The shoe is on the other foot for the University of Maine’s eighth-ranked hockey team.
For the 11 previous seasons, the Black Bears didn’t have the weapons to win high-scoring games. Instead, their recipe for success was to have a solid five-man defensive structure, stay out of the penalty box, receive good goaltending and try to squeeze out enough goals to win.
They couldn’t afford to get into a shootout because the opposing teams had more talent and could beat UMaine even if the Black Bears outshot them, sometimes significantly.
Because of this, opposing teams would try to create an up-tempo, run-and-gun style of game.
Now that the Black Bears have added the high-scoring Nadeau brothers, Bradly and Josh, to go with established point-producers like All-Hockey East second teamer Lynden Breen and a list of improved supplemental scorers, opponents are trying to slow the Black Bears down.
That’s what UConn did in its 2-0 win over UMaine on Saturday night in Hartford that snapped the Black Bears’ nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1).
Sophomore goalie Arsenii Sergeev made 27 saves, his teammates blocked 15 more shots and the Huskies were more opportunistic than UMaine, scoring both goals in the first 4:15 of the third period.
UMaine outshot UConn 13-2 in the first period and 27-19 for the game.
It was the first time UMaine has been shut out this season.
It was the third consecutive game in which UMaine fell behind 2-0 and in one of those, the 4-4 tie with Colgate, the Black Bears spotted the Raiders a 3-0 lead.
UMaine had a memorable comeback on Friday night against UConn, erasing 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to win 5-3 with five third-period goals. The Black Bears trailed 2-0 after two periods and, after scoring an early third-period goal, UConn restored the two-goal margin shortly afterward.
But the Black Bears scored the final four, jump started by sophomore defenseman Brandon Holt’s shorthanded goal midway through the period to make it 3-2.
Sophomore left wing Thomas Freel’s shorthanded goal played an important role in the tie with Colgate as it knotted things up 3-3 at the time.
When teams are trying to beat more skilled and potent opponents by clogging up the ice to limit their high-percentage scoring opportunities, it is important for those skilled teams to get the lead.
If they fall behind by a goal or two, they have to scrap their defensive scheme in favor of offense to try to climb back into the game. That leaves them vulnerable and the deficit could grow.
It is important for UMaine to halt this recent trend of falling behind by multiple goals.
There were plenty of positives from the UConn series.
Senior All-Hockey East second team goalie Victor Ostman, who was pulled from his previous start against Colgate when he gave up three goals on six shots over the game’s first 11:21, got off to another rocky start against UConn but settled down and made important saves in the comeback.
He allowed two goals in the first 4:10 but just one the rest of the way.
And UMaine’s power play scored twice in the Friday win to snap an 0-for-21 famine.
UMaine head coach Ben Barr mixed up his lines during Friday’s game, flip-flopping centers Harrison Scott and Breen with Scott playing between the Nadeaus and Breen between Freel and Donavan Houle. And that’s where they started on Saturday.
Breen and the Nadeaus had hit a little dry spell but in Friday’s win, Josh Nadeau had a goal and an assist, Bradly Nadeau scored a goal and Breen had two assists.
In moving forward, the Black Bears need to put the loss behind them and learn from it.
UConn played well and Barr said his team didn’t get to the net front enough to create screens and rebounds.
Up next for UMaine is a home series against a UMass Lowell team that hasn’t had the season you would expect. The River Hawks, who have been a consistent contender under head coach Norm Bazin, are just 7-12-2 overall and 3-6-1 in Hockey East.
The River Hawks have lost seven one-goal games and have allowed more than three goals just seven times.
UMaine will enter the series ranked 10th among Division I schools in scoring at 3.60 goals per game but have been even better on the defensive side of the puck, ranking sixth in allowing 2.35 gpg.
A rare January weekend off will follow the UMass Lowell series.
