ORONO – University of Maine junior center Marty Kariya has been mired in a mini goal-scoring slump with one goal in his last eight games and four over his last 17 games dating back to last season.
He would love to snap out of it this weekend when the Black Bears host defending national champion Boston College for a two-game series at Alfond Arena.
“Any weekend is a good weekend to break out of it,” said Kariya whose Bears won’t play again until the Everblades College Hockey Classic in Estero, Fla., on Dec. 29.
Kariya said it may be too early in the season to term the BC games a do-or-die series “but we’re certainly looking at them as carrying the importance of playoff games. They’re one of those teams that will be in the top four or five teams by the end of the season so you obviously want to get a step on them if you can.”
Kariya is tied for fifth on the team in point production with 12 (3 goals, 9 assists) but he is concerned about his goal-scoring drought.
“It’s a big concern. Even if you’re playing as well as you ever have in your life, if you aren’t scoring, the satisfaction isn’t there. As one of our offensive players, that’s my job,” said Kariya. “It is something I haven’t figured out in the game of hockey: why the puck won’t go in sometimes. It just doesn’t.
“A lot of it is confidence. You have a lot more poise when you’re confident. I’m not that confident right now,” said Kariya.
Interim head coach Tim Whitehead said he isn’t the least bit concerned because Kariya is helping the team in so many other ways while still averaging close to a point per game.
“He’s playing very good hockey. In our games so far, he has been one of the best players I’ve seen for our team or the opposing team.” said Whitehead. “I’m sure he’d love to have more goals right now but I’ll tell you what, he’s making so many strong plays in every area, offensively and defensively.”
The Eagles have been one of the surprise teams in the league with six wins in their last seven games despite losing its top three scorers; three standout veteran defenseman and workhorse goalie Scott Clemmensen off last year’s team.
“They always bring in great recruits,” said Maine senior goalie Matt Yeats who added that their returnees have stepped up their games.
Whitehead called the Eagles a “real good hockey team” and said his Bears will have to “put a defensive envelope around them.”
Whitehead has double incentive because the Eagles knocked his UMass-Lowell River Hawks out of the Hockey East semifinals last season and the Black Bears out of the NCAA quarterfinals.
“We want to show these guys we can play,” said Whitehead, UML’s head coach last year.
“Their forwards have improved more than their defense,” Kariya said. “Their defense is very young and some of them haven’t played in the Alfond Arena yet. If we can pressure their defensemen early, it might give us a few more chances than we normally get.”
Comments
comments for this post are closed