University of Maine junior goalie Jeremy Swayman posted 48 saves to earn his 3rd shutout of the season Friday night against Providence College. AP file photo/Winslow Townson
ORONO — For the first time in nine years, there will be a Hockey East quarterfinal series at Alfond Arena.
Senior Mitchell Fossier scored the lone goal of the game midway through Friday night’s third period and junior Jeremy Swayman’s 48 saves made it stand up, as the 15th-ranked University of Maine men’s ice hockey team blanked No. 18 Providence College 1-0 in the regular season finale for both teams. The Black Bears’ win, coupled with the University of Connecticut’s loss to UMass Lowell earlier in the night, ensured Maine will finish fourth in Hockey East and host a best-of-three quarterfinal series next weekend at Alfond.
It will be the first time Maine (18-11-5) has hosted a quarterfinal series since 2011. The Black Bears will entertain either Boston University or Connecticut pending the outcome of Saturday’s BU-Northeastern game.
“We didn’t play particularly well, but we stuck with it,” Maine head coach Red Gendron said. “That’s been a trademark of this team.”
Providence (16-12-6) will finish either seventh or eighth in Hockey East and travel to either Boston College or UMass next weekend.
Swayman, a 2017 draft pick of the NHL’s Boston Bruins, posted his third shutout of the season, all in the last six games. It was his fourth game with at least 40 saves this season, and the 48 Providence shots Swayman stopped were the most since he made 52 in a season-opening loss at Providence on Oct. 5.
“Swayman’s the best goalie in NCAA hockey,” Maine defenseman J.D. Greenway said. “I’ve not, in my career, seen a better goalie in college hockey. That kid’s got a real bright future in front of him.”
Greenway himself had a hand in the Maine goal.
With the teams skating four aside midway through the third period, Greenway drove to the net on Tim Doherty’s chance from the high slot. When Friar netminder Michael Lackey (23 saves) turned that bid away, Greenway tracked the play to the left wing corner, separated a Providence defenseman from the puck and left it for Doherty, and Doherty fired out between the circles for Fossier.
Fossier shot through a screen to beat Lackey at the 9:21 mark with his 10th goal of the season.
“In 4-on-4 hockey, things can get a lot more open,” Fossier said. “If you get puck focused in 4-on-4, someone’s bound to be open. I think they got lost for a second… so I found a second to get free and Tim found me with it.”
Swayman then went to work making sure the lead stood up, making perhaps his most important save only 40 seconds after Maine had taken the lead, turning away Friar Greg Printz’s breakaway.
That save came after Swayman made 10 saves in the first 2:24 of the final period when the game was still scoreless, and after he made a pair of saves on a Providence 2-on-0 with less than six seconds remaining in the second period.
“This is going to be one I’m going to remember for a long time,” Swayman said. “It feels good to finish (the second) period off on a high note like that. I think that was important for us, momentum-wise going into the third period.”
“He was amazing,” Gendron said of Swayman. “He’s playing the best hockey of his career when it matters the most.”
Maine may have been outplayed at times, their forwards had trouble establishing the forecheck for long stretches and defensively the Black Bears conceded far too many Grade A opportunities to the Friars.
All that aside, Fossier and Doherty hooked up for the game-winning goal and Swayman looked every bit like the the NHL draftee he is. It added up to a best-of-three series next weekend at Alfond.
“Good teams find a way to win games,” Fossier said. “With Swayman, we’re good to go. He’s the best player in college hockey, that’s my take.”
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