Could an Offensive Bonanza Be on Tap with Maine at UMass? All Things Hockey East
The Maine Black Bears were locked in last weekend when they beat then-No. 5 Boston University twice to complete a high-profile sweep, asserting their dominance not only over a rival but on the rest of Hockey East.
Simply, put, the Bears have established themselves as the early-season team to beat in the conference. Consequently, the Black Bears were the big movers in the polls this week and jumped up from No. 12 to No. 6.
In the first matchup, both teams came out fired up looking to set an early tone, and things went back-and-fourth. BU sophomore Cole Hutson opened the scoring three minutes in the first. The Black Bears only needed four seconds to respond as freshman Justin Poirier buried the puck into the back of the net. Sophomore Ryder Ritchie gave the Terriers the lead again with a powerplay goal five minutes later, only to see Maine sophomore Sully Scholle tie the game again with nearly seven minutes in the period. BU moved ahaed again as freshman Ben Merrill backhanded the puck into the net over the prone junior Maine keeper Albin Boija. Maine, once again, responded quickly with a nifty tip-in goal from junior Owen Fowler.
In this up down, high-low, see-saw battle on ice, the Terriers regained the lead with sophomore Sascha Boumedienne burying the puck, and on cue, three minutes later, Maine tied the game at 4-4 as burgeoning superstar Poirier scored again, his second of the night. Overtime was needed, albeit, not much as 43 seconds in, junior defenseman Brandon Holt scored the electric game-winner. Holt was so overcome with joy he accidentally pushed open a door along the boards and tumbled out of play as his teammates mobbed him in celebration.
Maine never led until the end, it was down four separate times throughout the game but came back each time and got the gutsy victory.
“That’s got to be our standard, all the time,” Maine coach Ben Barr said. “We haven’t had that every night yet, just in spurts. The guys probably think I'm bananas right now on the bench but there are times where we just completely lose our focus and against a team like that it ends up in the back of your net every single time. I told the guys that we are never going to stop holding them to a high standard and I think they are starting to embrace it.”
In the second game, Maine didn’t need to be gutsy, it was just better in almost every facet of the game. Despite BU scoring just 36 seconds in, when sophomore Brando Svoboda picked up his first goal of the season. the Terriers' only lead the game lasted a mere 23 seconds. Sophomore Charlie Russell began the momentum swing and Maine kept going, adding seven more goals to blow BU out 8-5. The thrashing was led by Russell, who finished with two goals and one assist, junior Max Scott, who also scored two goals and one assist. and Holt with a game-high three assists.
“I don’t know how often we want to get into an 8-5 game with them, but it was nice to end up on the right side of it,” Barr said.
Maine looked like the champions from last year, scoring in bunches while doing just enough to stop an extremely talented BU side to get the crucial victories. Meanwhile, getting swept by Michigan State and Maine wasn’t exactly on Boston University's bingo card, but they've also been playing with a target on their back. After the MSU sweep, the Terrirers responded by beating a good UConn team on the road and they'll be looking to rebound once more during a home-and-home series against Merrimack this weekend.
Huskies on the rise
The Northeastern Huskies have been rolling as of late. After an upset win against powerhouse Denver two weeks ago, they followed it up by sweeping No.10 Boston College in a home-and-home series, bringing their overall record to 5-1 and into first place in Hockey East at 3-0 in league play.
In the first matchup, the Huskies started strong and finished strong, scoring two goals in the first and third periods to give them the 4-1 victory in the Conte Forum. Two days later, Northeastern topped it by blanking the Eagles 3-0.
Over the course of two games, seven different Huskies scored, which is impressive and really showcases their ability to play as a team, rather than rely on one player or one line. But, a serious disservice would be done if heaps of praise were not given to junior goalie Lawton Zacher, who is certainly making his case for the Mike Richter Award, given to the best goalie in all of men’s NCAA hockey. He made 72 saves in the series while only allowing one goal and picked up his second shutout of the season. Overall, he has amassed five wins, a 1.51 GAA and boasts a Hockey East Best .952 save percentage.
