Spring Break
Do-or-die for Erickson, seniors
UConn enters Atlantic Hockey tournament off recent success
Chris Brodeur
Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: Sports
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UConn (9-25-2, 8-18-2 Atlantic Hockey) enters the postseason winners in three of its final five games to close out the regular season.
The Huskies are unbeaten since Feb. 20, with three out of their last four contests requiring overtime periods - including last weekend's draw at Bentley. It's something Marshall views as advantageous for his team as they get ready for playoff time.
"We're playing the way we're capable of," said Marshall. "We've been in overtime games, we're finding ways to win. The playoffs are gonna be like that. Being in those tight games should help."
A major reason for the Huskies' recent run of success is junior goaltender Beau Erickson.
The Iowa-born Erickson was named the Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Week following a rock-solid performance against Bentley in a home-and-home series last weekend. Erickson stopped all but three of the 59 shots he saw to finish with a minuscule goals against average of 1.44 as the Huskies came away with a 4-1 victory on Senior Night at the Freitas Ice Forum and a 2-2 tie in Waltham.
Marshall expressed the importance of having a stable force in the net to boost the team's confidence, but there isn't a player on the ice who doesn't play a role in a successful playoff run.
"It's important that everyone feel confident in every position," Marshall said. "Having him post some of those numbers…it's like a pitcher. He's keeping them off the board and giving us a chance to win."
The bottom four teams in the conference meet this weekend for one-game playoffs. As the No. 9 seed in the tournament, the Huskies drew eighth-seeded Sacred Heart, a matchup they hope plays out vastly different from their previous encounters. The Pioneers have swept the season series from the Huskies, winning 5-3 and 6-1 in the venue where Saturday's action will take place.
"They play physical and they play well in that building," Marshall said. "We have to channel our emotions and we've gotta be disciplined. We can't give them those five-on-four opportunities. We have to match their physicality."
The winners of this weekend's games advance to play the top four seeds in best two-out-of-three style series next weekend, with the first and last games on the higher seeds' home ice. An automatic bid to the NCAA tournament is on the line, and this will be the last try for captains Sean Erickson and Nick Schneider, along with fellow seniors B.J. Bayers and Jordan Behler to get there. The group reached the Atlantic Hockey semi-finals two years ago before falling to Army.
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