BIDDEFORD — Requiring a win to move up the ECAC East standings ahead of next weekend’s league tournament, the University of New England men’s hockey team needed a big performance against New England College on Friday night.
Thanks to one of the best defensive efforts all year, and a program-first in goal, UNE got it.
After coming up just short against the upper-echelon of the league for most of the season, the Nor’easters finally got the scalp they’ve been looking for as Ben Pearl’s second-period goal was all netminder Colby Drost needed in a 1-0 win over New England College at Harold Alfond Forum.
Drost made 22 stops in the shutout, only the second in the five-year history of UNE’s varsity program and the first-ever against an ECAC East foe.
“Great game by Colby Drost, as always,” Nor’easters head coach Brad Holt said. “He’s just always so solid, so steady. He does a great job, and everybody played well around him.”
After an even first period, UNE dominated long stretches of both the second and third periods, outshooting the Pilgrims 38-14 across the final 40 minutes and 50-22 overall.
It was in stark contrast to what Drost has been seeing for most of the season; UNE had been allowing an average of over 39 shots a game reach its goaltenders, leading to 93 goals against ”“ including over four a game in ECAC East play.
“Usually we’re giving up 40 shots a game, but tonight we did a great job of blocking shots, boxing out,” Drost said. “This is probably the best game we’ve played all year and I’m just really proud of the guys. It was a full team effort.
“They had a couple good chances on the power play, but that’s what they need me for. They just did what I asked.”
Despite controlling play for much of the second period, UNE had nothing to show for it until Pearl was able to get his stick on a rebound in front. The play had started when defenseman Patrick Borer received a pass at the point and smacked it on goal, where Pilgrims goalie Sebastian Anderson was unable to control the rebound.
A scrum ensued, and Pearl was there to muscle the puck across the goal line.
UNE had two golden opportunities to extend the lead at the start of the third, but Trevor Fleurent was unable to tip Pearl’s perfectly-weighted centering pass past Anderson. A minute later, Jared Melman’s shot from the slot on the power play rang off the post.
But it was no matter, with the one goal standing up thanks to the collective work of the Nor’easters blue liners and forward corps, who dominated the neutral zone throughout and allowed just five shots in the third period.
“We played smarter, we didn’t get lost on the fore-check and even though we were putting shots on goal we didn’t get too wrapped up in it, knowing that we have to take care of our own end first,” Holt said. “Our d-men got it to the forwards quick, we got it out of the one pretty quick and that made a big difference.”
It was even more important win for UNE considering the events of last weekend, when the Nor’easters lost a pair of one-goal games on the road against nationally-ranked Babson and UMass Boston.
“It was tough with one-goal losses to nationally-ranked teams, but it also means we’re playing with nationally ranked teams,” Holt said. “This one was really the payoff of last weekend’s hard work.”
The win, coupled with Southern Maine’s 4-2 loss to Saint Anselm on Friday, means the Nor’easters (9-14-1, 6-11 ECAC East) move into a tie with Skidmore (7-10-7, 3-8-6 ECAC East) in the standings with 12 points, with just one league game date, today, left.
UNE will take on Saint Anselm, while Southern Maine hosts NEC (18-1, 11-6 ECAC East) and Skidmore travels to Castleton State.
If Skidmore and UNE ”“ who split their season series ”“ end up tied in points, the Nor’easters will get the tiebreaker for sixth place, which would be their highest-ever finish in the league table.
But before they can think about that, they must take care of business at 4 p.m. today in Alfond against Saint Anselm, who beat UNE 6-4 the first time the teams met in Manchester back on Jan. 10.
“Obviously this one gives us another chance to jump up in the standings,” Holt said. “If things fall the way we hope, we’ll have a chance to move up again.”
— Staff Writer Cameron Dunbar can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or cdunbar@journaltribune.com.
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