As a group, the program has only surrendered nine goals all season, the lowest mark in all of Hockey East by a comfortable margin thus far, propelling Northeastern up to No. 14 in the national rankings after four wins against ranked opponents.
In one sense, the Huskies are a bit of a throwback to the old days of hockey, a solid time of gritty players that can put the puck in the back of the net, but are heavily reliant on the man between the pipes. In the long run, Northeastern may only go as far as Zacher is able to take them. Whether the players in front of him will be able to do their job is yet to be seen. Nevertheless, the Huskies are a team to watch.
SEE ALSO: This Week's Rankings
Firepower series on tap
In terms of what's ahead in the division, the big matchup to watch this weekend is No. 6 Maine going on the road to take on No. 13 Massachusetts in what should be an offensive showcase for both teams. Maine is tied for the most goals scored in Hockey East this season with 33, while UMass is in second with 30 goals.
Both teams know how to score, that much is certain. Players like Poirier, Scott and Fowler will make their mark for the Black Bears, as will the freshmen Vaclav Nestrasil, Lukas Klecka, and junior Jack Musa will certainly be the ones lighting the lamp for the Minutemen.
The real question is, who will be better in between the pipes. Will the previously mentioned Boija be the catalyst for the Black Bears success in this series, or will junior Michael Hrabal be UMass’s savior? Both have been at the top of their game as of late, and they will need to be this weekend. Expect goals to be bound, but keep a key eye on who can make the one or two saves needed to secure their teams victory. It’s a chance for both teams to show who holds the most offensive firepower in all of Hockey East. Get some popcorn ready, the fireworks start on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET.
This Week’s Hockey East Awards
Player: Northeastern Goalie Lawton Zacher was the man of the weekend, as his total of 72 saves, coupled with shutout, led his team two victories and a spot in the top 20 of the NCAA national rankings for the first time this season. This is Zacher’s second consecutive weekly award in Hockey East this season.
Rookie: Maine forward Juston Poirier led the Black Bears once again this week, as his three goals and two assists helped complete the sweep over Boston University, giving him this award for the second time this season.
Defender: Northeastern defenseman Vinny Borgesi after registering two points in the series sweep of No. 10 Boston College. He scored the game-winning goal in the first matchup and assisted on the game-winner in the second, all while blocking seven shots. This is his second weekly award from Hockey East this season.
Goaltender: Connecticut goalie Tyler Muszelik made 20 saves in the 5-1 victory against Merrimack and 36 saves in a 1-1 tie against Harvard. This is his first weekly award from Hockey East this season.
Beyond the Blue Line
Vermont has its goalie for the future, as freshman Aiden Wright is already one of the best the division has to offer. His stats include a 2.22 GAA and a .939 save percentage. ... Seven out of eleven Hockey East teams find themselves ranked in top 20 this week. Northeastern is ranked for the first time this season, all the way up at No. 14. … Boston College continues its surprising free fall, yet is still perplexingly ranked at number No.18. The Eagles will again try to turn things around on the road this weekend in Vermont for a two-game series. … Lowell split its series against Providence, as both sides enforced their will on home ice, yet faltered on the road. Lowell will take on New Hampshire this wekeend. ... Providence takes on UConn in an interesting Southern New England matchup. Both teams are hoovering around .500 with an opportunity to ascend up for grabs.
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Jake Messer has been covering hockey and other sports at UMass Lowell. He’s sports editor of the UMass Lowell Connector. “I grew up in Dracut Massachusetts, and as things changed in my life, one thing remained the same throughout, sports. Whether it was the reincarnation of the Big Bad Bruins in the early 2010’s, or the dynasty of the Patriots on the gridiron, or even the new generation Celtics securing a record setting 18th championship, sports has always been a fixture in my life and it will be for many more years to come as I pursue a career in sports journalism.”