LOWELL, Mass. — They’re never perfect, especially in October. Sometimes you just have to find a way at the end.
That’s what UMD did on Friday, riding 36 saves from freshman goalie Adam Gajan — making his first collegiate start — to a 4-2 win over UMass-Lowell at the Tsongas Center.
Let’s get it.
9 THOUGHTS
1. Gajan was sharp before he had to be really good. As I’ve said repeatedly, I’m no judge of goalies (or other players, for that matter, but especially goalies). But Gajan appears to be really in control. His movements are crisp. His puck-playing decisions appear to be deliberate, which is weird in a game where everything can appear to be spur of the moment.
(Good example: A first-period dump down the ice leads to a race, and Gajan stays put knowing he’s likely to lose the race. Gets in position and makes a strong save on the onrushing Lowell forward.)
The Slovakian saved his best for last, however, making key save after key save during a rough sequence for UMD in the third period. Gajan totaled 17 saves in the third as the RiverHawks pushed for more than the one goal they got.
You don’t want to be overly reliant on even the best goalies, but it’s clear UMD has a guy with a bright future, the kind of goalie who will give his team a chance to win a lot more often than not.
2. UMD had to weather a bit of a storm early. UMass-Lowell, playing its season opener, has seven fifth-year seniors — with five of them playing on Friday. The RiverHawks play a heavy, physical game, and it took UMD some time to settle into its game.
Lowell struck first, as Chris Delaney was all alone in front. He got two shots on Gajan, with the second finding a way home. Seconds later, UMD captain Dominic James took a bit of a nefarious-looking cross-check penalty, and the puck told no lies. Joe Molenaar jumped an outlet play off a UMD clear, then beat UML goalie Beni Halasz with a slick move into an open net to tie the game.
James’ partial breakaway shortly after his penalty ended was stopped, but Callum Arnott cleaned it up for his first collegiate goal and UMD’s first lead of the season.
3. On UMD’s sixth goal of the season, a returning player picked up his first. Fourth-line center Braden Fischer was in the right place, high man on the forecheck. The puck came right to him off a Lowell stick, and Fischer sniped a beauty of a shot by Halasz for a 3-1 lead.
He’s a goal Fischer🎣 pic.twitter.com/QdnjsVF69H
— UMD Men’s Hockey (@UMDMensHockey) October 12, 2024
Fischer was a scratch in last weekend’s opener, but he’s going to make it tough for the coaches to keep him out of the lineup with plays like this one.
Big goal, because UMD controlled much of the second period and it was good to see a reward come for that hard work.
4. It’s not often good when I think the head coach is about to use his timeout with a three-goal lead. There were a couple sequences — one of which led to an icing with Fischer’s line trapped on the ice on an extended shift — where I thought Scott Sandelin would have to take his timeout to settle the group down.
Lowell pushed hard, but Gajan was strong. He got his team a couple key whistles by catching pucks that weren’t going on goal, almost as if he knew the timing of the media breaks (or he just has good hockey sense and was taking any kind of whistle for any kind of breather).
Chatting afterward, Sandelin basically confirmed he thought about using his timeout. But you only get one, you never know how a game is going to go, and there will be moments (even with a young team) where the coaches want the players to get through it.
In this case, they did.
5. James had a second straight multi-point game, thanks to a great setup from Matthew Perkins in the opening minute of the third. Owen Gallatin tried a stretch pass that didn’t connect, but Perkins beat the icing call with ease. He held the puck long enough for James to become available in the high slot, and boy howdy did James not miss.
He’s probably sick and damn tired of people talking about it, but I can’t express in words how good it feels to see Dominic James back healthy and playing for this team. There’s an energy he brings to the rink that is completely contagious, and frankly he’s a hell of a lot of fun to watch play the game.
Difference maker on the dot as well, where he won 15 of 25 and UMD went 38-28 on the night.
6. The penalty kill had a very good night. Discipline improved as the game went on, players on both teams adjusting to what was being called, which was close to everything.
Lowell had four power plays. Two shots on goal, no goals, and UMD got the Molenaar short-handed goal to win the special teams game.
Associate coach Adam Krause said this week they’re working with their killers on being more aggressive, and that seemed to pay off well on Friday.
Good thing, because …
7. The power play remains, um, a work in progress. Look, when you’re playing 11 freshmen and expecting a lot of them to play key roles on the power play, it’s going to take some time.
As time goes on, expect to see the PP improve. It did as Friday went on, generating more zone time and a couple looks that didn’t find their way home.
There’s been some over-passing. There’s been some mistakes in routes to the net and passes off the mark here and there. It’s nothing that assistant coach Cody Chupp — who handles the power play — can’t fix. And part of that is trying to find the right personnel on both units.
Since the way they started the opener isn’t what they could do on Friday (Max Plante is obviously a power play guy and is currently unavailable), this was basically the first game with the personnel in their current spots. Likely too early for sweeping changes, but it’s something to watch.
8. If we’re going to start worrying about the PairWise (please don’t … I’ll beg if I have to), the NCHC is doing well. Yeah, Michigan beat Arizona State 4-1, giving the noobs a second straight loss. But UMD’s loss to Bemidji State still stands as the only other loss in the conference, and that was in overtime so it’s not even a full loss. 🤣
And, yes, it’s entirely too early to concern ourselves with such things.
It’s easy to believe that non-conference games are overvalued when it comes to the PairWise, but as UML coach Norm Bazin told me this week, every game matters, no matter who you play. A team can make its life really difficult with October losses, but no single game in October is likely to define a season come selection time.
9. That said, a league that prides itself on its non-conference prowess has a lot to like in the very early going. St. Cloud State got a late goal from Thor Byfuglien to beat Bemidji State 4-3 at the Brooks Center.
Noah lit the Laba lamp in Colorado Springs, with his second of game coming 21 seconds into overtime as Colorado College beat Northern Michigan 4-3. The Wildcats forced overtime with an extra-attacker goal with 43 seconds to go.
Zach Urdahl’s second goal of the game gave Omaha a 3-2 overtime win over UMass at the Ice Breaker in Las Vegas. The Mavericks appear headed to a title game against Minnesota, as the Gophers are up 3-0 on Air Force as this blog goes to press and I’m not staying up to see what happens.
Miami held off Alaska-Anchorage 3-2. Western Michigan beat Ferris State 4-1. North Dakota faces Providence Saturday in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game in Grand Forks. Denver is off.
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4:30 pregame on KDAL Saturday. Back pregame with the lines, as usual.
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