Kerluke surge could spark Maine in pivotal series

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ORONO – After scoring 33 goals in his first 71 games, University of Maine senior left winger Dan Kerluke had managed to find the back of the net just 17 times over the next 68 games entering last weekend’s series at the University of Massachusetts.

Kerluke finally busted out of his slump with a pair of two-goal games in the sweep of Massachusetts. He earned Hockey East Player of the Week honors but, more importantly, he could supply the Bears with a goal scorer for the stretch run.

“I just want to help the team out. We’ve played in the NCAA Tournament the last two years, it’s my senior year and I want to go back. It’s a lot of fun. I don’t want to be home watching it,” said Kerluke, who also benefited psychologically from wearing the black skate blades he had worn to score 23 times as a sophomore.

Kerluke said he had tried everything to regain his scoring touch the past two seasons.

“I had tried different moves, different shots. But goal scoring is instinctive,” said Kerluke.

He added that confidence is another huge key in being able to put the puck in the net.

“When your confidence is high, you see the net and the ice better,” said Kerluke who is hoping his renewed confidence can lead to a productive stretch run.

He credited linemate Tommy Reimann for his passes that led to Friday night’s two goals which tied the game and decided it in overtime.

Maine coach Shawn Walsh said Kerluke’s breakthrough series “will relax the other guys and take a little pressure off everybody.”

He also noted that the tying score on Friday was particularly encouraging because it was a goal-scorer’s goal. Kerluke took a pass from Reimann, waited until he pulled the puck around UMass goalie Markus Helanen and then deposited it in the open net.

“He relaxed and made the play,” said Walsh.

Maine sophomore center Chris Heisten said the team needed somebody to step up and fill the void left by leading goal scorer Matthias Trattnig, who was playing for Austria in a pre-Olympic tournament, and “Dan and Mike Schutte came through for us.”

Schutte, playing on Trattnig’s line with Marty Kariya and Brendan Donovan, had a hat trick (three goals) Saturday.

Walsh was also encouraged by the fact his team allowed only 41 shots on goal in the series and junior goalie Matt Yeats was required to make only 13 Grade-A saves in the two games.

“We’re playing with a real sense of urgency,” said junior defenseman Peter Metcalf. “We’re treating these games as if they’re playoff games.”

Sophomore center Reimann added, “Our defense leads to offensive opportunities for us. A quick transition is the key.”

Junior defenseman Eric Turgeon concurred, saying, “If we play good, solid defense, the goals will come. We get into trouble when we start pressing to score goals.”

Another encouraging component of the weekend was Maine’s struggling power play although the Minutemen have the worst penalty-killing percentage in the league.

Maine had one power-play goal but scored another goal five seconds after a penalty had elapsed. Maine generated 23 shots on goal in 10 attempts over the weekend.

“And it’s going to get better,” said junior right wing Niko Dimitrakos.

Maine hosts resurgent UMass-Lowell for a two-game set this weekend. UML is 12-5-3 in its last 20 games, 7-2-3 over its last 12 league games.

Shields earns British roster spot

Black Bear redshirt winger Colin Shields has made the British team for the World Championships in Slovenia in April. The British will play in the B pool, which is a notch below the top group (A pool).

The Glasgow native just returned from attending a week-long camp in Hull, England.

“I was a little disappointed because a lot of the [pro] guys who were supposed to be there weren’t there because they had [European] Super League games,” said Shields.

He said they had practices in the morning and scrimmaged in the afternoon.

They had a game on the last day of camp and he had a goal and three assists as his team triumphed 8-4.

“I was tired from the travel for the first couple of days but I felt better as the week went on,” said Shields who added that he enjoyed playing for British coach Chris McSorley, brother of former Boston Bruin Marty McSorley.

Meanwhile, Walsh reported that Trattnig’s Austrian team qualified to play in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

“They went 1-1-1 in their tournament,” said Walsh who expects Trattnig to return to Orono on Wednesday.