If the University of Maine men’s hockey team is going to climb out of the Hockey East cellar it is going to have to exhibit better discipline and improved special-teams play.
Despite a decided edge in 5-on-5 play, the Black Bears dropped a 4-3 decision to the University of New Hampshire at sold-out Alfond Arena on Saturday largely because it gave UNH two 5-on-3 power plays. The Wildcats scored a goal with the two-man advantage and two others on the continuing power play after the 5-on-3’s had ended.
“We had twice as many scoring chances as they did but we didn’t win because we gave up three power-play goals,” said UMaine coach Red Gendron. “We have to be more disciplined and do a better job on the penalty kill.”
This season, UMaine has gifted opponents nine 5-on-3’s which have led to three goals with the two-man edge and two on the ensuing 5-on-4. UMaine has been afford four 5-on-3’s and has scored once.
With Saturday’s 33 penalty minutes, the Black Bears are now the third most penalized team among the 60 in Division I, 18.6 minutes per game. Only Niagara (19.7) and Arizona State (19.6) have logged more.
UMaine (5-9-3 overall, 1-6-1 in Hockey East) has allowed 20 power-play goal goals and 15 of them have been meaningful.
Two turned out to be game-winners and one tied a game with 4:30 remaining in regulation. Three others tied games early, five expanded a lead to two goals and three swelled a lead to three goals. Another, in the 2-2 tie at Colgate, began the Raiders’ comeback from a 2-0 deficit.
UMaine is 3-1-1 when it doesn’t allow a power-play goal and 2-8-2 when it does, including a 1-6 mark when it allows two or more.
UMaine is 38th in the country on the penalty kill (82 percent) but is 52nd on the power play at 11 percent (10-for-91). The Black Bears have scored at least one power-play goal in their last three games, their longest stretch of the season.
UMaine is 4-for-12 (33.3 percent) with the man advantage over the last three games.
College players have been subjected to a crackdown on stick fouls this season, particularly hooking. But the most frequent penalty called on the Black Bears has been interference — although a stick can be involved in an interference call.
UMaine has been assessed 27 interference penalties and 22 more for hooking. Rounding out the top five are roughing (15), holding (14) and tripping (11).
They have been assessed three, five-minute majors and three, 10-minute misconducts.
The most penalized Black Bears are Chase Pearson (41 minutes), Rob Michel (39), Eric Schurhamer (30), Nolan Vesey (26) and Mark Hamilton (26).
Defenseman Michel, who is one of the team’s best penalty killers, has given the opposition 12 power plays through his penalties and they have scored on eight of them.
UMaine has scored four shorthanded goals and given up four. It is among the nation’s leaders in shorthanded goals in recent years, scoring 24 over three-plus seasons.
Penalty minutes have a direct correlation to success, or failure.
Over the last five seasons, 50 of the 60 teams that finished the year ranked in the top 12 in penalty minutes failed to make the NCAA tournament.
One that did make it was the 2011-2012 UMaine team that was the nation’s third-most penalized team (18.2 mpg). That was the school’s last NCAA tourney team.
That UMaine team countered its penchant for taking penalties by having the country’s second best power play (26.7 percent).
This season, seven of the 12 most penalized teams have records under .500 and one is at .500.
“We’ve got to play hard and be smart about it and disciplined,” said UMaine captain and center Cam Brown. “It’s little things like (keeping) stick on the ice. We have to play hard within the boundaries of play. I know the new rule changes are difficult, but every team is playing with the same rules so we just need to find a way to stay out of the box.”
The Black Bears play their final series before the Christmas break this weekend when they entertain American International College of Atlantic Hockey. First-year head coach Eric Lang replaced former UMaine assistant Gary Wright, who retired after 32 years.
AIC (3-6-6 overall, 3-5-5 Atlantic Hockey) will test UMaine’s discipline and penalty-killing as the Yellow Jackets have the nation’s No. 4 power play (23.9).
The best penalty-killer on any team is the goalie and it is possible Gendron could give a start to either senior Matt Morris or freshman Stephen Mundinger.
Sophomore Rob McGovern has started the last eight games and has allowed at least four goals in four of his last six starts and was lifted in the third period in two of them.
McGovern has a 5-7-3 record with a 2.92 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. Morris is 0-2, 5.41 and .863 in three games including two starts and the 6-foot-8 Mundinger is 0-0 with a 3.06 GAA and a .895 save percentage in three mop-up appearances spanning 39 minutes, 10 seconds.