One of the keys to the University of Maine hockey team’s Hockey East tournament championship run has been its balanced scoring.
Sixteen players registered at least a goal or an assist in UMaine’s playoff wins over UMass Lowell (7-1), Northeastern (4-3 in double overtime) and UConn (5-2).
And that includes sophomore goalie Albin Boija, who earned an assist on Josh Nadeau’s power play goal against UConn.
Thirteen players have notched at least two points in the three games, and 11 scored at least one goal with five producing two goals apiece.
Seven players have at least three points and the Black Bears have a player on all four lines with at least a goal.
“Depth scoring is important,” said senior center and alternate captain Nolan Renwick. “We haven’t always been consistent [scoring-wise] in the second half of the year but the team is getting hot right now and you need that in the playoffs.”
Junior left wing and UMass Lowell transfer Owen Fowler, sophomore right winger Josh Nadeau, senior center and alternate-captain Harrison Scott and senior defenseman and co-captain David Breazeale are the leading playoff point-getters with four each heading into Friday night’s 8:30 p.m. game against Penn State in the Allentown (Pa.) NCAA Regional.
Fowler, Nadeau and Scott each have two goals and two assists and Breazeale has four assists.
Renwick is one of five players with three points. He has two assists to go with his double overtime game-winning goal. Sophomore defenseman and Merrimack College transfer Frank Djurasevic also has a goal and two assists. Senior center and co-captain Lynden Breen and senior left wing and UMass transfer Taylor Makar each have two goals and an assist, and sophomore right wing and Clarkson transfer Charlie Russell has three assists.
Seven players have figured in the scoring on their three game-winning goals.
Djurasevic has a game-winning goal and assisted on Renwick’s winner in the second overtime; Scott has the other game-winning goal and Makar, Breazeale and sophomore left wing Sully Scholle and Russell have assists.
“It definitely helps,” said Fowler, noting that they had seven different goal scorers against UMass Lowell. “It shows the depth of our team. Everyone can contribute every night.”
Fowler called the depth “really special in our group” and said the team is looking forward to continuing it. Scott called the scoring balance “incredible.”
“Everyone is feeling good right now. The puck is going in the net. Our offense is generating,” said Scott. “It comes back to our details and just playing the game from the (defensive) zone out and being relentless over pucks.”
Breen said “everyone in the lineup wants to make an impact and wants to be a big-time player. That’s the biggest thing for us. That’s what you saw Thursday night in overtime. Every guy wants the puck on his stick and wants to make an impact and that’s what’s setting us apart.”
Developing scoring depth has been one of fourth-year head coach Ben Barr and his coaching staff’s priorities. And the Black Bears have improved in that area every season.
The current team has 14 players with 10 or more points, eight with 20 or more and five with at least 10 goals.
The 14 players with at least 10 points is the most since the 2004-05 team had 15 players with 10 or more points. And having eight with at least 20 points is the most since the 2009-10 team had nine with 20 or more.
Last year’s team, which also made the NCAA tournament, had 11 players with 10 or more points, seven with 20 or more and three with at least 10 goals.
The 15-win team in 2022-23 had 13 players with 10 or more points but only three with 20 or more. Breen was the only one with 10 or more goals, with 21 that season.
Barr’s first team, which won only seven games, had 10 players with 10 or more points. But Breen was the only one with 20 or more points and the Black Bears had just one 10-goal producer Donavan Houle.
