Many predicted a sweep in the Massachusetts hockey team’s playoff series, but few foresaw the fashion in which it would be completed.
The sixth-seeded Minutemen made history for the second consecutive evening, knocking off third-seeded and No. 4 Maine 4-2 to sweep the Hockey East quarterfinal series. With the win, UMass has earned its first trip ever to the FleetCenter for the conference semifinals.
“This is what we’re aspiring to be, a program that is well thought of, and to hang in the circles of the great programs in this country,” a beaming UMass coach Don Cahoon said after Friday’s historic win. “We’ve got a long ways to go, but this is a pretty darn good place to start off.”
Mike Warner’s power-play goal with 8:15 remaining in the game gave UMass an insurance tally and sealed the fate of the Black Bears, who had been buzzing up to that point. Warner gobbled up Thomas Pock’s blast and roofed a shot just under the crossbar for the two-goal lead.
“It was definitely my biggest goal since I’ve been at UMass. We haven’t had a lot of games where we’ve been in that situation, so it was awesome to get that,” Warner said.
The Minutemen jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first period to quiet the raucous Alfond Arena crowd and chase Maine netminder Jimmy Howard for the second straight evening. Pock got the Maroon and White on the scoreboard three minutes into the game off a failed Black Bear clearing attempt. Pock chased after the loose puck and fired it back at the net. The puck caromed off a Maine defenseman’s skate and past Howard for the 1-0 UMass lead.
Chris Capraro doubled the advantage eight minutes later, as Warner crossed the puck to Capraro, and the freshman one-timed the feed into the bottom left corner. Stephen Werner capped off the first frame as he tipped home Pock’s blast from the blue line to send Howard to the showers after only 16 minutes of action.
“Any time you come into Maine and score three goals in the first period, it’s an amazing boost,” UMass senior captain Tim Turner said.
“Credit has to go to UMass for being opportunistic and popping those pucks in the net,” Maine coach Tim Whitehead added. “They’re going to be a dangerous team down the stretch.”
Maine would soon jump back into the game, however, as Todd Jackson put home Robert Liscak’s rebound past fallen UMass goaltender Gabe Winer to put the 4,100 in attendance at Alfond on their feet. The goal put electricity into the Black Bears’ bench, as the final six minutes of the second period was played almost entirely in the UMass end.
Maine was finally able to crack Winer again early in the third period, as Derek Damon stuffed home a loose puck to cut the deficit to 3-2. But the Minutemen held off the Black Bears the rest of the way, sending Maine to its first Hockey East quarterfinal defeat since 1994.
Meanwhile, UMass will be looking to make even more noise when they clash with New Hampshire in the Hockey East semifinals on Friday evening at 5:00 p.m.
“It can’t happen to a better group of guys, and the fact that we came here and swept Maine in the first two games is astronomical,” Turner said.
Student tickets for Friday and Saturday night’s game at the FleetCenter can be picked up starting today at 8:30 a.m. at the Mullins Center box office. Tickets are $10 for students (with a student ID) for each night and can be purchased until Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.
