ORONO, Maine — One of the major reasons the University of Maine men’s hockey team has gotten off to a 7-2-2 start has been the play of its special teams.
Entering Friday’s 7 p.m. sold-out game at the University of New Hampshire, the lone game of the weekend for the two teams, UMaine’s power play has the eighth-best conversion percentage among 64 Division I schools at 25.5 percent.
The penalty-killing unit has an 87.5 percent success rate. And the Black Bears have scored two shorthanded goals.
They are a plus-nine on the special teams with 12 power play goals and two shorthanded goals while their opponents have scored five power play goals but no shorthanded tallies.
Senior center Nolan Renwick, who plays on both the power play and penalty kill, said their special teams success has resulted from hard work.
“Special teams can get a little lax sometimes, especially on the power play,” said Renwick, one of the Black Bears’ alternate captains. “You can sit back and rely on your skill. But we have harped on hard work and competing and making sure we are outworking our opponents’ power play and penalty kill.”
Senior center and alternate captain Harrison Scott agreed.
“We bring intensity and urgency to everything on the special teams,” said Scott, who also plays on both units. “You can’t be lackadaisical. You have to be attentive. On the power play, we’ve gotten shots on net and caused chaos.
“On the penalty kill, we’ve been structured. We look at what they like to do. We like to be aggressive. We bring intensity and we put pressure on them,” said Scott.
Lynden Breen, a co-captain and graduate student center, said playing on special teams is a matter of pride.
“It’s about finding that extra effort,” said Breen. “We ensure that each guy takes pride in being on the power play and the penalty kill. The big thing is you have to think about the guys who aren’t on the power play and penalty kill (units). You have to play for them and play for each other. You have to give it everything you’ve got for the important times.”
The Black Bears have players who have been on the special teams for years and that is beneficial, according to Renwick.
He pointed out he has worked with assistants Jason Fortier (power play) and Alfie Michaud (penalty kill) for four years.
“That familiarity and experience (helps),” said Renwick. “We’re building year after year and we’ve come to this. But we have to keep going.”
UMaine head coach Ben Barr praised the special teams but said there is room for improvement.
“The execution piece of it (has been the key). We’ve spent a lot of time on (special teams),” said Barr. “(Fortier) has done a great job with the power play units and (Michaud) has done a great job with the penalty kill.
“But just as good as it is, it can go the other way fast, too. So we have to keep getting better,” said Barr.
One of the keys on the power play has been gritty junior left wing and alternate captain Thomas Freel, whose seven power play goals lead the nation.
He also has an assist on the power play.
Scott has two goals and six assists with the man-advantage, sophomore right wing Charlie Russell has 1 & 7 and junior defenseman Brandon Holt has 1 & 5. Renwick has the other power play goal.
Senior left wing Taylor Makar and junior left wing Owen Fowler have the shorthanded goals.
The Black Bears are off to the program’s best 11-game start since the 2006-07 team went 8-2-1.
And they will be looking to snap a six-game winless streak at the Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H. UMaine is 0-3-3 in its last six in Durham including 6-2 and 5-2 losses a year ago.
UMaine got a measure of revenge with a 5-0 win over UNH in Orono in their Hockey East quarterfinal.
“This gives us a chance to go into a really hostile environment against a really good team and test ourselves,” said Barr. “We had that chance two weeks ago and failed that test.”
He was referring to Boston College’s 3-2 and 3-0 victories over UMaine at BC.
“We haven’t had any success (at UNH) in a really long time,” pointed out Barr. “They smoked us down here last year two games in a row.
“So you have all those things that are part of taking another step as a team and it’s going to take every single one of us (to win). I’m excited about seeing if we can take a step as a program and go to a really tough place knowing that the odds are stacked against us and get a job done,” Barr added.
Scott pointed out that the Black Bears have already ended two negative streaks this season by snapping a 16-game winless streak at Northeastern (0-14-2) with a 4-1 victory and beating Boston University 5-2 last Friday after having lost the previous six games to BU.
“We’re not scared to go down there. If anything, we’re excited to have that Alfond Arena experience only we will be having it against us,” said Scott.
Scott continues to lead the Black Bears in scoring with six goals and 10 assists. Holt has 2 & 11 and he is followed by Russell (3 & 9), Freel (7 & 4), Makar (4 & 6) and Renwick (5 & 3).
Right wing Josh Nadeau (2 & 4), UMaine’s top returning scorer off last year’s team and a third team All-Hockey East pick, is listed as day-to-day after suffering a head/facial injury against BU in Saturday night’s 2-2 tie.
UMaine sophomore goalie Albin Boija has a 7-2-2 record with a 1.64 goals-against average and .928 save percentage.
UMaine is 4-2-2 in Hockey East.
UNH is 4-3-2 overall and 1-2-2 in league play.
The Wildcats returned their top seven scorers off last year’s 20-15-1 team.
Ryan Conmy, last year’s leading scorer with 14 & 17, and Cy LeClerc, last year’s No. 2 scorer with 10 & 18, are again 1-2 on the team in point production as Conmy has 6 & 4 and LeClerc has 3 & 6.
Four players have five points apiece in Robert Cronin (2 & 3), Nick Ring (2 & 3), Liam Devlin (1 & 5) and defenseman Colton Huard (0 & 5). Defenseman Alex Gagne (1 & 3) was a third team All-Hockey East choice a year ago.
Alaska-Anchorage transfer Jared Whale is the No. 1 goaltender and has a 2.10 GAA and .912 save percentage.