PORTLAND, Maine — University of Maine freshman goalie Rob McGovern didn’t find out he was going to make his debut against North Dakota until Saturday morning.
“I was pretty nervous at first. But I got more confident and comfortable as the day went on,” McGovern said, adding he shook off the nerves and settled in when he touched the puck for the first time.
McGovern earned tourney Most Valuable Player honors by making 44 saves, then made two more stops in the shootout as the Black Bears and the University of North Dakota battled to a 1-1 overtime tie on the second day of the Ice Breaker Tournament at the Cross Insurance Arena.
Maine followed with a 1-0 shootout win but the game goes in the books as a tie in the eyes of the NCAA. Nolan Vesey scored the only shootout goal by roofing a backhander. Each team had three shooters.
North Dakota won the tournament based on a points system. It tied with Michigan State as both had regulation wins over Lake Superior State and shootout losses to Maine. But North Dakota allowed one fewer goal than the Spartans.
Michigan State beat Lake Superior State 4-1 earlier Saturday.
The teams swapped second-period, power-play goals as Maine’s Cam Brown answered Chris Wilkie’s goal.
North Dakota outshot Maine 45-20 but McGovern was immense, making 18 Grade-A (high-percentage) saves among his 44.
Cam Johnson of North Dakota made 19 saves for 1-0-1, nine of which were Grade-A’s.
North Dakota had a wide edge in offensive zone possession and attempted 74 shots to Maine’s 42.
“We threw everything we could at (McGovern) but he did a great job,” North Dakota coach Brad Berry said.
McGovern impressively squared himself to the shooters to take full advantage of his 6-foot-4 frame.
“I’ve always been big so if I’m on my angles, I’m pretty confident the puck will either hit me or I’ll be able to react to it and make the save. I tried to read the (shooters’) little giveaways to see what they’re going to do with the puck. I stuck to my reads and it worked out,” said McGovern.
North Dakota, with 11 NHL draft choices in its lineup, used its superior quickness and stick skills to hound Maine into turnovers that enabled them to cycle the puck for lengthy stretches in the offensive zone.
The Black Bears were conscientious in the defensive zone even though they had trouble breaking out. They battled fiercely to protect the net front and blocked 20 shots.
“The defense did a real good job clearing the puck out of the danger zones and limiting their second chances,” McGovern said. “And the forwards came back to help out.”
“There were times they really pressured us but our team defense was real good and the biggest thing we took out of the weekend was that we stuck together,” said senior defenseman and alternate captain Conor Riley. “(McGovern) played unreal. He stood on his head. And he was so calm and collected.”
Maine coach Red Gendron said he didn’t know why he started McGovern and wouldn’t elaborate about the decision-making process.
Matt Morris had played well in Maine’s 3-3 overtime tie with Michigan State Friday night. Sophomore goalie Sean Romeo was unavailable due to health reasons.
North Dakota took a well-deserved lead 1:32 into the second period.
Drake Caggiula won a faceoff back to the right point to the talented Paul LaDue whose shot hit McGovern in the chest and spilled to Wilkie, who roofed a four-footer.
Brown tied it 6:52 later courtesy of a North Dakota turnover.
North Dakota defenseman Troy Stecher tried to make a breakout pass up the middle of the ice because a Maine player was along the boards but it landed on the stick of an open Blaine Byron in the slot. Byron spotted Brown to Johnson’s left and fed him a perfect pass. Brown one-timed it behind Johnson before the goalie could slide across.
“Blaine made an unbelievable play. He froze the goalie and brought him out. He gave me a gift,” said Brown.
On the ensuing center-ice faceoff, first-round Vancouver draft pick Brock Boeser sped unattended down the slot but McGovern made a terrific save to keep the game tied.
It was one of Boeser’s game-high eight shots on goal.
“I knew we had guys coming back down the middle so [Boeser] couldn’t cut across,” said McGovern, who used his frame to cut down the angle and absorb the shot.
Both teams had glorious chances to win it in the third period.
Nick Schmaltz, a first-round draft pick of Chicago who centered an impactful line between Boeser and fifth-round selection Shane Gersich (Washington), sailed free down the right wing only to have McGovern hold his ground as he cut across and deny his 15-foot wrister.
Byron had two opportunities in the final 2:58.
First, Byron wasn’t able to flip a Dan Renouf rebound into an exposed net from 10 feet out because the puck took a bounce over his stick.
In the final minute, Johnson made a nice blocker save on Byron’s shot through a maze of players from the top of the right circle.
McGovern kept Maine in the game in the first period as North Dakota dominated.
Despite the sizeable edge in possession for North Dakota, the few chances Maine generated were good ones and Johnson had to be sharp.
McGovern robbed Gersich from the middle of the slot on two occasions and had his best save off Boeser, who was sent in alone by Schmaltz off a two-on-one.
McGovern stayed with Boeser and made a pad stop.
Johnson’s two best stops came off Will Merchant and Dane Gibson as he was able to flash out his glove to keep their challenging one-timers out of his net.
McGovern was named to the all-tournament team along with Byron and North Dakota’s Stecher, LaDue, Caggiula and Schmaltz.