WORCESTER, Mass. — It was a promising start.
But the University of Maine’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006-2007 was short-lived, as the defending national champion University of Minnesota-Duluth erased a 2-0 deficit with five unanswered goals to beat the Black Bears 5-2 at the DCU Center Saturday night.
Minnesota-Duluth advanced to Sunday night’s Northeast Regional final where it was beaten by Boston College 4-0. The Eagles gained a berth in the Frozen Four and will battle Minnesota in Tampa, Fla., on April 5.
Maine wound up 23-14-3.
Kenny Reiter finished with 25 saves for the winners while Dan Sullivan wound up with 21 for Maine.
“We got out of the gate very strong but Minnesota-Duluth did a great job bouncing back,” said Maine coach Tim Whitehead. “They played a great game. They didn’t overreact when they got down.”
“We just couldn’t generate any chances after we scored our second goal,” said Maine senior center and co-captain Brian Flynn. “They did a great job in all aspects of the game defensively.”
Second-period goals 6:41 apart by Jack Connolly, Caleb Herbert and Jake Hendrickson gave the Bulldogs a lead they would never relinquish and J.T. Brown added a valuable insurance goal in the third period before Hendrickson scored an empty-netter.
University of Maine senior left wing and Hobey Baker Award finalist Spencer Abbott returned to the lineup in dramatic fashion by scoring the only goal in the first period.
Abbott suffered a concussion in a 5-3 Hockey East semifinal win over Boston University eight days ago and was finally cleared to play on Saturday afternoon.
Matt Mangene expanded the Maine lead with a strange second-period goal on a breakaway with the Maine net completely off its moorings and 15 feet away from Maine goalie Sullivan.
But the resilient Bulldogs didn’t let the flukey goal deter them.
Hobey Baker Award finalist Connolly scored on the power play at the 10:47 mark to give the lethargic Bulldogs momentum, Herbert tied it with an odd goal off the glass behind the net at the 16:28 mark and Hendrickson gave UMD its first lead one minute later.
UMD senior defenseman and assistant captain Brady Lamb said his team “showed a lot of character” after falling behind 2-0 on the strange goal by Mangene and that Connolly’s power-play goal was “huge for us.
“We got one and good things come in bunches,” said Lamb. “We tried to get pucks down low, work their defensemen and get more pucks to the net and it paid off for us.”
Connolly took a pass from Travis Oleksuk at the top of the right circle, maneuvered to his left and snapped a wrister that beat the screened Sullivan to the far post past his blocker.
“It was a great pass by Oleksuk, I got my head up, saw the goalie coming out and saw that [Joe] Basaraba was screening. So I put it to [the open spot], low side,” Connolly said.
“I didn’t see it until it was in the net,” said Sullivan.
Herbert tied it when he stole the puck from Brice O’Connor, broke in alone and took a shot from the low slot that glanced off Sullivan’s glove, hit the glass behind the net and dropped in behind the goalie before hitting his leg and rolling in.
“I thought it was going to drop down to my left,” said Sullivan. “That was a crazy bounce.”
“That’s one of the goofiest goals I’ve ever seen. But Herbert did a great job angling [O’Connor] and forcing the turnover,” Connolly said.
“I was trying to pass the puck up to the wing but he picked it off,” said O’Connor.
Sullivan took the blame for the third goal as he rimmed the puck along the left-wing boards only to see it wind up on the stick of Lamb, who didn’t have a Black Bear anywhere around him.
“All of their guys were on the other side and they flew a wing so I stepped up,” said Lamb, who was able to skate freely down the right seam and take a menacing snap shot from the right circle that Sullivan kicked out with his pad.
But Hendrickson was standing at the edge of the crease and he touched the puck around Sullivan and tapped it in.
“He had a quick set of hands. He maneuvered the puck around me and put it in,” said Sullivan. “He made a great move.
