Thomas Freel, linemates most of last season, are together again and each had a goal with Freel’s coming on the power play. Clarkson transfer Charlie Russell looked good on the right wing with them.
Right wing Josh Nadeau and center Lynden Breen, the team’s second and third-leading point-getters a year ago, were joined on the left wing by sophomore Sully Scholle, who had seven goals in 2023-24.
Even though a Nadeau assist was their only point, their 10 shots on goal were tops.
And it appears that an important upgrade has been made on the fourth line.
Sophomore Anthony Calafiore was one of the pleasant surprises from last year as the right wing on the fourth line and has improved and Finnish freshman center Oskar Komarov and UMass Lowell transfer and left wing Owen Fowler are a definite upgrade over the variety of fourth-liners they had last season.
The defense corps was expected to be a strength of the team with five players with at least 57 games of experience under their belts and the unit was rock solid on Saturday night.
Merrimack transfer Frank Djurasevic had a nice debut on the blue line with a pair of assists and Brandon Holt, one of five juniors on defense, also had a pair.
The tenacious and efficient Black Bears held AIC to eight shots on goal through two periods and then relied on sophomore goalie Albin Boija in the third period as he made nine stops including two rapid-fire Grade-A (high-percentage) saves early in the period.
It is tough on goalies when they aren’t seeing many shots but his play in the third period that helped earn him his third career shutout is indicative of his focus and determination.
Barr considers this to be the deepest of his four teams at UMaine and that was evident on Saturday.
But one game doesn’t make a season and the team must continue to improve.
The sell-out crowd at Alfond Arena was in its usual energized form and it didn’t go unnoticed.
“It’s a blast playing out there,” said Renwick. “These Maine fans are pretty special.”
“It was so much fun,” said Makar, who played against UMaine at Alfond when he was at UMass. “It was so intimidating coming here (as an opponent). The fans really help us.”
Members of the 1998-99 NCAA championship team, who were inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night, were honored between the second and third periods and the current team along with former assistant coach Grant Standbrook had a chance to chat with them over the weekend.
Renwick said it was educational to interact with them as they were in and around the locker room talking to current players.
“Honestly, it was a good learning experience for us,” Renwick said. “They told us funny stories and stories we can learn from, lessons we can take from them and get better as a team. Because that’s where we want to be at the end of the day. We want to bring another championship to Maine and who better to learn from than someone who has already done it.”
UMaine, ranked 10th in the country in one national poll this week and 11th in another, will entertain Army at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Alfond Arena.
