UNH hockey: Souza sees reason for optimism
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Mar. 20—THE season began with frustration for Mike Souza. As it progressed, though, Souza said he thought that his young UNH Wildcats hockey team improved and he's optimistic entering next year.
Souza and his coaching staff have player meetings scheduled for this week and the team starts its spring off-ice training today.
"I thought our team got better as the year went on," said Souza, who said he has received the same sentiment from his peers. "Certainly not the season we wanted to have or expected to have, but, in kind of analyzing things, there's a lot to be excited for moving forward."
UNH (11-21-3, 6-15-3 Hockey East) fell, 2-1 in overtime, as the No. 10 seed to seventh-seeded Providence College in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament to conclude the season, which was Souza's fifth as head coach and eighth overall coaching with the program.
The Wildcats took a 4-14-1 overall record into the holiday break. After opening the second half of the season with two non-conference losses at Union College, they went 7-2-0 over their next nine games. That stretch put UNH in position to secure a Hockey East first-round home playoff game.
The Wildcats finished the regular season with two home shootout wins over rival Maine in front of sell-out crowds, then losses to Connecticut and Vermont.
UNH's 17 underclassmen on its 29-man roster this past season gained valuable experience, Souza said. The Wildcats played in 11 overtime games and five regular-season games that were decided by one goal.
Closing out games after building a lead is one of the lessons Souza said his young team is still learning.
In its 2-2 tie with Providence on Oct. 28, 4-2 loss to Massachusetts on Nov. 18, and 3-2 loss to Vermont on March 2, UNH scored the game's first two goals. The Wildcats also earned a 2-0 win at Providence on Jan. 6 and used two third-period goals to earn a 3-1 victory at UMass on Jan. 15.
"Having that killer instinct or the ability to put those games away — is that there yet with this group?" Souza said. "I think we're getting there. ... But we certainly, out at UMass, down at Providence (in January) — ironically the two same teams — I thought we closed those games out not by building on the lead but just by defending the lead. Hopefully, moving forward in those tight games, we can build on leads."
Souza said he considers UNH's nine sophomores as the core of the team on and off the ice with the way they conduct themselves.
Sophomore forward Liam Devlin led the team in points with 24 (12 goals, 12 assists). Devlin, and sophomore defensemen Colton Huard (three goals, team-high 16 assists) and Alex Gagne (one goal, eight assists) are among the eight of UNH's top 10 scorers this season that will return next year.
Gagne, a Bedford resident, and sophomore forward Connor Sweeney (three assists), Souza said, train at the Whittemore Center all the time.
"There's a good nucleus there," Souza said.
The Wildcats also received significant contributions from their freshman class this past season.
Freshmen Cy LeClerc (team-high 13 goals, seven assists), Damien Carfagna (six goals, 10 assists), Stiven Sardarian (two goals, five assists) and Jake Dunlap (three goals, four assists) were among those top-10 scorers.
Souza said Carfagna, a defenseman, took a step forward in the second half, especially on the power play, and that he saw improved compete levels from Dunlap, Sardarian and fellow freshman forward Kristaps Skrastins (three goals, three assists).
Freshman goaltender Tyler Muszelik, a Florida Panthers prospect, split starting duties equally with senior David Fessenden over UNH's final eight regular-season games. Muszelik finished with a 3-6-2 record, one shutout, a .886 save percentage and a 3.09 goals-against average.
Souza said part of why he gave the nod to Fessenden in the playoff game at Providence was because Fessenden was in goal when the Wildcats won, 2-0, at the then-No.11 Friars in January. Both Fessenden, who made 28 saves in the playoff loss, and Muszelik were capable of winning that game, Souza said.
"Tyler certainly went through some ups and some downs but has never wavered in his approach and his work ethic," Souza said. "He's a tremendous young man who has, we think, a great deal of potential not only here with us but beyond."
One of the Wildcats' biggest focuses this offseason, Souza said, will be trying to create more offense without compromising what they do defensively.
UNH scored the second-fewest goals in Hockey East (74), five ahead of last-place Vermont. The Wildcats finished ninth in the league in scoring (76 goals) in the 2021-22 season and tied with Merrimack for ninth in goals per game (2.61) in the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season.
UNH has scorers, Souza said, it just needs more of them.
This past weekend's close conference finals showcased the small margin for error in college hockey, Souza said, and that one or two players can lead you to wins in those games.
"Not satisfied in any way with where we are," Souza said. "It is what it is, but it will be what we make it. Our intent is to continue to improve the roster and to compete next year to be playing (on conference final) weekend, certainly."
