Coming into this past weekend with a 0-2-1 record, and in desperate need of a win, the UNH men’s hockey team got exactly what they needed, beating conference rivals Northeastern and Maine for their first two wins of the season.
“We feel good,” senior captain Bobby Butler said after Friday’s win. “That was a big win, to get the two points in Hockey East especially, and just start rolling from here.”
This weekend was the epitome of a team effort for the Wildcats, who were strong on offense, defense, and special teams.
UNH spread the wealth on the offensive end, resulting in some very impressive numbers. Thirteen Wildcats tallied at least a point, with five recording multiple points and seven scoring at least one goal.
Sophomore defenseman Blake Kessel led the way with five points (1 goal, 4 assists), while Butler and sophomore Mike Borisenok each had three points of their own (1 goal and 2 assists apiece).
The Wildcats got tremendous production from their young players; freshmen and sophomores scored six of the team’s nine goals. In his first collegiate start, freshman Dalton Speelman scored his first two goals, playing on the first line alongside senior captains Butler and Peter LeBlanc.
“He doesn’t get rattled,” head coach Dick Umile said of Speelman. “He makes plays, he doesn’t turn it over, and he can connect on the passes. He’s a smart hockey player; we’ve liked him since the day he came in here.”
“Our line did very well today,” said Speelman. “I’m happy to be playing with two great guys, Bobby and Petey, and I just tried to feed off their energy. I’ve been practicing with them for a few days now and it felt pretty good with them in practice so I felt comfortable on the ice.”
Sophomore Stevie Moses netted his first two goals of the season to give UNH the lead for good in Saturday’s game.
In addition to the offensive production, coach Umile praised the team’s defensive effort.
“I thought tonight we came out much better defensively as a team,” said Umile. “Our guys did well and had good intensity. [We] played tough, played strong on the boards. I was pleased with the overall performance.”
After allowing 14 goals over the Wildcats’ first three games, senior goalie Brian Foster stepped up this weekend, allowing only four goals while making a total of 36 saves.
A very telling statistic, however, one often overlooked in hockey, was the amount of blocks UNH players had, other than Foster. The Wildcat defense was relentless at what Umile called “team defense,” stopping shots before they had a chance to reach the crease.
In Friday’s game, Wildcats defensemen blocked ten shots (Foster saved 14), and the team finished with 20 on the weekend, led by sophomore Damon Kipp with five.
The Wildcats will look to continue their winning streak this weekend when they travel to Wisconsin to face the 19th-ranked Badgers in a two-game series.
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