The second half of the season certainly didn’t start the way the University of Maine’s nationally-ranked hockey team wanted it to, losing 4-2 to Bentley University (Massachusetts) in Portland on Sunday despite outshooting the Falcons 45-19.
But UMaine head coach Ben Barr and his Black Bears aren’t dwelling on the loss.
Lessons were learned and they have a short turnaround because defending national champion Denver is invading UMaine’s Alfond Arena for a two-game series on Friday (6:00) and Saturday (6:30) nights.
“I don’t think our performance (against Bentley) was much different than any other time in the first half. But it wasn’t good enough,” said Barr. “We didn’t get to enough rebounds. We had plenty of chances. Credit to Bentley, they blocked a lot of shots (27) and killed a ton of penalties (5-of-6 including a five-minute major).
“It was one of those games where we allowed some funny bounces to hurt us. We had a bad line change on the third goal; a bad breakout on the first goal and a bad faceoff on a penalty kill (on the second goal) and that’s the game,” said the fourth-year coach. “There is a thin margin of error. We have to be better. We were sloppy at inopportune times and every time we were, it went in our net.”
“We learned a lot about ourselves,” said junior left wing and alternate captain Thomas Freel. “Sometimes working our hardest isn’t enough. It’s about executing on each individual play. We have to minimize those small errors because teams at this level will make you pay for it.
“They were a really good team and they made us pay for every mistake we made,” Freel added.
UMaine senior defenseman and co-captain David Breazeale said they have to simplify their game.
“We have to get pucks to the net, get bodies to the net and chip the puck in and go in and forecheck. That’s our bread and butter,” said Breazeale. “When we’re playing fast, we’re putting the puck in behind teams and holding onto them in the corner.
“That’s where our offense usually comes from. We’ve got to get back to that and get back to our identity come Friday night,” Breazeale added.
Senior center and alternate captain Nolan Renwick said they have to do a better job screening the goalie.
“We have to have a guy in the paint (goalie’s crease area) and in the goalie’s eyes at all times and we have to get those second and third chances (off rebounds),” said Renwick.
Barr said some of his veteran players are struggling, especially on the defense corps, and they need to play better.
“They don’t have to go out (individually) and win a game for us. But when there is a play to be made and you have a chance to make a play that can impact the game, you have to make it,” said Barr. “That’s what championship teams do and that goes for everyone in the lineup.”
He said some of his defensemen have had some regression.
“It’s not that they aren’t good kids and they aren’t working hard. It’s more of a mental thing and it’s something we have to work through as a program,” said Barr.
The Black Bears are 12-3-2 and fell from fourth to seventh in the two national polls following the loss while Denver will come into this weekend ranked sixth with its 14-4 record which includes four losses in its last six games and an exhibition shootout loss to the University of Nevada Las Vegas’ club team.
Denver rallied to tie the game 6-6 after falling behind 5-1.
The Pioneers have won two of the last three NCAA titles.
“They’re very skilled and very fast and I don’t know of anything they don’t do well. When you play the caliber of team that has the culture that they have, the players that they have and the coaches that they have, you have to be on your game,” said Barr. “We want to be that. That’s what we’re trying to be. This is why you play the game.
“It’s about how good can we be as a team. We’re just not there with everybody. We’re searching for those last three or four spots of players that want to be that guy to make that play when the chance is there. And what a great opportunity to try to do that than at home against the defending national champions,” he added.
