Despite losing to UConn again on Friday night, 3-2 in overtime, the University of Maine’s hockey team has clinched a top-four finish in Hockey East, meaning it avoids having to play a preliminary round game and will host a quarterfinal game on March 15.
The teams that finish sixth through 11th will be involved in the preliminary round games on March 12. After those, teams will be reseeded and the lowest seeded survivor will take on the league’s regular season champion, which will be Boston College barring an unlikely Eagle collapse and an unbeaten finish by UMaine.
The second-place team will entertain the second lowest seeded survivor and the third place team will await the highest-seeded survivor. The fourth seed will host the fifth seed in the other quarterfinal.
Boston College has 47 points with three games left (two vs. New Hampshire and one at home vs. Merrimack); UMaine has 42 with four remaining (two at home vs. Vermont, two at UMass); and Boston University has 38 points with three left (at UConn; home vs. Providence, and at Vermont).
Teams receive three points for a regulation win; two for an overtime or shootout win and one for an overtime or shootout loss.
UConn and Providence are tied for fourth with 30 points and four games left.
According to PlayoffStatus.com, UMaine has just a 12 percent chance of passing Boston College for the regular season title, but an 87 percent chance to finish second.
There were two pieces of good news for UMaine in its overtime loss at UConn.
First, its power play finally scored, ending a dreadful 0-for-29 drought with two power play goals on its only two attempts.
Special teams play is so important, especially in the postseason.
Remember that UMaine was unable to convert on a five-minute power play against Cornell in the NCAA Springfield Regional last season. The Black Bears had a 1-0 lead and a power play goal or two in that five-minute major would have changed the whole complexion of the game, which was won by Cornell 3-1.
Second, graduate student center and co-captain Lynden Breen returned to the lineup for the first time since breaking his fibula on Nov. 30 and played well.
“He looked good. He had a lot of jump. He made some plays,” said UMaine head coach Ben Barr.
That bodes well for the team’s future.
Breen is only going to get better as his game shape improves.
In its 14 games since the Christmas break, UMaine has scored two goals or fewer in nine of them. In two others, they scored three goals but the last one was an empty-netter.
Breen has 111 career points on 47 goals and 64 assists so he gives them a valuable scoring option.
He is also physical, playing much larger than his 5-foot-9, 172-pound frame.
He is the heart and soul of the team and good in all three zones and every situation. He could have begun his pro career this season, but elected to come back for a fifth year.
UMaine went 10-33-6 in Breen’s first two seasons before winning 15 games two years ago and 23 last year, earning the team its first berth in the Hockey East semifinals and NCAA Tournament since the 2011-12 season.
He came back to win a national championship and for him to put in all the time and effort required to recover from his broken leg and return to the lineup as soon as he has is a testament to him and his character.
And his teammates aren’t going to want to let him down.
The bad news is Friday’s loss at UConn was another underwhelming performance like the first New Hampshire game two weeks ago in which the Black Bears pulled out a 1-1 tie and shootout win despite being decisively outplayed.
An extra-attacker goal by UMaine senior center Harrison Scott with 46 seconds left in regulation salvaged the tie.
This past Friday, UConn outshot UMaine 45-34. It was the most shots UMaine has given up this season.
What’s strange is the Black Bears are 0-4-1 against Boston College and UConn and 11-0-4 against the rest of the league.
Vermont invades Alfond Arena on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Saturday night will be Seniors Night.
Both teams have plenty to play for.
UMaine would like to sew up an NCAA Tournament berth if it hasn’t already, and Vermont is in 10th place but still has a chance to finish eighth and earn the final home ice berth for the preliminary round in Hockey East. It is six points behind Merrimack and UMass, who occupy the final two home ice berths.
UMaine has remained fourth in the Pairwise Rankings which mimic the NCAA Tournament selection process. It is ranked fifth in both weekly national polls.
The Black Bears are 19-6-5 overall, 11-4-5 in Hockey East.
UMaine is 4-1-3 in its last eight games.
Vermont is 11-16-3 and 6-12-2. The Catamounts have lost three straight, the last two to Boston College, and eight of their last 11.
But the Catamounts are very capable of winning a game in Orono, and possibly even two.
There are no certain wins in Hockey East, the deepest league among the six in Division I.
It is important for UMaine to string together some consistent 60-minute performances to get ready for the playoffs.
