Freshman forward Andrew Conboy celebrates after his team scored against the Green team Oct. 5 during the Green and White Game at Munn Ice Arena.
—Freshman forward Andrew Conboy didn’t just make an impression on MSU head coach Rick Comley this weekend — he made an impression on Massachusetts and Boston University players in the form of numerous bumps and bruises.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound forward was throwing his weight around on the ice and caused a couple scrums that Comley said were very beneficial for the Spartans.
“I thought (he) got us back in the game on Saturday,” Comley said. “BU was older and stronger and really hurt some of our young guys. Conboy got involved physically and they got mad at him and it kind of got our bench going a little bit. He’s a physical presence when he’s on the ice.”
Conboy not only brings his hard-hitting style to the team, but his offensive presence in front of the net as well. He scored his first collegiate goal against UMass when he deflected a shot into the net from sophomore defenseman Jeff Petry.
But Conboy relishes his role as an enforcer and he wants to see his teammates follow his lead and step-up the physical play.
“Everybody needs to finish (their) checks offensively,” Conboy said. “That’s my game. If we could fight I’d be out there fighting.”
Special teams update
The Spartans committed 12 penalties this weekend in its 3-1 win to UMass and 2-1 loss to Boston.
But playing shorthanded didn’t hurt the Spartans on the scoreboard, as they were able to kill off all 12 penalties.
Comley credits senior goaltender Jeff Lerg for his stellar play between the pipes this weekend in the shorthanded effort.
Overall, Comley was pleased with his team’s penalty killing abilities — an aspect he was very concerned about coming into the season.
“For an opening weekend I thought it was OK,” Comley said. “A lot of guys gained a lot of experience because we used a lot of different people.”
Lack of offense
The Spartans struggled offensively on the weekend and were only able to record 29 shots while allowing 66 shots on Lerg.
Comley is looking for his upperclassmen to be more productive while the freshmen become accustomed to the pace of college hockey.
“You wish you could flip a switch and (get the offense going) quickly,” Comley said. “But it’s just something you have to get better at.”
Senior defenseman Brandon Gentile is confident the Spartans will take steps toward finding their groove offensively with every game they play.
“We didn’t have a lot of shots but that comes with a lot of guys being younger and getting tired a little easier,” Gentile said. “It’s a process.”
The Spartans take the ice against UMass-Lowell at 7:05 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Munn Ice Arena.
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