University of Maine sophomore goalie Albin Boija preserved the win for the Black Bears on Sunday with a great glove save. He made the jaw-dropping stop against sophomore center Dans Locmelis with 28.6 seconds left to help secure a 3-2 victory over the University of Massachusetts.
“That’s the best save I’ve ever seen in college hockey,” veteran UMass head coach Greg Carvel said after the game.
As seen in a video from Hockey East and UMaine men’s hockey, a deflected shot from the point landed on the stick of Locmelis at the bottom of the right faceoff circle. He ripped it to the short side only to have Boija reach out and snare it.
“That was probably one of the best saves of my life so far,” Boija said. “It came in off a shot from a (defenseman) and I didn’t see where it went because it hit someone in front.”
“All of a sudden it pops onto this guy’s stick and somehow I got my glove there. I don’t know how,” Boija added.
UMaine junior defenseman Brandon Holt’s heart sank at first while watching the play, thinking that UMass would score.
“I don’t have any words for it,” Holt said. “I was on the bench watching it and my heart just dropped. And then my jaw dropped when I found out he saved it.”