“But that goal was my fault. Ryan [Hegarty] was telling me to leave it for him [behind the net]. But he was under some pressure and when I first looked up, there wasn’t anybody on that side,” said Sullivan. “I thought I could get it out of the zone.”
The Bulldogs put on a defensive clinic in the third period, holding Maine to three shots on goal and just one Grade-A (high-percentage) shot on goal.
“I can’t remember a good scoring chance in the third period,” said Flynn.
The Bulldogs kept the puck in the Maine zone for most of the third period as they were able to protect the puck and cycle it with clinical precision to prevent Maine from generating rush chances.
Brown’s insurance goal came with 10:45 left in the game.
Hendrickson’s empty-net goal capped a memorable evening for him and linemates Basaraba and David Grun, who were responsible for checking Maine’s high-powered line of Abbott, Flynn and Joey Diamond. They limited the Black Bear stars to seven shots on goal and no even-strength goals.
“They played solid defensively. We had trouble getting the puck in their end,” said Abbott.
Abbott’s power play goal came with 2:44 left in the first period and his snap shot in the final seconds of the period nearly produced a second goal. However, Reiter extended his left pad and robbed an unattended Mangene, who got off a point-blank follow-up.
Abbott’s goal was set up by Flynn, who was in the left circle and slid the puck across to Abbott in the middle of the high slot.
Abbott faked a slap shot and then wristed the puck through a screen past Reiter.
Maine had the better chances in the first period and won a majority of the battles for the puck.
Maine outshot the Bulldogs 14-9 in the first period.
“It wasn’t hard to play better after the way we played in the first period,” said Lamb.
Flynn said even though Maine scored on its second power-play chance of the game, it had two more opportunities after that in the first and second periods “and it would have been nice if we could have gotten another one [to get some separation].”
Maine went 1-for-5 on the power play overall while UMD went 1-for-3.
Mangene made it 2-0 when he took a pass from Cornell and skated unchecked down the ice as the Bulldogs stopped playing because the Maine net was dislodged.
But the whistle never blew and Mangene capitalized by busting across the low slot from right to left and sliding a backhander behind Reiter.
According to rule 6-10c, if the nonoffending team has an offensive opportunity and its defensive goal cage has been displaced, play shall be allowed to continue until the scoring chance is completed.
Maine senior defenseman and co-captain Will O’Neill had assists on both goals and became the seventh defenseman in Maine history to reach the 100-point plateau. He wound up with 101 points.
Waiting for Bartneally, capt6400, woodysway, mickeyhart,
keepdachange, monalee, dunbar2, jd2008jd, blackbearfalcon, gopher40,
blackbear19, TRJ1998, GRBSPR, Mrs. Whitehead, Forrest Gump and all the other
Timmay-lovers to come on here and say things like Maine played a great game, it
was the refs fault, what a great season because they finished 2nd
hockey east tourney and made the NCAAs , Timmay runs a clean program, he’s
better Xs Os than this coach or that coach blah blah blah.
Ponder this as you sit around all summer long making the
same lame excuses for the pathetic red sox:
“The University of Maine does not accept losses.”
– Shawn Walsh
A concept that Timmay will never understand. He had 11 years and couldn’t get it done.
It’s time to FIRE TIMMAY HIRE JIMMY!
Go Yankees!
BB first I have never been a Tim Whitehead lover.
I have said that it takes a team to win and a team to lose.
I have said that once the puck drops it’s up to the players to put the puck in the net.
I have said that once the game starts it is up to the Captain and Assistant Captain to set the plan in motion and to execute the plan.
AND, I have said that there was only one Shawn Walsh and there will never be another Shawn Walsh.
Regardless of what the AD decides to do, it will take 2-3 years to rebuild Maine Hockey.
And any sport reduced to its basic fundamentals is the team that scores the most goals, runs, touchdowns, etc…will win the game.
Maine didn’t do that to night.
These are all facts and they are not in dispute.
