CANTLON: HUSKIES LOOK TO GROUND EAGLES 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – UCONN (0-1-1) has a challenging, upcoming weekend of hockey with the nation’s currently-ranked #2, Boston College Eagles (4-0-0). The game will be broadcast Friday night at 6:00 PM on NESN and then on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 PM on CW 20 (Channel 20).

Last season, the Huskies had a miserable set with the Eagles, the nadir of their season. The team rebounded from last season though, and with all that hangs over the world with the Covid pandemic, the Huskies are fortunate to be competing at all.

“We’re just happy to be playing games. It’s certainly been challenging for us,” remarked UCONN Head Coach, Mike Cavanaugh. His squad has been off for three weeks since their last game when they played against UMASS. “They’ve handled it better than I have. (It’s) been very tough getting geared up and it’s taken us a bit, but we’re looking forward to playing Boston College this weekend, playing some hockey games.”

The time off has allowed UCONN ample practice time with the school having only a fraction of its normal on-campus population and activity. It’s allowed the Huskies to prepare a bit more than the usual time as they approach exam week.

“Your power play can only go against your own guys, and your own penalty kill, for so long. You need to see opponents, and you need to get your game reps. Line changes are really hard unless you’re in the middle of a game. The little nuances of a game, where you just need experience. That’s where we’re still sort of in the infant stages.

“I feel a lot better about our conditioning than I did three weeks ago when we played UMASS.”

Keeping the team engaged after losing a game last week with Boston University has had its challenges. The players have opted to stay in Storrs through Christmas break, which will keep them ready for its upcoming pair of games with New Hampshire over the New Year’s period of time and kept it on track.

“Trying to keep practices relevant and exciting when you’re constantly (just) practicing. When we prepared for Maine, they hadn’t played yet, so we had no film on them were trying to prepare our team. Then, we had BU and had no film either. Practices can get monotonous after a while.

“So this week has been a nice change. We have an opponent. We have some film and can get familiar with their personnel, and prepare for an opponent, and you’re back to normal for college hockey, maybe COVID college hockey,”  Cavanaugh said with a wry laugh.

“Keeping the mental aspect sharp with exam week coming up, and keeping them focused, I think when it’s over, that month when it’s only hockey, there will be idle time. That will be a challenge. How much work can you get done on a forecheck and D-zone coverage? We’ve been doing this for a month now. “

Each team has some roster changes because of the World Junior Championship selection camps that are underway. The Huskies have Yan Kuznetsov and forward, Vladislav Firstov, battling it out in Moscow as they seek the first collegians to make the Russian WJC team.

“You’re not going to be any good if you’re not recruiting good players. They’re gonna help you win games. You can have all these players, but if there’s no talent, you know you’re not gonna win hockey games.  The last seven years, we’ve had 16 or 17 NHL draft picks. If both boys make the team (Kuznetsov and Firstov) that will make five World Junior players in the last six or seven years. I can’t say enough about my staff in the way they have recruited.”

The Eagles will be down four players, and they are losing Spencer Knight (Darien/Avon Old Farms), one of the best goalies in the nation. He has a 1.50 GAA and has surrendered just six goals in four games plus defenseman, Drew Helleson, and their leading scorer, Matthew Boldy, who are both in the Team USA camp. Alan Newhook is in camp with Team Canada in Red Deer,  Alberta, Canada.

“It doesn’t change how we prepare for them. The goalie replacing him was an All-New England goalie last year, Henry Wilder (Hotchkiss Prep-Lakeville). He’s a fantastic player and they have a lot of good players on that roster.

“Logan Hutsko is an All-League kid. Marshall Warren is a fantastic defenseman. We’re missing a couple of our guys too. Our two Russians are in the World Junior tournament,” Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh did not want to get into a matchup issue with BC as he’s looking to strictly bring the UCONN game to the ice Friday and Saturday.

The Huskies are still looking to schedule games before Christmas even though this year is supposed to be for the Hockey East conference only. The question of whether or not they can schedule non-conference games with in-state opponents like Quinnipiac University or Sacred Heart University?

“The league only wants us to play league opponents. If we get the OK from the league and they sign off on it, I would love to talk to Quinnipiac, and Sacred Heart, because they’re short trips. If we can facilitate games against Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart (University), Holy Cross (Worcester, MA), or AIC (Springfield, MA) within an hour’s drive from campus, that’s a win for both teams.”

UCONN has only one player not able to play with a non-COVID injury, junior, John Wojciechowski (shoulder), and defenseman, Carter Berger, who missed the first two games with a non-COVID illness, he will be back in the lineup.

Managing college kids in normal times is challenging, but in a COVID environment, things are thoroughly different. Cavanaugh has managed to keep on an even keel with his players.

“There really isn’t a campus. There’s not many people here,”  Cavanaugh said with a chuckle, “The only people we really interact with is the women’s hockey team. Usually, when were coming and going. If there practicing and were coming in or were finishing practice and there coming in.

“There is not a lot of interaction, talking with the players. Most of the time you go to the dining hall and pick something up and bring it back to your room. It’s not like we haven’t taken it seriously, but at some point, you have to live your life. The kids can go to Price Chopper or Starbucks to get a coffee. There’s a fine line – be responsible and respectful, but don’t live your life in fear.”

Hopefully, the Huskies will have no fear when they face the Eagles this weekend.