The men's hockey team was finally finding its groove. The young Huskies, who feature 14 freshmen, had finally turned the corner and were riding a four-game unbeaten streak heading into last weekend's road trip to West Point. But then the unthinkable happened.
Nine Army goals and two embarrassing blowouts later, UConn's momentum came to a screeching halt and its spirits were crashed.
"We're back to October all over again," said head coach Bruce Marshall. "This past weekend was extremely disappointing in terms of the way we handled ourselves during the games and our decision making. It's almost like we dropped the plate into a thousand pieces all over the floor and we have to glue it back together before mom and dad get home."
UConn's (8-15-3, 7-10-3 Atlantic Hockey Association) opportunity for redemption starts tonight, when they welcome Sacred Heart (10-13-3,10-7-3) to the Freitas Ice Forum at 7 p.m. for the first game of a home-and-home series with the Pioneers.
Turning the momentum around against Sacred Heart will be no easy feat. The Pioneers come into the game averaging 2.7 goals and 30 shots per game in comparison to the Huskies' 1.8 goals and 22 shots.
"We don't generate enough shots," Marshall said. "We've got to go to the net, we need to get hungry around the net, crash the puck, and play with more energy. We can't have [goalie] Beau Erickson taking 70-75 shots in a weekend and expect to come out on top all of the time."
Erickson, one of the bright spots for the Huskies all year long, was named National Player of the Week by Inside College Hockey prior to the Army game for allowing just one goal in 71 shots in two games against RIT.
Erickson's impressive award didn't intimidate Army, however. The Black Knights came at the UConn goaltender strong, and though he registered 83 saves in the two-game set, he let in nine goals and didn't receive nearly enough offense to ease the pressure. UConn found the back of the net just once in two games.
Erickson will have some extra help this weekend as sophomore defenseman Michael Olmstead is expected to return to the ice after missing the past eight games due to injury.
Though he's just a sophomore, Olmstead will be counted on to anchor an extremely young defense for the rest of the season. The team's most experienced defenseman, junior co-captain Sean Erickson, has been sidelined for the past thirteen games due to a concussion and is unlikely to return this season, according to Marshall.
To make matters worse, junior forward Ryan Hawkins is also expected to miss the remainder of the season with a concussion. With injuries decimating the team, Marshall didn't point out any individuals that need to step up, but instead suggested the entire team play more cohesively in order to reverse its recent fortunes.
"The whole team needs to step up after last week's performance," Marshall said. "I don't think anyone can feel good about how they played out there. I think its time for them to realize how far they stumbled last weekend."
If the Huskies want to avoid another let down, they will have to contain a balanced Sacred Heart attack that features five players who have scored 20 or more points, including the reigning AHA Player of the Week, Bear Trapp. Trapp won the award after netting two goals and dishing out four assists in Sacred Heart's victory over Canisius last Friday. He leads the Pioneers with 26 points on the season.
In contrast, UConn's offensive attack is led by Andrew Olson and Chris Ochoa, who are tied for the team lead with just 14 points.
Marshall knows his team must be focused and prepared if it wants to neutralize the explosive Sacred Heart attack and come away with points this weekend.
"We've got to stay tighter with them," Marshall said. "We have to deny them good, grade A scoring opportunities, make sure we're moving our feet the whole time and make sure we have good stick positioning. We have our work cut out for us."
Contact Kevin Duffy at Kevin.R.Duffy@uconn.edu
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