Replacing Howard is Bears’ main goal Lundin, Bishop set to disprove doubters

ORONO – Goaltending will be the primary question mark for the University of Maine’s hockey team as head coach Tim Whitehead will try to replace record-setter Jimmy Howard with sophomore Matt Lundin and freshman Ben Bishop.

Former All-American and Hockey East Rookie of the Year Howard passed up his senior year to sign last month with the Detroit Red Wings, who drafted him in the second round in 2003. He set school records for career shutouts (15), goals-against average (1.84), save percentage (.931) and scoreless string (193 minutes, 45 seconds).

The 6-foot, 172-pound Lundin, who won the Frank Brimsek Award given to Minnesota’s top senior goalie two years ago, backed up Howard last season and had a 2.00 GAA and a .928 save percentage in nine games.

The 6-61/2, 205-pound Bishop was 35-8 with a 1.93 GAA and .920 save percentage for the Texas Tornado of the North American Hockey League and led them to a second consecutive NAHL Gold Cup championship. He was a third round draft pick of St. Louis this past July.

Lundin and Bishop are confident they can get the job done.

“People are saying we can’t do anything without Jimmy here and I’m excited to prove them wrong,” said Lundin. “It’s a good challenge. I like the competition. It will be good.”

“We won a national championship last year and I feel I can bring that to the table this year with a little experience,” said Bishop.

“Matt and I are good friends. We’re both up for the challenge,” added Bishop.

Grant Standbrook, who is in his 18th year as an assistant at Maine and has had six of his former Bear goalies play in the NHL with Howard possibly being the seventh, will work with the goalies and likes their potential.

“Each guy has his differences,” said Standbrook. “Bishop is so much longer in the extremities and so much more of a physical presence. We’ve got to work on keeping him aggressive. With Matt, it will be a matter of toning and refining the things we worked on last year. And we’ve got to work on his confidence.

“He’s got to be mentally tough to handle situations. They both do,” added Standbrook. “That’s going to be the key thing: between the ears.

“It’s up to us to make our team believe in them and to make them believe in themselves and disprove what other people are thinking. It’s going to be fun.”

He also said the two goalies “are great kids to work with.”

The Maine players aren’t worried about them.

“Everybody talks about how Jimmy Howard was a great goaltender and I don’t want to take anything away from him, but I think we’ll be just fine as far as goaltending is concerned,” said senior defenseman and assistant captain Steve Mullin.

“Matt worked out a lot this summer and looks real good. And Bishop looks real good, too,” said junior center and assistant captain Michel Leveille. “Bishop is huge. He covers a lot of the net.”

“They’re young and we understand there are going to be ups and downs in the net,” said Whitehead. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Jimmy had a lot of ups and downs his freshman year and he’s headed for the NHL.”

Sophomore Ryan Shelley of Gray will back them up.