BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
STORRS, CT – Rather than coming off a natural high with the captivating, exciting win over Boston College, the UCONN Huskies now step up to a Hockey East duel with Boston University after losing an early week rescheduled non-conference match up with AIC in Springfield, MA at the MassMutual Center.
“They’re playing their best hockey of the year. They’ve won five straight (5-0-1). They’re healthy, and they beat Arizona State last week (a non-conference sweep). I’ve said they’re one of the most talented teams in the league at the beginning of the year, and I still believe that that,” UConn Head Coach Mike Cavanaugh said. “This team, you can’t turn the puck over at the blue line against because their transition game is so strong.
“Certainly, we can’t put ourselves in a (bad) situation taking unnecessary penalties. Their power play is very good and we’re gonna have to be fundamentally sound when we play them to be successful.”
One glaring issue from the AIC game he hopes to see more success is the one-on-one battles.
“We have to win more puck battles. We did well the first two periods. However, AIC won them in the third period, and they deserved to win the game.”
It’s likely the Huskies will face US Olympic-bound goalie Drew Commesso. He was the US WJC netminder briefly before COVID derailed the tourney. They’re not likely to see Simon Duplessis.
Cavanaugh is not naming his starting goaltender, but he’ll likely start grad transfer Darion Hanson, over Tuesday’s starter, freshmen Logan Terness.
When questioned about ailing star forward Jonny Evans, who has struggled to regain the effectiveness he showed last season, he wouldn’t answer.
‘We’re 100% healthy and ready to go right now.”
Senior captain Jachym Kondelik and sophomore Ryan Tverberg received the high honor of being named Hobey Baker candidates this week.
While proud of both players, he expressed his irritation at the process just as the second-semester conference play starts and the nominating system with five-to-six weeks left in the regular season.
“Consistently, Jachym has been our best player all year long, and Ryan has had a breakout year leading the team in scoring (and was invited to Canada’s WJC camp in Calgary).
“He’s (Kondelik) gotten recognition from our staff (for his play). We think the world of him (Kondelik), but I can’t control what other coaches think or what the media thinks of him as a player. I know what we think. We appreciate and value him as a player,” Cavanaugh said.
“I think it’s way too early to be submitting that because so much can change in a month. I don’t know why that is a pet peeve. They (the college hockey upper-echelon) want season ending awards when you’re in the middle of January when there is so much hockey to be played, “remarked Cavanaugh, who successfully recruited him from BU when he was in the USHL.
Cavanaugh feels the future of the upcoming CT Classic at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport is secure, even in this COVID environment. Yale has been quietly canceling ECAC games. Despite the whispers that the celebration of CT hockey might not happen, Cavanaugh firmly stated, “I haven’t really focused on it (the tournament). As far as I know they (Yale) will play.”
BU has the series edge at 11-7-2. UCONN has a 4-4-0 record in contests at the XL Center. The first ten minutes will be critical in establishing a home-ice advantage.
“It’s gotta be sixty, not just ten. It’ll be a lot of little things that will be important,” he commented.
Friday is a big test the Huskies are looking to pass.
