BOSTON – First-year UConn defenseman Andrew Lucas showed why it’s so important to have a puck mover on the back end. The transfer from Vermont scored the overtime game-winner Friday night to give the No. 14 Huskies a 4-3 win over No. 9 Boston University in front of 4,546 fans at Agganis Arena.
Lucas jumped up into the play and crossed into the BU zone skating against three Terriers. He cut back to his right and flung a wrist shot that beat goaltender Vinny Duplessis to the blocker side. It was the second point of the night for Lucas, who assisted on the first goal of the game.
On that play, he took the puck down the right wing side. He showed patience and poise to draw some BU defenders his way before dishing it out to the slot for an awaiting Nick Capone. From there, the East Haven, Conn., native blasted the puck home.
“He plays with his head up all the time. He’s a good skater but doesn’t have blazing speed. He can freeze defenders by head fakes, shoulder fakes and then get a step on them. On that first goal, he was able to take the defenseman wide and beat him. He sucked everybody to him then threw it to Capone,” explained UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh (North Andover, Mass.).
Lucas, a Loomis Chaffee alum from Alexandria, Va., played his first three collegiate seasons at Vermont. In 81 games with the Catamounts, he scored nine goals and 23 assists. Returning to the state he made his name in prep school has proven to be a good move. His overtime tally was his first as a Husky, but he’s dished out six assists in seven games.
“He’s close to the leading scorer on our team. When a defenseman is your leading scorer, that shows you how much of an offensive addition he’s been. He’s been great,” said Cavanaugh.
Cavanaugh has been the head coach at UConn since 2013. When asked if Lucas is one of the more skilled defensemen he’s coached at the Hockey East upstart, he didn’t hesitate. But, the bench boss also emphasized the defensive side of Lucas’ game.
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“No question. I think he is,” answered Cavanaugh. “He’s a very good defender. I don’t think he gets enough credit for his defense. He’s got an excellent stick so he’s able to get a lot of stick on puck.”
Evaluating Matthew Wood
There were over a dozen NHL scouts at Agganis Arena Friday night, mostly there to watch UConn freshman Matthew Wood. The first-line right wing is the youngest player in college hockey, as he doesn’t turn 18 until February. He entered the game with three goals and four assists in six games. The Nanaimo, British Columbia, native was held scoreless in the series opener against the Terriers.
Wood is clearly a great player. While he didn’t score, he got off three shots on net and maybe one or two others that whistled just wide. One shot he ripped off from the slot showed how quickly he can get the puck off his stick.
He’s on UConn’s first power play unit and sets up in his office at the left-wing circle. A one-timer got blocked from that spot. For a young player, he’s heavy on pucks and doesn’t shy away from traffic and physical play. His hockey sense showed a few times, as he was on the right side of the puck and made one nifty lead pass to set up a teammate with a quality scoring chance.
The only negative is his skating. He lumbers up and down the ice and his first two steps are a struggle. While his shot is absolutely elite and his hockey sense is very good, his skating is average, at best, for college hockey and NHL prospect standards. It will be interesting to see how it holds up as the season progresses. Obviously, if he can show improvement as he leans out, that will help his stock among NHL scouts.
UConn exceeding expectations
There is still a long way to go, but UConn is certainly playing above what I predicted. The Huskies are 6-0-1 overall and 3-0-1 in Hockey East play. Cavanaugh’s group has a nice balance of skill, speed and heaviness. I really liked the third line, as Capone and Chase Bradley bring a physical element on the wing and center Tabor Heaslip is a spark plug with an abundance of energy.
On the second line, Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Ryan Tverberg is an elite skater whose speed shined through on a handful of occasions, including one zone entry in the second period. While Adam Dawe has yet to get on the score sheet, I noticed the Maine transfer a few times and thought he played a solid game on the fourth line. All four lines contributed offensively on Friday night.
The only negative I saw, as far as UConn as a team, on Friday was the play of sophomore goaltender Logan Terness. He gave up three goals on 27 shots. It wasn’t necessarily the quantity of goals against or saves, but it was the eye test. He didn’t pass. He moved around too much and wasn’t quiet and in position. It would seem that freshman Arsenii Sergeev, a Calgary Flames prospect, will have to take over between the pipes, if UConn is going to have a deep run.
Despite loss, positives for Terriers
Boston University dropped to 2-2 on the season with the loss, but there was still reason to be optimistic if you were a Terriers fan at Agganis Arena. It felt like BU had an identity and players were buying into roles.
That was never more evident than with the fourth line that scored two goals. Senior Jamie Armstrong (Warwick, R.I.) scored a goal and added an assist. He’s a strong, rugged winger who was heavy on pucks and stopped at the net.
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Another big power forward that impressed was junior Dylan Peterson, a third-round pick of St. Louis in 2020. He went from three goals as a freshman to 10 as a sophomore. If he continues playing like he did tonight, that number could increase again this winter. He had an assist, but his ability to protect pucks, play in straight lines, and finish at the net impressed me.
The best player on the ice for BU was freshman defenseman Lane Hutson, a second-round pick of Montreal in the 2022 draft. He had an assist on Armstrong’s goal. He did a good job keeping a puck in at the left point and quickly moving it back in for a scoring chance. His vision is up there in terms of being the best in college hockey. One example was a fake slap shot that he sent a pass to the backdoor for a great chance. His skating and footwork are good, which allows him to have success with and without the puck. He’s always been known as an offensive puck-mover. However, there were two plays in the first period, which drew my attention, in terms of his defensive ability. He used a good stick and gap control to pokecheck a puck out of the zone on one rush. On another, he had a good angle and closed off a rushing winger.
The Terriers and Huskies finish out the two-game Hockey East weekend series on Saturday night at Agganis Arena.
