Hockey can be a cruel game.
The shorthanded 17th-ranked University of Maine’s hockey team, without three forwards including its third and fifth-leading scorers, came 5.6 seconds away from upending the surging ninth-ranked Providence College Friars on Saturday night at Alfond Arena.
But, with goalie Jack Parsons on the bench in favor of the extra attacker, the Friars tied it with 5.6 seconds left on a goal by Andrew Centrella. And Providence won it with 1:36 remaining in overtime, 3-2, on a Logan Sawyer goal which came on the Friars’ only shot on goal in the extra session.
UMaine senior left wing and co-captain Thomas Freel summed it up the heart-breaking loss best.
“Hockey can be the best game in the world and it can be the most evil game in the world,” Freel said.
He thought their performance was “night and day” better than last month’s 6-1 and 3-0 losses in Providence and that they deserved the win.
“This really hurts,” said Freel, whose Black Bears had the first four shots on goal in the five-minute, three-on-three overtime session.
The Black Bears did deserve a better fate. It was one of their grittiest performances of the season.
Despite not having third-leading point-getter and second-leading goal scorer Josh Nadeau (illness) and No. 5 point-getter Owen Fowler (broken finger) along with gritty winger Anthony Calafiore (illness), the Black Bears went toe-to-toe with the Friars.
Providence had won six straight and nine of 10 entering the game.
Nadeau and Fowler play in all situations and are team leaders with Nadeau supplying skill, quickness and creativity and Fowler providing physicality, feistiness and energy.
UMaine, with 10 freshmen in the lineup including goalie Mathis Rousseau, attempted 63 shots to Providence’s 48 and had 25 shots on goal to Providence’s 23.
The Friars, who had nine freshmen and were healthy with the exception of senior goalie Philip Svedeback (injury), were an average of two inches taller and eight pounds heavier per man.
UMaine’s nine freshman skaters averaged over 13 minutes of playing time.
The Black Bears won a lot of puck battles despite their size disadvantage thanks to their tenacity and drive which was fueled by the raucous Alfond Arena faithful.
It was the type of performance that will be needed for the remainder of the season if they are to earn a top four seed for the Hockey East Tournament.
The top five teams earn first-round byes with the top four hosting quarterfinal games on the weekend of March 13-15. Teams that finish sixth through 11th will have to play a midweek game to earn a berth in the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal winners advance to the semis and final at TD Garden in Boston. UMaine is the defending champ.
The Black Bears haven’t been able to sustain this type of performance this season but, with just eight regular season games remaining, they must. They have no choice.
Nothing comes easy in this league.
The Black Bears are currently in eighth place with 22 points, one point behind Northeastern and Merrimack, two behind Boston University, four behind fourth-place UMass and six behind third place UConn.
Teams get three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout win and one for an overtime or shootout loss.
Had UMaine been able to hang on for the regulation win, it would have 24 points.
UConn has played 15 league games; UMaine, Northeastern and UMass have each played 16; Merrimack has played 17 and BU 18.
UMaine has a crucial game at BU on Friday night before hosting UConn and Merrimack for two apiece; facing Northeastern in Portland and Lowell since its rink is being demolished and finishing up with one at Vermont (18 points, 15 games).
So the Black Bears have some control of their destiny.
UMaine head coach Ben Barr said there were some positives from Saturday’s games and that everyone turned in a solid effort.
Rousseau made several good saves, especially in the third period. The UMaine penalty-killers killed off all four Friar power plays. There weren’t many turnovers in the critical areas. The Black Bears finished most of their checks and the work rate was very good.
The Black Bears can’t dwell on the Providence loss. It isn’t easy when you know you were just one blocked shot, one save or one clearance away from a noteworthy win.
And they were 4-0-2 in overtime until the loss.
But that’s hockey, and there is plenty of season left.