I agree with everything you said, jd, as far as the word “Regardless.” I don’t agree that it will take 2-3 years to rebuild the team. I believe this year’s team laid an excellent foundation. And that it would be a shame to waist the effort of this year’s team.
“I have said that it takes a team to win and a team to lose.
I have said that once the puck drops it’s up to the players to put the puck in the net. I have said that once the game starts it is up to the Captain and Assistant Captain to set the plan in motion and to execute the plan.”
Why even have a Coach at the games? Why have that Coach on the bench? While the Coach cannot play for the players, there is certainly a role for the Coach to inspire his team, adjust strategies, argue with the refs, etc. Whitehead is deficient in these roles.
Your statements are therefore certainly not factual and are definitely in dispute. Also, as a point of logic, a future prediction such as it will take 2-3 years to rebuild the program cannot be designated as a fact.
Whitehead needs to go and while we can never get Walsh back, I refuse to believe that there isn’t a better option out there with the same fire.
“Why even have a Coach at the games?”
The Coach sets the game plan. The players have to execute the plan.
~~~~~
“Why have that Coach on the bench?”
Because Coaches make adjustments during and between the periods.
~~~~~
“While the Coach cannot play for the players, there is certainly a role
for the Coach to inspire his team, adjust strategies, argue with the
refs, etc. Whitehead is deficient in these roles.”
Would you rather have a Jack Parker? He certainly does all of the above and….of wait. Didn’t they get blown out worse than Maine did? And haven’t TWO of his players been charged with sexual assault and been tossed off the team?
~~~~~
And it will take 2-3 years to rebuild the team under a different coach. Whitehead recruited the current team. They are his players and while some would leave (transfer) most will stay. So I stand by my statement (your free to disagree) rebuilding takes time…even Coach Walsh took time before his team won their first NCAA national championship.
so you admit that coaches have influence and responsibilities when ‘the puck drops.’ thank you for correcting yourself. that poor logic would ultimately lead to the conclusion that no coach could ever be held accountable for team performance and you aren’t that obtuse.
i don’t want jack parker but fortunately for me and unfortunately for your logic, he isn’t my only choice…in fact he isn’t a choice at all. whitehead needs to go and there are great choices out there…plenty of them.
i agree the program will require some rebuilding time. players leave or don’t consider maine bc of whitehead who was handed a great program…one that walsh built into the top tier.
Can not defend Tim on this one. Maine and 2-0 leads are a lock for a loss with with Whitehead behind the bench. There are numerous examples including a couple of Frozen Four games.
I am proud of the kids on this team. They were a team that really liked each other and made obvious strides this year.
I am all for bringing Jim M and Grant back to Orono. Look at the success of first year coaches this season. It maybe the right time to go in a another direction. I think it might be a good time for a change for Tim as well. He is clearly a good man and I think can do a great job with a program with a few less expectations like a UCONN….etc
Sad to see the season end on two straight losses.
I went to the Syracuse and Ohio State Elite 8 game (Business Event) and missed the game live but was watching the game on my phone at The Garden. All of the Syracuse fans were looking at me like I was an idiot. The tickets prices for the game were extreme and I am watching the UM Hockey game.
I am still going to Tampa for the Frozen Four and I will be attending opening day for the Yankees on Friday @ The Trop. BBear94 we agree on a few things. Thanks for the call out. I hate to lose a
Spencer, Will, Ryan, Brian, (Theo and Josh)…thanks for sticking with it and getting us back to the Tourney. You will be missed. Maybe #13 will walk away with the Hobey in Florida.
When my old friend Walshy told me personaly that Whitehead was the man for the job I gave Coach Whitehead all the support a fan could give. His exact words to me at the 19th hole were “Timmy will do a great job, give him a chance”. Well, It has been a long time since those painful days and I think all of us have “given Timmy a chance”. It’s time to get the program back to the level we know is possible. That doesn’t happen with Whitehead. We need to make the changes we all know are possible to get us back to a feared, powerful, passionate, motivated team and that type of mentality starts at the top.
