ORONO — Patrick Shea said he didn’t know what to expect when he made the transition from prep school hockey to Division I at the University of Maine.
But the freshman forward has found himself not only playing a regular shift, he also has been used on the penalty kill and the power play.
“I just wanted to work hard and see where I got,” said Shea. “I seem to be getting minutes now, and hopefully I can keep playing well.”
He scored his third goal of the season in the 2-2 tie at Vermont on Saturday night. He also has three assists while playing in all 14 games. He is seventh on the team with six points.
“He’s a very good player,” said UMaine coach Red Gendron. “He has a high skill level and great grit.”
Shea is one of only five Black Bear skaters who isn’t at least 6 feet tall as he stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 186 pounds. But he doesn’t shy away from contact.
“He’s one of our smaller guys, but he’s strong on his feet and isn’t afraid to use his body,” said UMaine senior right wing and assistant captain Blaine Byron. “He also chips in on offense, which is huge.
“He is able to play in every situation, which is huge. We need guys like that who can step right in and play in those situations. He gives us good speed and energy,” added Byron.
Shea said he has been happy with his play, for the most part.
“You can always be better. I keep trying to get better,” said Shea, whose father, Neil, played at Boston College from 1982 to 1986.
“He told me Alfond Arena was the toughest place to play,” said Shea with a grin. “That’s good. That’s in our favor.”
He has already played in front of three sellout crowds at Alfond Arena.
“That’s really cool. When the Alfond is bumping, it’s the best,” said Shea, a seventh-round draft pick of the Florida Panthers.
It has been a learning experience for him, and it will continue to be.
He said adapting to the “pace of the game and the movement of the puck” has been a challenge.
“But I feel more comfortable than I did at the beginning of the year,” said Shea, a native of Marshfield, Massachusetts. “It’s not easy, but it’s getting easier. You learn something every game.”
He was primarily a center throughout his career, but he has made the adjustment to right wing.
“Wherever I fit in into the lineup works for me,” said Shea.
He is enjoying himself at UMaine, saying “it has been a fun ride so far.”
The Black Bears are 4-7-3 overall, 1-4-1 in Hockey East, and Shea said he will do whatever he can to help the team win.
UMaine (4-7-3 overall, 1-4-1 Hockey East) meets 1-7 Brown University at 7 p.m. Saturday in Portland.
“We need to get on a winning streak. Our No. 1 priority is finding ways to win,” said Shea, who played for former UMaine head coach Tim Whitehead at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire, where he had 45 goals and 65 assists in 68 games spanning two seasons.
Shea’s goal on Saturday snapped a 10-game goal-scoring drought.
“If felt good to get back on the scoresheet. Hopefully, I can keep at it,” said Shea, who is one of 10 freshmen on the team.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
