After a split with 10-time and defending national champion #6 Denver at home this past weekend, the #7 University of Maine men’s hockey team begins the final stretch run of the regular season all in conference play beginning with a difficult road trip to #8 UMass-Lowell this weekend.
Maine who will enter this upcoming series with a record of 13-4-2 and 5-2-2 in Hockey East, must continue to try and show consistency to win away from Alfond Arena (9-1-1 at home) to be able stay near the top of the league standings in the last 15 games (8 home, 7 away). The Black Bears in the first half of the season went 2-2-1 on the road in conference games (a win and a tie at Northeastern, win at UNH, two losses at Boston College). After a loss in Portland to unranked Bentley University on December 29, Maine showed some resilience in skating with and splitting with the highly skilled Pioneers. A Denver goal with 20.7 seconds left in the third period allowed the guests to escape with a 2-1 win on Friday night, before the Black Bears really carried the play in outshooting their opponent 46-21 on Saturday getting a goal from senior captain David Breazeale in the third for a 2-1 victory. Senior forward Harrison Scott is the team leader in points with 24 (13 goals, 11 assists). Scott is tied for second in the country in goals scored, and is also one of the top faceoff men in the nation. The Bentley transfer now has 28 goals and 23 assists in 56 games with Maine including last season, after recording a total of 12 goals and 14 assists in 64 games in his two years with the Falcons.
#8 UMass-Lowell enters this weekend with an overall record of 12-4-2 (5-3-1 Hockey East). The Riverhawks who are 4-3-1 at home, are coming off two wins in California on Friday and Saturday capturing the inaugural Coachella Valley Cactus Cup with wins over Michigan Tech and Omaha. UML has seven skaters with least 10 points, led by freshman forward Mirko Buttazoni (5 goals, 10 assists). Junior forward Scout Truman leads the team with eight goals including two game winners, while also registering six assists for 14 points. Graduate goaltender Henry Welsch and junior Beni Halasz have split some of the time in net. Welsch (9-2-1) has played in 12 games and started 11 with a 2.50 goals against average and a save percentage of .892, while Halasz has played in eight and started seven (3-2-1, 2.14 GAA, .922 save %).
Tale of the Tape
#7 Maine (13-4-2, 5-2-2 Hockey East)
Goals per game- 3.6/allowed- 1.7
Powerplay for- 26.8% (22-82)/PP against- 16.9% (10-59)
Penalties taken per game- 3.9 (8.4 minutes)/Penalties for opponents 5.1 (12.1 minutes)
Faceoffs won/lost- 578/504 (53.4%)
#8 UMass-Lowell (12-4-2, 5-3-1)
Goals per game- 3.2/allowed- 2.4
Powerplay for- 25.9% (14-54)/PP against- 23.1% (12-52)
Penalties taken per game- 3.9 (8.8 minutes)/Penalties for opponents- 4.0 (11.5 minutes)
Faceoffs won/lost- 540/554 (49.4%)
The faceoff times for Maine at UMass-Lowell are 7:15 p.m. on Friday and 6:05 p.m. on Saturday. Our Eastern Maine Sports/UMaine reporter Chris Lessner will be on hand at the Tsongas Center and will have live updates and full recaps of both games.
