Luke Antonacci will never forget his first shift in a University of Maine hockey uniform.
The 5-foot-8, 170-pound defenseman was flattened by a thundering check applied by a much bigger University of Prince Edward Island forward in UMaine’s 1-0 exhibition victory over the Canadian school last season.
“Things couldn’t have gone any worse,” Antonacci said. “They were an old, gritty team. It was an interesting first game to play in. It was a lot of fun.”
He plans to save the video of that hit and show it to his kids someday, especially if they have a tough game.
“I’ll tell them to take it easy and not worry about it. Take a look at my first shift,” Antonacci said with a grin.
He was undaunted by the hit and wound up assisting on the game’s only goal.
The Princeton, N.J., native and former Maine Nordique (North American Hockey League) went on to have an impressive freshman season. Antonacci played prominent minutes in all 36 games last season and registered three goals and 10 assists for 13 points. He led the team in blocked shots with 51.
He was also plus-two in plus minus, a statistic which gives a player a plus-one if he is on the ice when his team scores an even-strength or shorthanded goal and minus-one if the opponent scores one.
In addition to taking a regular shift, he was on the power play and penalty killing units.
And he is looking for an even better season during his sophomore year.
Antonacci and his Black Bear teammates will take a 2-0 record to Hamden, Conn., this weekend when they take on the defending national champion Quinnipiac University Bobcats at the M&T Bank Arena. Fifth-ranked Quinnipiac is 3-2.
“I want to take a bigger step this year in terms of my role on the team, producing more and being a leader,” Antonacci said. “Offensively, I’d like to get up in the play more and get more shots to the net, not getting them blocked. Ultimately, you want to produce more as a team because you win by scoring goals.”
Defensively, he has been working on his positioning.
“Angling and all those things that make you a more complete defenseman,” Antonacci said. “That’s what I’m trying to do, become more well-rounded.”
As an undersized defenseman, he doesn’t have the benefit of a long reach like his 6-foot-4 defense partner David Breazeale. So his footwork is important.
“I’m always working on my skating. It comes with the game. Your skating instincts, angling, being in the right spot, being able to pounce on pucks quicker than other guys,” he said. “I’ve been working on my agility and even my decisiveness in skating. You can’t hesitate because that little hesitation will enable guys to get an extra step on you.”
Junior center and assistant captain Nolan Renwick said Antonacci may not be big but makes up for it in skill and hockey IQ.
“He makes the right play when he needs to and he can make really nice plays out there,” Renwick said.
Senior center and captain Lynden Breen said Antonacci brings valuable qualities to the team.
“He’s quick, he moves well, he sees the ice well. You can put him out there in any situation and he’ll make a difference,” Breen said. “He is such a consistent player and he plays bigger than he is.”
Antonacci worked out with a coach, Vince Williams, in New Jersey this summer in addition to coming to UMaine for the optional six-week training session with his teammates in Orono.
He feels stronger and quicker than a year ago and that the team has established an identity to build off.
“We outwork other teams. And we’ve added more skill this season and want to use that to our advantage,” Antonacci said.
UMaine head coach Ben Barr called Antonacci steady.
“He’s not flashy in anything he does, he just gets the job done. He keeps the game simple and is very smooth,” Barr said. “He’s a very smart player and that’s why he plays in all situations.”
Breazeale has been paired with Antonacci regularly the last two seasons.
“It’s really nice having a defense partner you can trust. He’s super efficient. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes,” Breazeale said. “And he has an offensive flair, too.”