Chris Heisten was having a miserable junior season.

The left winger and assistant captain didn’t score a goal during the regular season and had played in only 20 of Maine’s 36 games due to shoulder and ankle injuries and the death of his father, Bob Dearth.

He finally scored in Maine’s first Hockey East playoff game, a 7-3 win over Boston College, and he has added two more goals and two assists.

He is among Maine’s playoff scoring leaders.

“I’m 23, but I had been acting like an 18-year-old,” said Heisten Tuesday before flying to St. Paul, Minn., for the Frozen Four. “I had a lot of maturing to do this season. I’ve grown up a lot.”

Maine plays New Hampshire Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in an NCAA semifinal.

Heisten said he didn’t feel like part of the team when he was injured. He couldn’t practice with the team.

“I watched nine or 10 games. That was tough,” said Heisten.

But he said interim coach Tim Whitehead “had a talk” with him and Whitehead told him he was part of the team and was supportive of him.

Heisten worked out on his own and had to earn his way into the lineup. It wasn’t easy.

“I felt like a freshman again. Everybody was in game shape. I wasn’t even in practice shape and that’s a long way from game shape. The college game is so chaotic,” said Heisten, whose badly sprained ankle kept him out of nine late-season games.

He gradually got into shape and returned for the season-ending win and tie at Boston University.

After notching a goal and an assist against Boston College, he scored the game-winner the next night to eliminate the Eagles.

Then he scored an important tying goal in the Bears’ NCAA Tournament first-round game against Harvard. Maine eventually won 4-3 in overtime.

He credits assistant Grant Standbrook with giving him some valuable tips.

“He told me I had too many things going on and to slow down and take my time with the puck,” said Heisten.

Heisten is happy to be back contributing as the left wing on a line with Tommy Reimann and 29-goal scorer Colin Shields.

He likes Maine’s chances in the Frozen Four.

“We’re playing extremely well right now and we’ve playing with a lot of confidence,” he said.

Pooley said goaltending will be key

Providence College coach Paul Pooley has played all of the Frozen Four teams: Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Michigan.

“Every team transitions the puck very well. Each team has enough skill, speed, and puckhandling defensemen to come right back at you in transition [if you turn the puck over],” said Pooley. “I know Maine is using Shawn [late head coach Shawn Walsh] as a motivating factor. UNH didn’t make the NCAAs last year and they’re using that as a huge motivating factor.”

He said Michigan has the most experienced goalie in Josh Blackburn and Minnesota has “some great players.”

He indicated that Minnesota relies heavily on its great players while Maine and New Hampshire had scoring balance.

Frozen Four format unintentional

So why are two eastern teams and two western teams facing each other in the semifinals instead of crossing over?

“Our job was to seed the top four teams and bracket it so that the team from the bracket with the top seed would play the team seeded in the bracket with the fourth seed,” explained Northeastern University athletic director and NCAA Ice Hockey Committee member Ian McCaw. “We want to protect our top seed.

“New Hampshire was the top seed followed by Denver [Michigan won this bracket], Minnesota, and Boston University [Maine won this grouping],” explained McCaw.

He said the NCAA implemented a 400-mile regulation following the terrorist attacks to keep teams within 400 miles of their campus for tournament play.

“That was designed to reduce unnecessary air travel,” said McCaw.

That is why each regional had teams just from its region: there were six eastern teams in the Eastern Regional and six western schools in the Western Regional.

Whitehead credits his coaching staff

Whitehead said his finalist nomination for the Spencer Penrose trophy given to the nation’s best Division I coach is a group nomination.

It is his third nomination in six years with the other two coming at UMass-Lowell.

“If ever there was a staff situation, this is it. I can’t believe how strong our staff has been. Grant [Standbrook] has been unbelievable. He has been a great source of support for me this year. Campbell Blair has been a wonderful addition. He has solidified our defense corps. And Matt [Thomas] has been outstanding all year. He’s a very talented young coach.

“Matt and Campbell have been tremendous on the bench. Grant hasn’t missed a beat in recruiting despite not being on the road in the fall due to Shawn’s death. He has landed some huge recruits. There’s no one better than Grant. And we’ve really enjoyed working together as a staff.”