Surging PC Hockey Double Whammies UNH, Northeastern Up Next
Robert McMahon, Sports Columnist
Surging PC Hockey Double Whammies UNH, Northeastern Up Next
Two very satisfying wins this past weekend for the Friars Sextet, now 5-1-1 on the year. On Friday night, the Friars finally found their goal-scoring touch this season with a convincing 6-3 win over the UNH Wildcats at Schneider. In the Saturday game before almost 5,000 Wildcat fans at UNH, the Friars stood on the shoulders of their backup goalie, grad student Zach Borgiel, to shut down a frustrated UNH team with a 3-0 shutout.
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The Friars are still very much a work-in-progress with half the roster consisting of new players. What is satisfying is to see is this team finding different ways to win. In the second game against Vermont on October 26th, PC used a gut-checking effort to overcome a 4-2 deficit in the last 8 minutes to tie the game and then to win the overtime shootout.
In the first game against UNH this past weekend, PC finally demonstrated that there are some goal snipers on this team who can score. In the second win against UNH, the Friars demonstrated a style of play that is pure Coach Nate Leaman: using discipline on both sides of the red line, taking advantage of goal-scoring opportunities, and providing solid goaltending. Borgiel’s performance was amazing, particularly when facing a UNH 5-3 power play. He had all the answers against UNH. Perhaps we can give Borgiel his own moniker, “The Answer Man.”
Some of the numbers from the sweep of UNH:
- In the 6-3 win, PC scored five goals before the game was half over, sending the Wildcats goalie Jared Whale to the showers—the same Jared Whale who shut out the Friars at Schneider 4-0 a year ago while playing for Alaska-Anchorage.
- Twelve different Friars scored at least one point in the 6-3 win with grad students Logan Will (3 assists) and Ryan O’Reilly (2 goals) leading the way.
- In PC’s 3-0 shutout win, Borgiel had 43 saves!
- Tanner Adams scored his 5th goal of the season over the weekend and now leads the Friars in goals.
- The sweep of UNH was the first Friar weekend sweep of a Hockey East opponent in two years.
PC Takes on the Northeastern Huskies this Weekend in a Home and Away Series
This Friday night, November 8th, the Friars will resume Hockey East play against Northeastern at Schneider Arena. The puck drop is 7 PM. It is Military Appreciation Night. On Saturday, the Friars will travel up I-95 to the Matthews Arena in Boston to play the Saturday night game of the weekend series against the Huskies.
Northeastern thus far this year is struggling with a 1-3-1 record. They have had tough matchups this year, losing to #1 Denver twice, and losing one game to undefeated #6 Maine and tying the Black Bears in another game. And due to the idiosyncrasies of Hockey East scheduling, the Huskies will be facing PC this Friday night after a two week layoff.
The Huskies feature a pretty solid goalie in Cam Whitehead who has a 2.77 goals against average per game and who has a .912 save percentage. Like UNH this past weekend, the Huskies struggle to score goals, averaging only 2.4 goals/game this year. The top scorer is Cam Lund who has 4 of Northeastern’s 12 goals.
Former PC hockey player Jerry Keefe (1996-2000, 98 points in 102 games) is the Northeastern coach. After serving as a Northeastern assistant for many years, he assumed the top job in the 2021-22 season and produced sensational results—an overall record of 25-13-1 and regular season Hockey East champion. The Huskies have since leveled off in his last two seasons, winning 17 games in 2023 and in 2024. Last year, the Huskies, however, did win the coveted Beanpot Championship. The Friars swept the Huskies last year, winning 2-1 and 5-2.
Additional Slap Shots
- Even with the wins over UNH last weekend, the PC power play continues to be an issue. The Friars’ power play is now 1-15, a 6.7% rate, one of the lowest in Division
18 of the 25 PC skaters have scored points so far. This reflects the talent on the team and Coach Leaman’s skill in getting playing time for the new players.
- The Friars’ penalty kill is excellent at 91%.
- No word yet from PC whether injured freshman winger Trevor Connelly will play this weekend against Northeastern.
- Coach Leaman is beginning to have an enviable dilemma—too many talented freshman scorers. Will Elger, who has not received regular shifts like some of the other talented skaters on the team, has managed to score 4 goals and 2 assists. His 6 total points is third on the team. Here’s a suggestion: try out Will Elger on the power play unit.
- Look out for Maine this year. The Black Bears have opened up at 6-0-1, scoring 4.4 goals/game and allowing only 1.3 goals/game. The Friars will entertain Maine this season at Schneider on February 7 and 8, 2025.