The University of Maine’s hockey team lost players who scored 64 of its 124 goals last season. And with this past weekend’s sweep of defending Atlantic Hockey America regular season champion Holy Cross, the Black Bears gave an indication of how they’re going to replace that production.
UMaine exhibited balanced scoring and a willingness to attack the net front, with 14 players registering at least a goal or an assist.
The Black Bears earned 5-2 and 6-0 victories over the weekend, and they did that with plenty of so-called greasy goals, which are powered by hustle and positioning around the net rather than pure skill.
Six of the 11 goals were scored on net drives.
In Friday’s win, sophomore right wing Thomas Pichette jammed home a loose puck from the edge of the crease and freshman left wing Justin Poirier shoveled home a backhander while diving across the crease area.
On Saturday, junior right wing Josh Nadeau pounced on a loose puck just outside the crease and snapped a wrister past goalie Danick Leroux from a tight angle; senior left wing Thomas Freel and freshman right wing Miguel Marques were parked just outside the net and had point shots deflect in off them and sophomore center Oskar Komarov converted on a wraparound.
UMaine certainly benefitted from the fact the Crusaders have very little experience among their three goalies but, regardless, that is the blueprint the Black Bears need to follow.
Goalies at this level are going to stop virtually every shot they see. So it becomes important to screen them, get shots off quickly and attack the net looking for rebounds and tips.
Nine of UMaine’s 13 newcomers played in at least one of the two games and seven played in both.
Seven tallied their first collegiate points.
UMaine’s leading scorers are Poirier, who had a hat trick on Friday night and an assist on Saturday, and freshman center Jaden Lipinski, who had a goal and an assist each night.
Poirier was named Hockey East’s Co-Rookie of the Week.
Brown University transfer Max Scott reminded everyone of his older brother, Harrison Scott, the team’s top scorer a year ago.
Both are hard-working centers who produce in all three zones: both can score, set up teammates, win faceoffs and are strong on the defensive side of the puck including the penalty kill.
Scott and Freel each had three points with Scott earning three assists and Freel having two assists to go with his goal.
And six defensemen found the scoresheet led by senior Brandon Chabrier, who had four assists.
When fifth-year head coach Ben Barr took over at UMaine, he had two dependable lines and three reliable defensemen on his first team, which went 7-22-4.
One of his primary focal points was developing depth, and that has improved every year to the point he can now play four lines and six defensemen and get quality minutes out of all of them.
UMaine’s fourth line was one of the highlights of the weekend.
Komarov centered the line with Pichette on the right wing and freshman Will Gerrior on the left side.
They were very effective on the forecheck.
They finished checks, won loose pucks, got to the net front and created chaos in the offensive zone.
During UMaine’s heyday, the late Shawn Walsh always had a gritty, hard-working and resourceful fourth line. And he would put them out for the center ice faceoff after UMaine had scored.
The Black Bears, ranked seventh in both major national polls, killed all eight Holy Cross power plays and went 2-for-10 with the man advantage.
There was a lot to like about the Holy Cross series. But there is still a long way to go, and playing in front of sold-out crowds at Alfond Arena is worth at least a goal per game.
There were plenty of mistakes but that can be expected.
When you lose five forwards who had at least 123 career games under their belts and were key components in every aspect of the game, it takes time to replace them.
Three of them — Scott, Lynden Breen and Nolan Renwick — were centers who took virtually all of the faceoffs and combined to win over 54 percent of them.
This year’s team will have its ups and downs.
But when the team is struggling, it can rely on junior goalie Albin Boija to keep them in games.
And freshman goaltender Mathis Rousseau showed in the 2-2 exhibition tie with New Hampshire that he is also capable of doing so.
Boija was outstanding over the weekend, particularly in the second game on Saturday.
The 6-0 scoreline was misleading.
Holy Cross outshot UMaine 22-20 and had some good stretches of offensive zone pressure.
But Boija, a second team All-American and All-Hockey East selection last year, kept them off the scoresheet with help from his mates.
It was a good start, and the $50 million in stadium renovations at the Alfond Arena were impressive.
The Black Bears will get a tougher test this weekend when they visit 10th-ranked Quinnipiac for a pair of games in Connecticut.
