UM loss a replay of Bears’ season Inconsistent finish followed fast start

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ST. LOUIS – Mike Lundin, University of Maine men’s hockey assistant captain, hit the nail on the head following the Bears’ frustrating 4-2 loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal Thursday.

He said the loss was a microcosm of their up-and-down season: fast start, inconsistent finish.

There were times this season that the Bears played terrific hockey. At other times, they were inept, mistake-prone, and outworked. They also had some spotty goaltending, although Ben Bishop had an overall impressive season.

Both Maine teams were on display Thursday.

The Bears came out flying in the first 3 minutes, 24 seconds and took a 2-0 lead on goals by Keith Johnson and Josh Soares. It appeared as though NCAA Tournament savvy and their penchant for playing well in big games were going to be too much for the Spartans.

They had all kinds of energy and jump. They were gritty and passionate and looked unbeatable.

The confidence level was sky-high.

But when Chris Mueller outfought Keenan Hopson for a loose puck next to the post, swept a centering pass off Maine goalie Ben Bishop’s stick, and then batted a waist-high puck into the far corner, everything changed.

The Bears lost momentum and never regained it.

After that, they looked like the team that lost six of its last eight heading into the NCAA Tournament instead of the team that put on a clinic in how to play thorough, defense-oriented systematic hockey in East Regional wins over St. Cloud State and Massachusetts.

They rarely established a sustained forecheck, they didn’t generate odd-man rushes, and they consistently lost battles for loose pucks. They had all kinds of trouble working the puck out of the defensive zone and turned the puck over too much while the Spartans were able to make a couple of one-touch passes and clear their defensive zone easily.

MSU goalie Jeff Lerg left fat rebounds all over the place and seemed vulnerable the whole game, but the Bears didn’t fight through enough checks to manufacture a netfront presence and convert on their opportunities. They also missed the net with 20 of their 67 shot attempts and overhandled the puck, and MSU smartly held the nation’s top-ranked power play to just two chances with its discipline.

Michigan State played an exceptional hockey game.

MSU never panicked and did an exemplary job clearing their netfront.

They batted two goals out of the air, prompting Bishop to quip, “I thought I was playing a baseball team,” converted on a well-executed three-on-two, and got the game-winner by attacking Maine’s net and poking home a loose puck.

As astutely mentioned by several observers, Maine seemed tired in the second and third periods. They had only managed three shots on goal in the third period until they put on a flurry in the final eight minutes.

However, they also did not get any bounces.

Snakebitten freshman Teddy Purcell had an opportunity to break a 2-2 tie only to hit the crossbar early in the third period.

It was the fourth post Purcell has hit over Maine’s last four games, contributing to his season-ending slump – four goals in his last 21 games after he had scored 12 in his first 19 games.

In assessing the season, the Bears did make the Frozen Four for the fourth time in six years after it appeared the Bears were going to miss the tournament for the first time in nine years.

On paper, any team that is picked to finish third in its conference, winds up fifth, and still earns a berth in the Frozen Four has overachieved.

But after an 8-0-1 start, the Bears went 15-15-1 the rest of the way.

They made the most of the second chance they received when they won the East Regional, but the Michigan State game was certainly winnable and therein lies the frustration.

And Maine is still looking for its first NCAA title since 1999.

Maine probably wouldn’t have beaten Boston College, but it certainly would have been an interesting and entertaining final.

BC shouldn’t have too much trouble with Michigan State if Lerg leaves the rebounds he left against Maine.

Maine coach Tim Whitehead deserves a ton of credit for the courage he showed by coaching his team with a heavy heart after losing his mother-in-law in a car accident earlier in the day.

To lose a loved one and then face the media after a loss in the Frozen Four must have been very difficult. But he handled it with class.

Maine’s six seniors will leave with a record of 104-48-15 and they certainly led the way this season. They were 7-4 in the NCAA Tournament.

They are only the second class to claim three Frozen Four appearances. Most players are lucky to get to one Frozen Four.

Left wing Soares (20 goals, 25 assists) and defenseman Lundin (6 & 14) were their most consistent players, and Michel Leveille (19 & 26) was their offensive catalyst and had his best season numbers-wise while being shadowed throughout the year.

He took his game to a new level in the East Regional.

Keith Johnson (10 & 14) and Mike Hamilton (9 & 13) also put up their best numbers and Brent Shepheard (8 & 8) was a productive physical presence.

Lundin and junior Travis Ramsey (0 & 8) were stellar defensively and Lundin also had his best year offensively. Bret Tyler, a junior, had his best season (6 & 20) and is one of the best defensemen in the country when it comes to getting the puck to the net from the point.

Matt Duffy, Bryan Plaszcz, and Simon Danis-Pepin had their good and bad moments on the blue line. Their inconsistency forced the coaching staff to move center Hopson back to defense before the Hockey East quarterfinals.

The defense lacked quality depth and mobility.

Hopson’s layoff caused by his appendectomy just after the Hockey East quarterfinals contributed to his rustiness against Michigan State.

Purcell (16 & 27) deserved his Hockey East Rookie of the Year honor, and Billy Ryan (13 & 20) finally emerged as an elite forward late in the season. Neither had a good night against MSU.

Depth and consistent goal production were occasional problems up front and the backchecking left something to be desired at times.

Bishop overcame two groin pulls to lead them to the Frozen Four.

The fact Maine made the Frozen Four while finishing with the most losses (15) since the 1997-98 team tells the story.

They won just enough games to make the NCAA Tournament, were consistent in all phases in the East Regional victories, but couldn’t sustain that consistency after a great start against Michigan State.