ORONO, Maine — There were lofty expectations placed on the University of Maine’s freshman class at the outset of the season.
The Black Bears were coming off a season in which they averaged just two goals per game, which ranked 55th among 60 Division I programs.
And three of the top six point-getters graduated.
This season’s freshmen have delivered.
Entering its best-of-three Hockey East first-round series at the University of Vermont, which gets underway Friday night, UMaine’s seven freshmen have combined for 36 goals and 43 assists.
And the Black Bears are averaging nearly a goal per game more than a year ago (2.97).
The 36 goals is second most among freshman classes in Hockey East behind Boston University (53).
It also matches the goal total of the UMaine freshman class of 2008-2009, which included future National Hockey Leaguers Gustav Nyquist, Brian Flynn and Spencer Abbott. NHL defenseman Will O’Neill was also a member of that class.
“That’s really cool,” freshman right wing Mitch Fossier said. “A lot of guys have stepped up and filled roles that needed to be filled. It’s a pretty big jump from juniors to Hockey East. It has certainly been challenging but, at the same time, we know we belong and that we can be effective.”
Center Chase Pearson leads the freshmen with 14 goals and 8 assists in 34 games. He is second on the team with five power-play goals and is third among Hockey East freshmen behind BU’s Clayton Keller (19 goals) and New Hampshire’s Patrick Grasso (17).
Fossier has 8 & 8 and leads the team in game-winning goals with three. He scored five goals in his first three games but has been hampered by injuries.
Right wing Patrick Shea has 5 & 11, Patrick Holway is second among defensemen with 4 & 9, RW Ryan Smith has 4 & 6, checking line center and penalty-killer Peter Housakos has 1 & 1 and RW Jake Pappalardo has played in 18 games with no points.
Goalie Stephen Mundinger has appeared in three games with a 3.06 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.
“They’ve done a great job recruiting,” Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon said. “Their players continue to get better and better. That’s a real good sign for the Maine hockey program both now and in future years.”
“They have good players in their freshman class,” Northeastern University coach Jim Madigan said.
UMaine senior center and captain Cam Brown said the freshmen have provided a big boost.
“They have contributed a bunch,” Brown said. “They have acquired big roles for us. We expected that and we also expect them to be involved in the playoffs.”
“When we came in here, I don’t know if we expected to have a huge role,” Pearson said.
“We’ve definitely all gotten better over the course of the season and it can only go up. Next year, we’ll have a year of experience under our belts so we should have an even bigger impact,” he said.
The freshmen said the month they spent together on campus in August, acclimating to the area and the school and taking classes, was valuable.
“That was one of the best times I’ve ever had,” Pearson said.
“We all became best friends,” Smith said. “We hang out together all the time, and that helps a lot on the ice.”
The freshmen are looking forward to their first playoff series.
“They have a pretty big team and their defensemen like to pinch in when they’re in our zone,” Pearson said. “We’ve got to play fast, we’ve got to chip pucks in and out and throw everything at their net, too.”
Pearson said the 5-4 win over Northeastern, in which they overcame four one-goal deficits, could serve them well.
“Any time you can ride a wave of good energy into any playoff series, you’ve got to take advantage of it,” Pearson said. “Beating a team like Northeastern, we proved to people and to ourselves that we can beat any team in Hockey East on any night.”