Maine set to face lower-ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor
ORONO – With three weeks to stew about an early-round loss to Massachusetts in the Hockey East quarterfinals, two of which were spring break weeks, the University of Maine hockey team had plenty of time to crunch some numbers and watch as other schools across the country determined their own fate in the NCAA Tournament.
That early tournament exit, which capped a bizarre season that had started so well, as well as a late-season skid, during which the Black Bears didn’t win consecutive games in nearly two months, resulted in one of the worst playoff scenarios that any number-crunching Maine fan could have imagined.
Maine received the No. 2 seed in the Midwest regional bracket on Sunday, meaning the Black Bears, ranked at or near No. 1 for much of the season, will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., next weekend to face the host Michigan Wolverines in the first round. Michigan was in the cluster of teams that were deemed No. 3-seeds, and since it is the host in Ann Arbor, it has to remain at that site.
“It was a bit surprising, for sure,” said Maine coach Tim Whitehead. “I think almost everyone thought we’d end up in Providence. Either way, we have a tough game ahead that we now have to prepare for.”
Some of the players weren’t so diplomatic about Maine’s placement within the bracket.
“They always find some way to mess things up,” said Maine senior Martin Kariya. “We all had our guesses, but when it comes down to where they are going to put us, you have to throw that all out the window. You never know what they are going to throw at you next.”
Instead of granting Maine the No. 2 seed in Providence, the committee awarded that seed to Boston College, even though the Eagles were mathematically behind the Black Bears in the standings.
“If they went strictly by the rankings, we should have been facing Ohio State, and we should have been in the East,” said Whitehead. “They didn’t, and that’s fine. To play Michigan on their home ice is going to be a tough task, but we have a chance if we play well.”
Michigan was regarded as a weaker seed last season as well, but were the host of the Western regional and advanced to the Frozen Four after upsetting then-No. 1 Denver.
“It can work against them because of expectations,” said Whitehead. “But the crowd there is unbelievable.”
Chris Heisten scored the game-winning goal for Maine in the teams’ last meeting, a 5-2 Maine win in Albany in 2000.
“They are very different now,” said Heisten. “They are very young and they’ll have the crowd behind them.”
Should Maine advance past Michigan, a match-up with Colorado College looms. For most of the season, Colorado College was one of two teams to have defeated Maine. It won 3-0 in a season-opening tournament in Alaska.
jpelletier@sunjournal.com
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