Players, you did a great job with what you had to work with. You did not let the fans down regarding your level of play. Better luck next year. You need a little luck of the Irish.
and I bet you haven’t moved from your PC all night….just waiting and hitting the refresh button. You need to get a hobby or something?! There is life beyond Maine Hockey/message boards. “Good grief” …(thought I’d use one of your infamous quotes).
See you next October. Go Blue!!!
oh mikkey hartle stop hatin them maine fans plese oh plese why you do that all da time little mikcey hart you a funny little man little mikcye
Huh?
Yet here you are replying to my every post, like a stalker. That’s creepy. And weird.
I’m definetly not a Timmy-Lover. No excuses to let up 5 straight goals.
It’s time for a new start. But PLEASE fire Woodward before Whitehead.
Why can’t you fire both, both have done a terrible job and aren’t worth getting a contract extension that Woodward just got.
I would fire both! But Teddy is BFFs with Abbott so that will never happen.
Looks Like you had your one note guitar ready to go before the game was over.UMD stepped it up and the Blackbears could not respond. No matter how much you strum your boring bleat the game had very little to do with coaching.At the rate you’re going T Whitehead will be around for 11 more years. Oh Well you probably havn’t got anything else to do . Congratulations to the Team for a good year.
Fire TIm Whitead is the only string left for long-time fans, unfortunalty. We’ve played out all the others years ago….
And last night had everything to do with coaching. Sandelin adjusted to Maine’s 1st-period performance, Whitehead did not. How many times have we seen Maine blow 2 and 3 goal leads. Timmay is not capable of in-game adustments and that is his achilles heal as a coach –
My, my. The true colors come out. Not only a dweler in the past (which, along with it’s people can never recreated), but a Yankee fan to boot. I’ve been a Yankee hater ever since the mid-50s and I’ve been a Red Sox fan to varing degrees ever since to varying degrees. I also beeen a fan of whatever university I’ve been near or associated with for most of my life. Sure, I’ve seen a lot of negatives thorughout my life as a fan, but I prefer to enjoy and dwell on the positives, including watching games, preferably live. You may consider this Polyannish or Quixotic, but this attitude has given me a over the decades.
Me thinks you’re still living in the 1950s. Perhaps that’s why you are in fact so pollyanish, as you put it. You clearly do not understand the competitive environment of modern college athletics. And apparently you are not truly committed to any one team, college or otherwise, and for that reason we have to completely discount your dated, pollyanish view on UMO hockey.
Thanks for clearing that up for us all –
*UMaine Hockey
UMO doesn’t exist.
To complete my earlier reply, I doubt that BBear and his allies would not be happy with any Maine hockey coach if you manage to get rid of coach Whitehead. Sure, the honeymoon would last until the first couple of losses, anything short of perfection.
Go Black Bears, Go Sox, Go Briuns, Go Patriots, Go Celtics (and to heck with the Yankees, Cowboys, Jets, etc.)
Wow, Larry. That’s some “vindication.”
maine just folded once they gave up tie goal. wasn’t it 5 unaswered goals larry not four. can we send whitehead away now.
Both teams profited from some odd plays/bounces. M-D was able to adapt and change their game plan whilst Maine let up on their pressure and puck possesion game and was easily handled. Maine played well, the difference was very evident in the coaching…
lets clarify this statement!!! maine played well first 37 minutes… after that..NO they did not play well
Did UMD? And might that have had something to do with how Maine played. Or were the Bulldogs just fish bait?
You call losing 5-2 playing well?
“University of Minnesota-Duluth erased a 2-0 deficit with four unanswered goals to beat the Black Bears 5-2 at the DCU Center Saturday night.
Nice math Larry! :)
“University of Minnesota-Duluth erased a 2-0 deficit with four unanswered goals to beat the Black Bears 5-2 at the DCU Center Saturday night.”
