The University of Maine’s hockey team impressed in two opening games last week, but it now faces a grueling schedule with four straight series against ranked opponents.
In 4-1 and 6-3 wins over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, New York, the Black Bears outshot the Engineers by a cumulative total of 108-32. Their speed advantage was evident.
It was as though they had eight skaters on the ice at times instead of five as they swarmed the Engineers. Thirteen of the 20 skaters who dressed for at least one of the games wound up on the scoresheet with at least a goal or an assist. You can’t rely on just one scoring line to produce if you are going to win consistently.
The highly-touted top line of senior center and co-captain Lynden Breen and the freshman Nadeau brothers, Bradly and Josh, lived up to expectations.
Bradly Nadeau, the first-round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes had two goals in the Thursday win and older brother Josh had a pair in Friday’s victory. They each had a pair of assists over the two games and 2022-23 All-Hockey East second team selection Breen had a goal and two assists in the two games.
The line, which combined for all three goals and five assists in a 3-2 exhibition win over New Hampshire, has the possibility of becoming the most prolific line since the glory days of UMaine hockey dating back to the last Frozen Four team in 2006-2007.
Their combination of speed, skill, tenacity and hockey IQ is impressive. The brothers have played together for a long time, and Breen has complemented them nicely. They should only get better as the brothers adapt more to college hockey and Breen gets more used to them.
But there is a long, long way to go for this program to return to its hallowed past.
UMaine will visit defending national champ Quinnipiac of Connecticut on Oct. 27-28 and then open its Hockey East schedule at Merrimack for two (Nov. 3-4), home to Boston College for a pair (Nov. 10-11) and at Boston University on Nov. 17-18. BU, BC and Merrimack were picked first, second and third, respectively in the preseason Hockey East coaches poll.
That top line will also help put people in the seats and Friday’s sell-out crowd of 5,143 was indicative of that. While it was homecoming weekend, a non-conference series against a team picked to finish seventh in its league would never draw a sell-out crowd even in Orono.
Another important development was that UMaine’s most experienced line of junior Nolan Renwick, graduate student Ben Poisson and senior right wing Donavan Houle, who had combined to appear in 271 career games coming in, produced three goals. Each one scored.
They are the equivalent of a power forward in basketball. But they can also skate to go with their size and physicality and each scored nine goals a year ago. They can grind out extended forechecks or score off the rush.
That trio is also very dependable defensively as head coach Ben Barr put them out to protect a two-goal lead late in the second RPI game after RPI had scored with 2:02 to go to make it 5-3. Poisson clinched it with an empty-netter off an Houle pass.
The third line has potential with sophomores Thomas Freel and Reid Pabich flanking impressive Bentley transfer Harrison Scott, a junior. Freel, who had an outstanding freshman season, already has four assists and Scott has a goal and an assist. Pabich registered one assist.
The fourth line with junior Cole Hanson between Felix Trudeau and Bentley transfer Nicholas Niemo gives UMaine a capable fourth line, something the Black Bears haven’t had in a while.
Freshman Sully Scholle saw a handful of shifts up front on Friday and didn’t look out of place. UMaine is still without sophomore Aidan Carney, who was a dependable physical presence on the fourth line last year but is recovering from offseason surgery.
The defense corps has continued to get better under third-year coach Barr. Its newfound mobility really stands out. Every defenseman can skate the puck out of the defensive zone, and the unit is composed of all sophomores and freshmen with the exception of co-captain David Breazeale, who is a junior.
The 6-4, 205-pound Breazeale is an elite defenseman who can really skate. He is the only defenseman taller than 6 feet and above 190 pounds. The other defensemen compensate with their skill, quickness and toughness.
Brandon Holt is also a top-notch multi-purpose defensemen and fellow sophomores Luke Antonacci, Grayson Arnott and Brandon Chabrier have followed up productive freshmen seasons with notable improvements to their games. Freshman Ryan Hopkins, Bodie Nobes and Liam Lesakowski show a lot of promise. Hopkins missed the RPI series due to illness.
All-Hockey East second team goalie Victor Ostman was solid in Thursday night’s win although he had little to do. But he was shaky on Friday when he was a little busier. He was indecisive on a breakaway goal, allowed a shot from the point to evade him with little traffic in front and was fighting the puck.
For the UMaine faithful, the hope is it was just an off night and he can bounce back. If he struggles, the coaching staff has a lot of confidence in freshman Albin Boija. Senior Connor Androlewicz has also proven he is capable of giving them a good game.