When
New Hampshire entertained arch-rival Maine for "White
Out the Whit" weekend in Durham six weeks ago, Guns
'N Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" was blaring
as the Wildcats broke their pregame huddle around their
goal.
With
the crowd roaring and the music blaring, sophomore Jacob
Micflikier couldn't resist breaking into a quick little
dance in his first couple of strides towards the opening
faceoff.
It wasn't
a lot – blink and you missed it type stuff –
much like the moves he routinely makes once the puck is
dropped. Micflikier has quickly established himself as one
of the most dynamic offensive players in Hockey East.
This
year, and in the second half especially, Micflikier has
blended style and substance like no other player in the
league. His 31 points since Dec. 4 helped vault him among
the league leaders in conference scoring, and Thursday he
was named honorable mention All-Hockey East.
His
development has helped give the Wildcats a "second"
line that can be as potent as many first units, and they
head into Friday's semifinal against Boston University as
the third-highest-scoring team in the country (4.08 goals
per game).
Inside
College Hockey caught up with Micflikier after practice
this week, before the team headed to Boston and, after that,
the big dance.
Semifinal
Capsules
No.
1 Boston College
Record: 23-6-7 (14-3-7 HEA)
Eagle
Note: Boston College is 9-2 in 11 previous
appearances in the Hockey East semifinals.
How
BC wins: Without Patrick Eaves – and
it appears he will miss this weekend with injuries
– the Eagles will need their impressive defense
to shine that much more. They have a balanced blueline
group behind All-American Andrew Alberts, featuring
unsung stars like Peter Harrold, John Adams, Greg
Lauze and Mike Brennan. Ryan Shannon (3-4—7
in 3 GP vs. Maine this year) will lead the offense.
No.
2 Boston University
Record: 23-12-4 (15-5-4 HEA)
Terrier
Note: John Curry’s back-to-back shutouts
of Providence last weekend marked the first time in
more than 10 years that BU held its opponent scoreless
in consecutive games.
How
BU wins: Providence seemed to catch the Terriers
flat-footed Friday night, but their level of intensity
improved dramatically on Saturday and Sunday. They’ll
need more of the same this weekend, especially against
a swift UNH team that can make you look flat-footed,
even when you aren’t.
No.
3 New Hampshire
Record: 24-9-5 (15-5-4 HEA)
Wildcat
Note: UNH has four players with 42 points
or more, a first in Durham since the 1997-98 season.
That year Jason Krog, Derek Bekar, Tom Nolan and Mark
Mowers all had 56 points or more.
How
UNH wins: The Wildcats tend to get offensive
production from one of their top two lines when they
need it; if somehow both could click for a weekend,
they’d be all but unstoppable. A consistent
defensive effort will be key as well; they’ll
do well to remember last year’s third-period
meltdown in the semifinals, when Massachusetts scored
four straight goals to erase a 2-1 UNH lead.
No.
4 Maine
Record: 20-11-7 (13-5-5 HEA)
Black
Bear Note: Maine’s 16 Hockey East semifinal
appearances are the most of any team. The Black Bears
are seeking their seventh straight NCAA Tournament
appearance.
How
Maine Wins: The Black Bears will play well
in their own zone and Jimmy Howard will be tough to
beat – you can count on that. The difference
between winning and losing will come down to whether
they take advantage of opportunities, both on power
plays (as they did last weekend against UMass Lowell)
and when they create turnovers, whether in the neutral
zone or on the forecheck.
Inside
College Hockey: You were an impact player as a freshman,
but things really seem to have clicked for you this year.
What's been the difference?
Jacob
Micflikier: It's
hard to say. I just got more comfortable with everything
I guess. As a sophomore I expected to have more responsibility.
Last year, as a freshman, I got a lot of ice time, but this
year I knew I had to step up and be one of our leaders.
I felt like that was important for our team to have success,
and hopefully that's happened.
INCH:
You seem like the type of player who always has a smile
on your face. Is that accurate?
JM:
Definitely.
If you're not having fun out there, why play? If you're
not having fun, you can't play well, and I know that when
I'm in a good mood, that's when I play my best. I love the
game, and I hope that shows.
INCH:
Is there any part of the game, or moment in the game, that
you enjoy in particular?
JM:
If you have a part in a goal, and you're helping your team
win a game, there's nothing like it. That's always a big
thrill, whether you're scoring a goal, setting one up, or
making a big defensive play to help win the game.
INCH:
What are you looking forward to this weekend?
JM:
I just want to enjoy the experience. Being at the FleetCenter
– or the Garden, I guess it is now – is quite
an experience. I really enjoyed the atmosphere last year,
although we only played one game. Hopefully we can get two
in this year. I'll just try to take it all in.
INCH:
You're from Winnipeg – was college hockey much of
a thought growing up?
JM:
Not too much. College hockey isn't huge in Western Canada.
I moved to the states when I was 14 and it started to present
itself as an option. Even then, UNH wasn't big where I was
– Minnesota, North Dakota, those schools were really
prominent out there.
INCH:
So how'd you end up in Durham?
JM:
My first year of juniors I had a chance to meet one of the
coaches and I learned a little about the program. We didn't
talk much at that point, but the summer before my second
year (assistant coach Scott) Borek and (head coach Dick)
Umile made the trip up to Winnipeg to see me and my parents.
Two weeks later I made my visit to UNH, and about three
weeks after that my mind was made up.
INCH:
Sounds like it was an easy decision.
JM:
I just felt so comfortable with the coaching staff and the
school. I knew it was the right place.
INCH:
You and your linemates, Justin Aikins and Daniel Winnik,
really seem to have developed great chemistry, especially
in the second half of the year. What makes you guys work
well together?
JM:
I'm not too sure, to be honest. All of us are having fun
out there, and I think that makes a huge difference. When
we play well we're working hard and supporting each other
in the offensive zone.
INCH:
Obviously championships are on everyone's mind at this point
in the year. What are your goals, both team and individually,
the rest of the way?
JM:
A Hockey East championship is a huge goal. I'd love to win
that championship and move on to the NCAA Tournament as
far as we can. If possible, personally, I'd like to crack
the 50-point mark (he has 42 now), but to do that we need
to play a lot of games. That would be great.
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