Open-net goals count, too…
Will Abbott let Whitehead go or keep him around another 4 or 5 yrs. Hopefully he is gone. That was awful to watch lastnite. We need a coach that gets fired up. The players looked Paul Bearers in the second and third lastnite. Very sad to watch
Tim has lost his “spunk”, all kinds of talent on the team but no one home to lead them or fire them up! Sorry Tim we need an inspiring coach, time to go!
Thanks to the Seniors and the rest of the players for bring Maine hockey back to the NCAAs, wish the outcome would have been better.
All you folks calling for Timmays head on a platter, forget about it, he isn’t going anywhere, he saved his job. Please Tim, hire a full time Defense and Goalie coach.
The team had so much fire int he first period and then it was gone. What the heck did Whitehead say to them at the intermission? Keep your cool play smart…I don’t know but something killed the intensity. They need a coach with some fire in his belly.
I wasn’t as impressed by UMD as I was angry at Maine for playing an utterly ‘passive’ game and ‘letting’ the Bulldogs win it. It was very clear that Minnesota was ‘given’ the game by a seemingly disinterested, uninspired Maine team.
And BBear94 can wait all he wants; I’m a BC fan and the Eagles will do to Minnesota-Duluth what his beloved Bears couldn’t.
Go Red Sox!
then why you here just to gloat i guess
waited 4 years for that performance..that was EMBARRASSING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I have to listen to all the homers who went to UMD and majored in chemical engineering and drinking tell me how great the bulldogs are. Oh goodie…
I do not think I have ever seen a team play so well and then just completely melt down like that. Everyone in the first period, and half of the second was playing unbelievable. After Maines second goal it all stopped. UMD looked like they didn’t even belong with Maine for the first part of the game.
Tough way to finish the season with a 5-2 loss after being up 2-0. However if anyone had predicted that this team would beat bc twice, northeastern twice,Merrimack twice,Vermont and northeastern twice and bu three times and made the ncaa’s I would have said “what have you been smokin?” A good run that the seniors can take with them for the rest of their lives! Good job team!
OK Apologies and respect to TRJ1998, dunbar2, and jd2008jd. As for capt6400 and mickeyhart you guys just don’t get it. Even after 2 abismal performances, both on national tv, you both can’t speak the truth.
You guys must be a) tim whitehead, b) mrs. whitehead, c) whitehead’s relatives, d) umaine players, e) BND staff, f) children. I mean there really is no other explanation for your unabashed timmay-loving.
The Hockey East championship wasn’t on national television.
It was on NBC Sports.
I stand corrected.
Then how was I watching it?
Well, at least you stereotype regularly. This time, you didn’t specify me but I don’t fit any of your simplistic categories.
WOW…being called out. I never said i was a Timmy lover either, yet with him under contract for the next 2 years, they wont be getting rid of him, PLUS getting back to the NCAA’s is what this team needed, even if they only seemed to play 30 minutes… Abbott didnt look himself, and after UMD got that third goal, it seemed like the team was to cautious and playing back to what it used to do a couple years ago, pass pass pass, instead of getting shots on net. Though I was glad of the way they played the first period and half, the half and third period it showed UMD just had to much depth and talent.
I am proud of the seniors to getting back into the NCAAs and the Maine crowd that came to Worcester to cheer on the team…..
With a lot of talent leaving this year because of being seniors, and who knows who else we could leave, who knows what lies within next year….and who might be coaching elsewhere…might be some changes outside of Maine.
So, enjoy your overpaid Yankees this year!
Tim shouldn’t wait to ask once again for a lifetime contract.
Typical Tim Whitehead effort!!!! Maine has never been prepared by the bum to play in the big game. They are at best paper tigers when it matters most. Sure we swept BC back in January but who is still alive in the NCAA:s and who is headed hone? We ate wasting a ton if hood money paying a loser of a Coach who has never one and will never win a big game. Whitehead is the consumaye choir artist and SN unmitigated disgrace to the program Shawn Walsh built!!!!!
