University of Maine men’s hockey left winger Matthew Fawcett and defensemen Dawson Bruneski and Sam Duerr have entered the NCAA Division I transfer portal, while left wing Didrik Henbrant has decided to return to Sweden and begin a pro career.
Bruneski, Fawcett and Henbrant are seniors who have one year of eligibility remaining and Duerr is a sophomore.
The speedy 5-foot-6, 152 pound Fawcett sustained an upper body injury in late October and didn’t return until a 9-6 loss to Boston University on Jan. 21. He appeared in 10 games and had one goal against his former school, Quinnipiac University of Connecticut, in a victory on Oct. 22.
Fawcett had five goals and two assists in 20 games in his first season in Orono a year ago after collecting four goals and five assists in 34 games over two seasons at Quinnipiac.
“I felt bad for him. He had a really good summer and a good start to the season before he got hurt and couldn’t do anything for two and a half months,” UMaine head coach Ben Barr said. “He was fighting an uphill battle after that.”
The 5-foot-11, 203-pound Bruneski, who suffered a broken finger in October and didn’t return to the lineup until a 1-1 overtime tie at Colgate on Dec. 31, played in 20 of UMaine’s 36 games and had a pair of assists.
The Camrose, Alberta native, a physical player who was also an effective penalty-killer, will conclude his four-year UMaine career with a goal and seven assists in 56 games.
Duerr had three assists in 22 games this season after joining the program for the second semester last year and notched four assists in 10 games. Barr said he is seeking more ice time.
Henbrant, who transferred to UMaine from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, was tied for sixth on the team in scoring with seven goals and eight assists in 34 games. He had a shorthanded goal and a game-winner. The swift-skating Henbrant concluded his 105-game college career with 20 goals and 21 assists.
“He was always a very effective player, even if he didn’t score,” Barr said.