Rob McGovern didn’t have any preconceived notions about his chances to earn playing time between the pipes for the University of Maine men’s hockey team this season.
He knew there were two experienced goalies in senior Matt Morris and sophomore Sean Romeo.
He just focused on working hard.
The 20-year-old opened a lot of eyes with a 44-save performance in his debut, a 1-1 overtime tie with North Dakota in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Portland. He stopped two shots in the ensuing 1-0 shootout win and was chosen the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
He followed that with a 28-save outing in a 1-1 tie at Union College but got shaken up and missed the next two games.
He returned and allowed five goals in a 5-4 overtime loss to UMass in the first round of the Capital City Classic last Friday night but bounced back to make 22 saves on 24 shots in a 3-1 loss to Princeton in the consolation game. The third goal was an empty-netter.
“He wasn’t great on Friday night, but he has done a good job for us,” UMaine coach Red Gendron said.
McGovern’s 0.933 save percentage is 17th best in the country and his 2.15 goals-against average ranks him 22nd. He is fifth in both categories among freshmen goaltenders.
“I don’t care about stats. I just care about wins,” said McGovern, whose 0-4-3 Black Bears will look to dent the win column at No. 3 Boston College this weekend.
McGovern has been a little surprised by his success but said, “I always thought that I could play at this level. I’ve been trying to prove that I can. I’ve had a lot of support from my friends, family, teammates and coaches. They believe in me.”
He takes full advantage of his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame by minimizing his movement and staying square to the shooters. He knows if he is well-positioned, “the puck will hit me.”
“Because of my size, I don’t have to come out [of my crease] as far as a smaller goalie. I’ve just tried to focus on the first shot,” said McGovern.
McGovern said adapting to the speed of the game has been the biggest adjustment.
He has been pleased with his start but said there is a long way to go. Gendron said nobody has sewn up the No. 1 job yet.
“Every day is a new day,” said McGovern. “I’m just going to keep working hard — keep competing.”
He considers this to be the “closest [knit] team I’ve ever played on” and said having a goalie coach in Ray Jean has been very helpful in his development.
Even though the Black Bears are winless, he said, “We’re going in the right direction. We’re right on the cusp.”