I bet Walsh would disagree.
No, he would not. Tim was not “Shawn’s hand-picked successor” — he was brought on to keep the chair warm while Shawn won his battle with cancer. That’s all! “Hand-picked” is a myth, subscribed to by way too many people.
As positive as Walsh was, he had to have known that his odds of surviving the cancer were long. None of his treatments worked and the cancer was spreading.
Talk about folding. I’ve never been bored watching a UMaine playoff game until last night.
What a pis* poor effort the last 30 minutes. Thanks again Timmay for another failed season.
If not winning a national championship is “failure,” then Walsh failed far more often than he succeeded.
When did just making the NCAA Tournament become acceptable at Maine? Maine won’t ever win a title under Timmay.
We can learn a lot by observing other teams. Ferris State and Minn Dulth are both teams that are at a decided disadvantage in attracting recruits as they need to compete with Minnesota, North Dakota and other elite midwest programs to get players. Yet they are doing very well. So therefore they must be doing 1 of 2 things; (a) they are landing good recruits despite this disadvantage; or (b) they are “coaching up” lesser recruits, turning them into very good or elite players. Their coaches are probably doing some of each. TW is not doing (a) or (b). That is the problem.
We can learn a lot by observing other teams. Ferris State and Minn Dulth are both teams that are at a decided disadvantage in attracting recruits as they need to compete with Minnesota, North Dakota and other elite midwest programs to get players. Yet they are doing very well. So therefore they must be doing 1 of 2 things; (a) they are landing good recruits despite this disadvantage; or (b) they are “coaching up” lesser recruits, turning them into very good or elite players. Their coaches are probably doing some of each. TW is not doing (a) or (b). That is the problem.
We can learn a lot by observing other teams. Ferris State and Minn Dulth are both teams that are at a decided disadvantage in attracting recruits as they need to compete with Minnesota, North Dakota and other elite midwest programs to get players. Yet they are doing very well. So therefore they must be doing 1 of 2 things; (a) they are landing good recruits despite this disadvantage; or (b) they are “coaching up” lesser recruits, turning them into very good or elite players. Their coaches are probably doing some of each. TW is not doing (a) or (b). That is the problem.
Well I can see by the various comments that Timmay has certainly united the fan base. Good grief.
Well, I’m off to watch the Yankees win another World Series.
See you next year –
this game was a perfect display of how the season went. At times Maine looked and played like one of the best teams in the country. At other times they disappeared and looked like they had no desire or will to win and compete. Whitehead can’t recruit or coach the players that once flocked to UMaine.
Finally, Maine gets the recognition we deserve and Coach Whitehead rises above the nay sayers to show everyone what he knows. Name a better Hockey East coach. York? nah he has too much talent. Parker, nope he’s got too many buddies in the business. Whitehead is superior to all. Hopefully, next year we can get back to the top 16. I’m happy that Maine is where they deserve to be. Maybe Coach will get that 5 year extension and we can continue to make the playoffs.
Mrs Whitehead is that you?
No Mikey, but I know good hockey when I see it.
Yeah, too much talent… Great coaches who develop players to play at the next level will bring in great talent.
They got out-coached. I’m not going to be a Whitehead basher, but thats the fact of the game.. There should have been a timeout called after the 2-0 lead was lost. UMD coaches came out after the break between periods with a new game plan that totally countered what Maine was doing to setup into the neutral zone. They neutral zone turnovers killed Maine, and after trying to do the same attack over and over again they ended up losing the game because of it. I don’t blame the players, they were playing the game the way the coaches wanted them to. UMD strategy countered the Maine attack, and Maine never adjusted. Therefore, UMD is still in and Maine is out.. Am I the only one that thought that Maine didn’t play with a lot of heart when they were on their heels after the game was tied up? Good turn-around but as usual with Whiteheads teams he leads, they always seem to disappoint in crucial moments.